pagpow
Well-known
OK,
I'm planning a trip to Italy and have a number of night shots planned, particularly around Mantova, Bologna and Milano.
Looking at travel-suitable tripods, many point to the Gitzo 6x series with four sections. Their prices are challenging for just a few shots.
Questions:
1) Looking at short closed length and light weight, are there any good alternatives? at lower prices?
2) Are the prices in Italy lower than the $5-700 I see here in the US?
3) Is there a rental option to purchasing one here and carrying it over there?
4) I have read various accounts of the stability of different tripods in that series, any opinions, based on experience, on which might be sufficient for the XPAN?
Thanks.
Giorgio
I'm planning a trip to Italy and have a number of night shots planned, particularly around Mantova, Bologna and Milano.
Looking at travel-suitable tripods, many point to the Gitzo 6x series with four sections. Their prices are challenging for just a few shots.
Questions:
1) Looking at short closed length and light weight, are there any good alternatives? at lower prices?
2) Are the prices in Italy lower than the $5-700 I see here in the US?
3) Is there a rental option to purchasing one here and carrying it over there?
4) I have read various accounts of the stability of different tripods in that series, any opinions, based on experience, on which might be sufficient for the XPAN?
Thanks.
Giorgio
kxl
Social Documentary
Any of the smaller Gitzo's would certainly be good albeit expensive. If all you're going to mount on it is an Xpan, then, IMO, you're probably better off buying something less expensive. Check out Feisol tripods -- you can get them directly from the manufacturer through eBay -- thoroughly reliable. I've bought from them via eBay a couple of times.
Lukino
new to rf
I live in Italy and can answer for point number 2:
Everything you can buy will be more expensive here than in the States, due to change & taxation (and greedy dealers too, I think).
Everything you can buy will be more expensive here than in the States, due to change & taxation (and greedy dealers too, I think).
peter_n
Veteran
See if you can buy a used Gitzo and a new decent ballhead. The earlier Gitzo models (not 6x) will be quite inexpensive now. I have read reviews that suggest 6x does not add much. A G-1228 would be excellent and overkill for the XPan, but that's what you want in a tripod. If you were to buy a real panoramic like a 617 or a 624 that tripod would still handle it with ease. Kirk, Linhof, Markins all make excellent smallish ballheads. Get a ballhead that can use an Arca Swiss compatible QR system. Don't skimp on camera support and you will only ever have to buy one rig.
majid
Fazal Majid
The XPan is not a particularly heavy camera and doesn't have exotic tripod requirements. I use mine with a Gitzo Traveller, but there are cheaper options.
35mmdelux
Veni, vidi, vici
there are many options -- including small ones from Walmart ($29). This would suit a "few shots" strategy, cost you little.
On my first trip to Paris thirty yrs ago I dragged a mid sized metal pod around to my great regret -- hardly used it. I considered leaving it on a corner.
On my first trip to Paris thirty yrs ago I dragged a mid sized metal pod around to my great regret -- hardly used it. I considered leaving it on a corner.
szekiat
Well-known
i've used a gorillapod on my xpan. The big one will support it with ease. Alternatively, if u must have CF, consider the magfiber series from manfrotto, the 190MF4 is small and light.
Ben Blacket
Established
Further to Peter's 'Arca Swiss' recomendation, I highly recomend an 'L plate' from Kirk or RRS atop a ball head. No flopping the camera to 90 degrees. In vertical position, the camera stays over the centre of the tripod.
I prefer a geared head for fine adjustment, but a ball head is much lighter & compact for travelling.
By the way, if you don't use your xpan much for vertical shots, check out Horst Hamman's 'New York Vertical' & 'Paris Vertical' for inspiration!
I prefer a geared head for fine adjustment, but a ball head is much lighter & compact for travelling.
By the way, if you don't use your xpan much for vertical shots, check out Horst Hamman's 'New York Vertical' & 'Paris Vertical' for inspiration!
anglophone1
Well-known
My travel kit has two tripods, regularly used with xpan [or noblex]:
A chinese carbon gitzo copy [benro] with an arca copy [also benro] ballhead, total setup less than 1/2 of cost of gitzo/arca equivalent and so far just as good .
A leitz table tripod/ ballhead copy [minolta about 15 years old?]
Works for me!
And yes, Italy is more expensive for all of the above.
Clive
A chinese carbon gitzo copy [benro] with an arca copy [also benro] ballhead, total setup less than 1/2 of cost of gitzo/arca equivalent and so far just as good .
A leitz table tripod/ ballhead copy [minolta about 15 years old?]
Works for me!
And yes, Italy is more expensive for all of the above.
Clive