Tripods--out of the mouths of husbands...

[hwblanks]

A few weeks ago when I was in Orlando and had a chance to look at the Gitzo tripods in person, I raved about how great they are to my husband (Mr. Point & Shoot) and how a Gitzo would be the last tripod I would ever need. He came back with the most interesting response that I've been mulling over ever since.

More or less, he wondered why I would want to spend so much money when the technology changes all the time--in other words, what's to say that somebody somewhere won't eventually come out with something even better than carbon fiber for tripods, something even stronger and lighter? His idea is that if something like this came to pass, then I'd want to sell the expensive Gitzo CF tripod that I scrimped and saved for to get the even better new tripod. In other words, he doesn't understand why I would want to spend so much money on a tripod.

At any rate, I thought I'd toss that out to the collective wisdom of Pentax Forums and see what you think.

Thanks!
Heather

[tvfd911]

Simple, you're looking for a decent tripod to get the job done now. Every da you play the "wait and see" game, is one less day you could've been using a tripod that you've deemed worth your money.

Besides, what else is that money going to do for you? It's not like the bank is paying any interest for it to sit there these days...

[Ratmagiclady]

I think you need to compare it to something familiar to him, like maybe a power tool. The best power tool on the market now may not be the 'best' forever, but the next one would probably have to be pretty special indeed to make you just have to have the next.

Or you can say, "Well, when they come out with the one that walks along behind you, I may just have to upgrade. "

[Wheatfield]

There will always be something better in the future. This isn't the point. The point is, one buys what will do the job for them now because this is when the tool is needed. A decent and well chosen tripod should have a life expectancy measured in decades, so even a really expensive one is a piece of equipment that can be amortized to the point that it costs almost nothing to own.

[Damn Brit]

You get the best that you can afford Heather. If the best you can afford isn't good enough, save up for a bit longer.

[mtngal]

Say you save your money and buy a heavier tripod. That tripod sits at home because it's too heavy to carry around all the time. Or you get one that isn't as stable, you get frustrated and decide that you might as well hand-hold. Now where's the savings in that? You might not have spent as much money, but you've wasted what you did spend because you got a tool that you don't use.

So you spend the money and buy the Gitzo. It does everything you want, you carry it with you everywhere, it really helps your photography and you consider it money well spent. Then in 2 years, they come out with some new technology that's supposed to be better and lighter. But does that make the Gitzo suddenly not meet your needs? Somebody is always coming out with something that's a bigger, better bang. But if your Gitzo meets your needs, it will continue to do so (unless your needs change). So you haven't lost anything by buying the right tripod right now.

To me, buying a Gitzo tripod was the best practical choice at this time and I don't regret getting it at all. My husband didn't mind at all, as he got tired of buying me something inexpensive "to see if I like it" only to have to buy something much more expensive 6 months later because I outgrew the cheap one quickly.

[Marc Sabatella]

Actually, there's a very similar observation in The DAM Book (Peter Krogh) - kind of the Bible of digital image organization. He's talking about disk drives, and suggesting not to buy anything too big, as within a year or two, prices will have dropped considerably. "Buy the drive you need right now, not the drive you will need in 18 months", or something to that effect. And he says he first heard that 20 years ago. Sounds about right.

Now, tripods aren't disk drives; they aren't subject to the same price trends. But I thought it an interesting parallel, snce I just read that passage from Krogh again yesterday (in the new second edition).

[hwblanks]

Yesterday, when I was out celebrating the 4th, I took along my tripod (BM 190XPROB) to capture the fireworks and an interesting thing happened with the tripod itself. For each flip lock, there is a nut and bolt that holds the whole apparatus in place. The nut and bolt is covered by a plastic cap. As I was setting up my tripod, one of those little caps came off and got lost. Of course, it doesn't affect the funtioning of the tripod at all, but it bugged me.

Maybe it was a sign from the gear gods telling me to go for the Gitzo.

Heather

[brecklundin]

Sounds to me is he is trying to ask, in a nice way, why is the 190XPROB suddenly not good enough? He might not understand the one of the inherent features in a CF tripod can be vibration dampening vs metal like your current tripod. Yet, I shoot macro a lot and never run into vibration being an issue and I use the newer version of your current tripod, the 055XPROB which I bought as a floor demo from B&H saving $60+.

I would be like the husband unit and wonder why the need for the "better" tripod. Gitzo is nice but I, to be honest, would have to ask myself is it going to make enough of an impact, based on how I use it, to justify the cost? Yup, the Gitzo will be more durable, maybe, but if your tripod does not see the field on the level of use of daily/weekly trudging over dusty trails, bumpy roads and angry or stoned baggage handlers, it's possible that even the durability difference will be well beyond the point of diminishing returns.

As for the lost cap, just dab some black paint on the nut and be done with it if you don't like the look...remember it is not how good your gear looks, it how good the shots you take with that gear look. And your 190XPROB is a very good tripod that can take a beating and deliver for a lifetime.

Anyway, I just read a sense that you simply want the Gitzo because "it's better". But, then again if ya gots the cash and don't need some other bit of gear, what the heck, pull the trigger.

[hwblanks]

My main issue with the 190XPROB is that it's a bit heavy for hiking--after several miles toting it, it starts to feel like I'm carrying around 3 lead pipes. With the center column being the way it is, I can't remove it to save some weight. Using the center column in the horizontal position can also be a pain when I'm shooting low to the ground. With that being said, it is quite stable.

As for my shooting habits, I tend to be more of a weekend warrior as far as frequency is concerned.

Since it will be a bit before I'll be in a position to buy another tripod, moneywise , I'm going to see about getting another tripod strap (the first one got lost) and see if that'll help matters any.

Something else I've thought about doing is instead of replacing my tripod is to get a smaller lighter second tripod that would be easier to travel with when space and weight considerations are really important, such as longer hikes and travel by plane. My current tripod could still be used for shorter walks and car travel.

Believe me, I'd rather spend my money to feed my LBA habit , but at the same time, I don't want to find myself continuously frustrated by my other gear.

Heather

[Ash]

I get ya, Heather.
Your hubby can be assured that although technology keeps advancing at an exponential rate, simple essentials like a tripod don't really go out of fashion or get as considered fads. And there's not much to add to a tripod - neither is there such a thing as TBA - tripod buying addiction (is there?!?).

You want a light yet sturdy tripod - getting one that does the job for you will be an investment for as long as it functions well for you. Saving up for it is good, and when you get it you'll find it invaluable for a long time. The Manfrotto can either be sold or used for a second setup.

[tibbitts]

I wouldn't think of a tripod as fast-changing technology, although there have been occasional leaps (like CF) here and there.

Actually I would (considering finances) probably select the same tripod now that I bought a quarter of a century ago, and it's still produced, but costs about $150 now, vs. $75 then. I might have to buy one, too, thanks to what the airline baggage handlers did to it a couple of months ago.

Paul

[hwblanks]

Originally Posted by tibbitts

I wouldn't think of a tripod as fast-changing technology, although there have been occasional leaps (like CF) here and there.

Actually I would (considering finances) probably select the same tripod now that I bought a quarter of a century ago, and it's still produced, but costs about $150 now, vs. $75 then. I might have to buy one, too, thanks to what the airline baggage handlers did to it a couple of months ago.

Paul

Which tripod do you have?

On the subject of flying with tripod legs, I did take my legs with me on the last plane trip in my checked bag and they did just fine. With that being said, I'd still prefer that my next set of legs be small enough to fit into a larger carry-on. Even if I were to go with a set of legs that needed to be in a checked bag, I'd still remove the head and at least carry that on with me.

Heather

[flyer]

What does "need" have to do with it? It's your money, and you use it for things you like. Sometimes, you need things, and you get those things. But, sometimes, it's nice to get something you want, not something you "need". It's nice to please other people, but you have to please yourself too.

To make a parallel, my wife needs a lot of help, and I almost drove myself into the ground till I learned to take time for myself (thanks to a good shrink, and, no I'm not ready for the coocoo's nest yet). If you never do anything to please yourself, you'll eventually become so frustrated, nobody will want to hang around you. Maybe a little extreme, but that's my take on your problem.

Take the decision that's best for you, but keep in mind that you are sharing your life with somebody else.

Good luck.

[kibipod]

Interesting question Heather. A lot of people (including me) on this forum and everywhere else always talk about how this lens over that would improve their photography. That is why we have LBA, CBA etc etc

Do we really ask ourselves whether we have utilized what we have currently to its full extent and outgrew it or the present gear would simply not do the jobs we are envisioning, before buying that next fancy lens or any other equipment? Most of the time, I do not. I visit different websites, read few posts and may be few reviews and then I start thinking about when to buy that new toy

And then I look for posts that align with my plan or encourage me to buy it. We try to justify our purchasing decisions.

So, I am not trying to distract you from buying the new tripod, however, what your husband asked, is a very very reasonable question