[OrenMc]

I have quite a bit of OCD ( obsessive, compulsive disorder ) going on trying to find the right tripod.
And maybe the problem is that I just don't know what the right one really means. There are so many tripods to chose from and I don't want to sink a bunch af cash into something I will not be happy with. But thats another dilemma, do I really need to spend that much to get a good pod?

This is one I have been looking at.
FEISOL Four-section tripod CT-3401 with the column and this head FEISOL Ball Head CB-50D
And I can get the tripod for $190 from them instead of the $219 because they screwed up on their web display price.
So that puts me at around $400 shipped.

To me $400 is a lot of money. My sweety is going to give me $200 which helps but... I guess the one thing that makes it difficult is that I have never seen the Feisol in action. I have heard some great reviews though.

I was looking at stevebrot's reviews and this is a little bit more than the Giottos set-up but it is quite a bit lighter also.

I have a thing about Bogen/Manfrotto for some reason and I just dont like the flip locks. They seem to snag on things.

Anyway, $400 put me in a different class of tripod. One that I would expect to last a life time and not have to repurchase.
If anyone has any suggestions, I am certainly interested.

Also has anyone purchased from Feisol USA. I can't find anything on reseller.
Thanks all,
Oren

[Tom S.]

I have the Feisol Model CT-3441S, which I bought for a light weight carry tripod and have been very happy with it. I bought it from the same place (I believe there is only one distributor in the US), and had no problems with their service.

[OrenMc]

Thanks Tom for the reply.

Which ballhead did you go with? I am thinking of the 50D because it has the pan also but I could get the 30C and separate panning base and save 10 bucks. Don't kmow if that would be mechanically sounder though.

The way my logic is that I would really have to pay around at least $300 for a good tripod and head combo so to add the extra $100 for the weight and quality isn't really overkill.

I was talking to a guy in a camera store yesterday and he made a comment about carbon fiber technology as to how it is put together to make it strong, durable. He never heard of Feisol. But I guess that really doesn't mean much.
I was talking to another sales person about the Giottos Lava series which is in between CF and aluminum weigth wise and said that carbon fiber breaks down with various elements where the lava doesn't. But for a $200 tripod only that would have less max weight capability and weight more its hard to justify.

See what I mean about me being anal. Just too much information and too many choices.
Good to hear your happy with Feisol tripod and customer service. It does help!

[Tom S.]

I already had a ball head. In one of the few 'deals' I ever found on ebay, I bought a Bogen 468MGRC0 hydrostatic ball head for a great price.

One thing I should mention about the Freisol: it is carbon fiber, but it's coated with some type of finish, so it doesn't have the "carbon fiber look". Someone on another board complained about this, but I think the logic may have been to provide a non-slip finish for the twist clamps.

[Michaelina2]

When I was researching the OP's question last fall, I came to the conclusion that the ball-head choice is more important than the tripod choice.

After lots of fretting, I decided on a Markins M-10. Then, after lots of additional fretting, I ordered a Feisol Tournament (3 section). I appreciate that these items are pricey, but in the long run you save by not buying twice, or more. Search this forum on "Markins M-10" and you will turn up the thread (with source links).

In sum, it was counter-intuitive and hard to think in these terms, but I'm glad I did. I love my set-up and will be very surprised if you did not like something similar, as well.

Ciao...

[Marc Langille]

Hi Oren,

Here are some thoughts...

Tripod legs: for me it's easy - unless I am picking a travel based tripod for use in a blind, it must have a max. height of at least 72", and rated for at least 15 pounds. I am just shy of 6'3" and as you may know use heavy lenses fairly often. Therefore my criteria is short, as is the list of tripods... no agonizing for me...

Heads: generally speaking, buy the best quality head you can afford - it should last a lifetime. So long as you are careful with tensioning the head (ie. not rushing, paying attention if you are quickly trying to setup), almost any better quality head (such as Markin, RRS, etc.) will easily give you a lifetime of service. Ultimately you are responsible for accidents, unless it is an equipment failure or an outside influence.

Regards,
Marc

[philbaum]

I have quite a bit of OCD ( obsessive, compulsive disorder ) going on trying to find the right tripod.
And maybe the problem is that I just don't know what the right one really means. There are so many tripods to chose from and I don't want to sink a bunch af cash into something I will not be happy with. But thats another dilemma, do I really need to spend that much to get a good pod?

And I can get the tripod for $190 from them instead of the $219 because they screwed up on their web display price.
So that puts me at around $400 shipped.

I guess the one thing that makes it difficult is that I have never seen the Feisol in action. I have heard some great reviews though.

I was looking at stevebrot's reviews and this is a little bit more than the Giottos set-up but it is quite a bit lighter also.

I have a thing about Bogen/Manfrotto for some reason and I just dont like the flip locks. They seem to snag on things.

If anyone has any suggestions, I am certainly interested.

Also has anyone purchased from Feisol USA. I can't find anything on reseller.
Thanks all,
Oren

Oren, I found the tripod choice a very difficult one as well. You're lucky because of the Seattle camera shops, i live in Bremerton and its a longer trip for me :-)

I went to Kenmore Camera several times and chose the Manfrotto 190CX3. I paid full list $249 but i figured they earned it in showing me a lot of stock, and after awhile they just left me alone as i assembled and deassembled a lot of tripods over and over. With legs and center post, it weighs 2.90 lbs which is just .09 lbs less than the Feisol you are looking at. At the time i preferred the twist locks, but now I prefer the manfrottos flip locks. I can look at all of them and know they are engaged.

Kenmore Camera saved my butt when it came to a tripod head. They had a used Gitzo G375 off center ballhead for $49 that i snapped up. It doesn't have a QR plate, but assembles quickly and securely with the camera with a large plastic knobbed screw arrangement. After buying it, i found that a few show up on ebay from time to time and run from $50 to $80 in auctions. New, they sell them for $149. It handles my K10 and DA300 with ease, the spec for support weight is 15 lbs i believe.

After using a plastic tripod for a coupla years now, its such a pleasure over the last month to have a tripod/head combination that sets up quick and is secure as heck. That Feisol tripod legs you have picked up look like a fine set. If you want to save money, my suggestion is to look for a used ballhead on ebay that you can save money on. The Gitzo head i got is a delight to use, i think the lack of a QR plate has made it not much in demand, but the QR plate wasn't a big deal to me anyhow.

Enjoy the new tripod.

---

Last edited by philbaum; 02-22-2009 at 10:56 AM.

[OrenMc]

Thanks all for your replies,

Tom S., I was hoping that you got the Feisol ball head so that you could give thoughts on the build, but if the tripod is high quality I am sure their ball heads will follow suit. About the coating on the tripod, I don't know why someone would complain about that, being I would think the coating is there for protection and will only aid in the longevity of use.

Michaelina2, I do understand the importance of a ball head and I don't want to skimp there either. Glad to hear you are happy with the Feisol. Thanks for the link.

Marc, Yes I have noticed your use of heavy lenses and some really fantastic photos produced by your use.
And you also brought to mind a question I have been meaning to ask. You state that a requirement is to be rated at least 15 lbs. As of now, my heaviest set up is around 6 lbs so what max load should I look for to feel safe? Of course I may want to extend that in optimistic hope that I may be fortunate to later own some big glass.
Also thanks for the tip about carfule use of ball head.

philbaum, hey fellow Washingtonian.
I have scoured the local camera stores for tripods and Kenmore is not only the closest but probably my favorite. I also looked at the Manfrotto
190CX3 and I really want to stick with twist locks due to snagging and wear. I have also had an eye on ekkbay for tripod and head in hope to come up with some sort of deal. I have a couple on my watch list. The Feisol is ahead on choice but ......

[Ratmagiclady]

I'd keep in mind that if you have a nice head, you can always swap legs, for size or weight or whatever. What jobs did you want this to do, anyway?

Someone here, by the way, seems to know and approve of those Feisol products... I'm forgetting who it was.

[tranq78]

I've been using the Feisol tripods since they first came out. I think they are a high quality product and great value. I can't comment on their heads since I've never used them.

Here are some very good threads I participated in awhile ago on DPR.

Tripod + Ball Head - Feisol + Induro review [Page 1]: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Tripod and ballhead [Page 1]: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Are there any high quality Asian ball heads?: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

[THAN THE SWORD]

I like Slik PRO 700 DX that I have.

For me the right tripod is bigger and heavier than I need right now. It gives me room to grow and additional weight that I can put on it when I get that real heavy lens.

I buy for the future not for what I need right now. Make sense.

Figure out what you need and add 20%

The slik was less than $200 USD.

[WheresWaldo]

One of these days I will take apart my cheap Chinese made ballhead and take pictures of the internals for this forum. I need to do it anyway to remove some of the grease left on the adjusting knob threads to replace it with a mild thread-locker.

[OrenMc]

What jobs did you want this to do, anyway?

Well, thinking of furture needs since I used to hike/scramble avidly and hope to get back to it, I want something I can pack a few miles. I also want to do macro work so low profile would be nice. Doesn't have to get right down on the ground through. I guess those are the biggest factors.

I think the Markins M-10 is out of my league. $400 is a little much for me. Thats the price I want to spent on the whole outfit. Looks sweet though.

tranq78, thanks for the links and the info.

THAN THE SWORD, the slik is a little on the heavy side. Wish I could get away with only spending that much.

WheresWaldo, from your profile it looks like you have several heads. You've taken the "2 heads are beter than 1" concept to another level.

[Jonson PL]

I was talking to another sales person about the Giottos Lava series which is in between CF and aluminum weigth wise and said that carbon fiber breaks down with various elements where the lava doesn't. But for a $200 tripod only that would have less max weight capability and weight more its hard to justify.

I thought it was only Gitzo that made pods from Basalt / lava. But you're right, Giotto also now :
Giottos MT-7251 3 Section Lava Series Universal Tripod Legs Supports up


Here is another thread which discusses the Feisol :
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-camera-accessories/40778-lightweight-tripod.html

[OrenMc]

Thanks Jonson PL for the forum link. Good read. I don't know why it didn't show up when I did a search.