My 2 cents as a Gitzo CF owner...
Gitzo and Manfrotto are owned by the same holding company but are targeted at different target markets. Gitzo may be French but their gear are almost entirely made in Italy, just like Manfrotto. The Gitzo products of the past weren't significantly different to equivalent Manfrotto models in terms of durability and performance. However one can't say the same for the present range of Gitzo 6X CF models which are demonstrably superior to anything else on the market.
How are the current Gitzos different?
First off not all CF tripods are made equally. Practically all CF tripods are made the same way fishing rods and golf shafts are made... by rolling carbon fiber weave and epoxy resin to bond, a quick and cheap way of manufacture but not as strong as there is a seam along the longtitudinal length of the CF tube. The degree of epoxy resin used contributes a lot to the weight of the CF tubes, which is why some CF tripods weigh almost as much as aluminium tripods. Pick up a Gitzo and you're looking at around a 1/3 weight saving compared to an ordinary tripod.
Gitzo CF tubes are made NOT made by rolling but by cross weaving, which mean thinner but much lighter and stronger tubes with a higher percentage of CF content and which is supposed to dampen vibrations better.
The G-Lock locking mechanism is actually stronger when more load is applied. This means that the max load the tripod can carry is significantly increased compared to Gitzo's older twist leg locks, almost double for comparative Gitzo models without G-Locks. Also the new leg locks require a smaller turn angle, allowing significantly quicker opening and closing in mere seconds.
The lighter weight and stronger load capacity plus outstanding build quality means that Gitzo tripods rarely fail, though I have seen a cracked final section of a G1541 Traveller series first hand. That kind of robustness doesn't come cheap but it is peace of mind to know that the tripod will work dependably for a very long time.
Last edited by creampuff; 04-30-2009 at 02:10 AM.
Reason: typo