Good info in Mary's post asking about tripods and heads! Thanks!
Has anyone had any experience with the FEISOL tripods? They are supposed to be an excellent "knock-off" of the Gitzo's, at half the price. Highly recommended on a couple other "pro" photo forums..
Do a search on "Feisol tripod" to see some of the reviews..
Well, I did buy a Benro not too long ago. Also a very close knockoff of a Gitzo, made in China. Within a few months there were a few things broken on it. First, right out of the box the compass did not work. Now, why I would even need a compass on a tripod who knows, but if it's gonna be there it should work. Then the locks on one of the legs broke. Then the zipper on the carrying bag broke. Then one of the feet fell off.
I learned my lesson. My new Gitzo arrived two weeks ago. So far so good.
I own a Feisol and I actually quite like it. Specifically I own the 3401 tripod. I bought it over 2 years ago and it's served me well.
I had an incident this winter when I plunged the tripod in to a really deep snow bank. The outward pressure on the legs was too much and two legs cracked where they attach to the spider. There was a lot of force on the legs and wouldn't be surprised if other more expensive tripods wouldn't have suffered the same fate. I contacted Feisol to ask how much replacement parts would cost me and they replied by saying that my spare parts were already in the mail to me free of charge. This happened about 6 months after the warranty expired and it was my fault. I was throughly impressed with them.
Two things I wish the tripod had are: A little bit more height - I'm 5'6" and and with the Acratech ball head it's almost tall enough for me. A few more inches wouldn't hurt. Second, the locks on the legs don't prevent the legs from turning so it's sometimes hard to loosen the legs. If you extend the legs in the right sequence top to bottom to extend and bottom to top to collapse then this isn't a problem.
I've never used a Gitzo so I don't know how the Feisol compares. I have a Manfrotto aluminum tripod that I rarely use because it's heavy to hike with. The Feisol is sturdy and I have no worries using it with my 300mm f/4 and my 5D.
I also own a 3401 tripod from Feisol. I've had it for over two years now and I've been very happy with it. I'm rough on my tripod and it shows (it looks battle tested), but I've never questioned it's ability to support my setup of a 5D with grip and lenses up to the 300/4L with the 1.4 converter.
I checked out both Benro and Feisol before I bought my Gitzo. I found both Benro and Feisol lacking. I have fly fishing rods with stiffer actions than the Benro and Feisol tripod legs. Buy a Gitzo, they'll last for life. I have the original Gitzo Reporter I bought in 1978 and still use it.
I have heard both good and bad things about Benro and Feisol, but the main problem I have with either brand (and many others) is that by purchasing them you're rewarding companies that steal other companies hard won and expensive R&D. China (and some other countries) is notorious for this type of piracy, and it hurts everyone in the long run. Sure it hurts to pay the price for a Gitzo, but I'd rather pay that price and reward their honest efforts than reward another company's underhanded tactics.
Ashutosh, perhaps "steal" was too harsh a word. I don't know if they actually "stole" anything, but they certainly made a cheap imitation of the Gitzo tripods, and it's very obvious who they were trying to copy. "Knock-off's", in any industry, do nothing to further advance technology or design; instead they are just an attempt to capitalize on someone else's hard work, and IMO, a slimy way of doing business.
If Benro or Feisol were to try and improve upon Gitzo's design that would be one thing, but their emphasis is only to put out an imitation of inferior quality and rake in some bucks, much like the folks who make and market Rolex knock offs, etc.
I'm not saying they are horrible tripods or anything like that because I don't know. I'm strictly saying I don't like the way they do business.
Benro and Feisol have copied 10 year old Gitzo tripods and not very well at all.
Posted by Kent Staubus on July 10, 2007 at 11:37 PM
I've been looking at buying a smaller/lighter CF tripod for an upcomming trip to Kuaii. I was thinking it would be easier to pack than my Gitzo 1325. I started looking at the Feisol, Benro, Velbons, and even lighter Gitzos. What I figured out was that none of them out there really met my wants. I wanted one that was 3 sections, went up to 60", carbon fiber (or basalt,) and cost no more than $250. None of them do that. What I've decided to do is just take my Gitzo 1325, but disassemble it to pack it.
Really, the 1325 is very, very tough. I've had it out in --28 degree temps to 108 degree heat. I haven't had any problems with it busting through crusty snow, or really any problems with anything. That's amazing considering what all has happened to it. It's probably overkill for most people, but I assume the lighter Gitzos are just as robust. I'm 5'9" and can't pull out all the length of the legs. I don't use a center post--never bought one for it. A good tripod makes photography much more enjoyable, I think.
Discussion
9 repliesHas anyone had any experience with the FEISOL tripods? They are supposed to be an excellent "knock-off" of the Gitzo's, at half the price. Highly recommended on a couple other "pro" photo forums..
Do a search on "Feisol tripod" to see some of the reviews..
Sandy r
Well, I did buy a Benro not too long ago. Also a very close knockoff of a Gitzo, made in China. Within a few months there were a few things broken on it. First, right out of the box the compass did not work. Now, why I would even need a compass on a tripod who knows, but if it's gonna be there it should work. Then the locks on one of the legs broke. Then the zipper on the carrying bag broke. Then one of the feet fell off.
I learned my lesson. My new Gitzo arrived two weeks ago. So far so good.
I had an incident this winter when I plunged the tripod in to a really deep snow bank. The outward pressure on the legs was too much and two legs cracked where they attach to the spider. There was a lot of force on the legs and wouldn't be surprised if other more expensive tripods wouldn't have suffered the same fate. I contacted Feisol to ask how much replacement parts would cost me and they replied by saying that my spare parts were already in the mail to me free of charge. This happened about 6 months after the warranty expired and it was my fault. I was throughly impressed with them.
Two things I wish the tripod had are: A little bit more height - I'm 5'6" and and with the Acratech ball head it's almost tall enough for me. A few more inches wouldn't hurt. Second, the locks on the legs don't prevent the legs from turning so it's sometimes hard to loosen the legs. If you extend the legs in the right sequence top to bottom to extend and bottom to top to collapse then this isn't a problem.
I've never used a Gitzo so I don't know how the Feisol compares. I have a Manfrotto aluminum tripod that I rarely use because it's heavy to hike with. The Feisol is sturdy and I have no worries using it with my 300mm f/4 and my 5D.
If Benro or Feisol were to try and improve upon Gitzo's design that would be one thing, but their emphasis is only to put out an imitation of inferior quality and rake in some bucks, much like the folks who make and market Rolex knock offs, etc.
I'm not saying they are horrible tripods or anything like that because I don't know. I'm strictly saying I don't like the way they do business.
Really, the 1325 is very, very tough. I've had it out in --28 degree temps to 108 degree heat. I haven't had any problems with it busting through crusty snow, or really any problems with anything. That's amazing considering what all has happened to it. It's probably overkill for most people, but I assume the lighter Gitzos are just as robust. I'm 5'9" and can't pull out all the length of the legs. I don't use a center post--never bought one for it. A good tripod makes photography much more enjoyable, I think.
Kent in SD