I know there are a number of us here that has these tripods, please read this thread:-
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/781518
Whatever you do, do NOT follow the suggestion made by one of the guy on NatureScape suggested - crossing one of the leg so that you can carry it upright. This cross leg pushes the plate out!
I just check the referred screw and mine was actually loose. Just grateful that I came across these threads before I dropped mine!
I remember when I bought my Gitzo 1548 I notice a gap of a millimeter or two between the tripod and the top plate. I very foolishly didn't think anything of it. Having just purchased it I just aassumed that because it was new, that's how it's meant to be, with the top plate not sitting completely flush to the base.
All was fine for a year and I never thought any more of it. One evening whilst photographing damselflies I picked the tripod up by the ballhead (just to move a few feet), with a 20D, a Tamron macro lens and a flash attatched and the whole lot came away in my hand. A very close shave indeed and I dread to think of the consequence of chucking it over your shoulder before this happens, as it has done for many unfortunate souls.
A bit poor of Gitzo if you ask me, not only for ensuring this can happen, but for selling them with loose bolts. I would have expected better attention to detail, especially considering the high cost of Gitzo products.
I believe their response is that it's foolish to sling it over your shoulder in the first place. How else your meant to carry it with a 500 or 600mm attached beats me.
Posted by Mike Andrews on June 13, 2009 at 11:06 PM
A friend warned of this issue. Within an hour of the warning I picked up the tripod by the Wimberley head, and the plate and head came adrift in my hands. A quick tightening of the screw fixed the problem, but as mentioned, this happening in the field when carrying it could have been a disaster. I check regularly now to see if I can rotate the plate. If I can, it gets tightened. I hope this thread can prevent others from a disaster
Further to the above,I have a Benro tripod,and while I know that there is a difference in cost mine was still £300, I had the metal boss that I had attached my Kirk head to come out of the Carbon Fibre tubing.I have always had a fear of something happening when you are walking around with the tripod over your shoulder,so I always have a strap from the lens wrapped around my wrist,and it was just as well I did,other wise the whole lot would have crashed to the floor,and I was on a large shingle beach at the time. I refitted the boss,and also fitted two pop rivets in order to stop this happening again, but I shall still use the strap.
Has any one any good ideas to stop your shoulder going through hell after carrying the tripod all day???
Has any one any good ideas to stop your shoulder going through hell after carrying the tripod all day???
A packet of foam pipe insulation from Wickes does the job. Costs about £2, if that, and more than enough to do several tripods. You hardly know you're carrying it with that in place.
There needs to be a secondary safety lock or some sort. It's no joke dropping a tele-prime with a good body. If one can design something for ball-heads and gimbals, why can't a solution for the plate?
Has anyone lost their rubber feet also with their Gitzo? I kept losing mine
If one can design something for ball-heads and gimbals, why can't a solution for the plate?
According to the thread over on Naturescapes someone has already designed a product to ensure the plate can't come loose. I don't know if it's available for sale to the general public yet. I don't think so.
Posted by Simon Litten on June 14, 2009 at 6:13 AM
Yes, I kept losing the rubber feet on mine all the time. Went for the metal spiked feet instead in the end - much better. And they also come with push-on rubber feet.
Happened to me, brought the new 5541LS put my gimbal head on attached the 600mm threw it over my shoulder, caught the whole lot in front of me taking my nail off in the process.
Thankfully my rucksack had pusded it all forward instead of it flying over my back, I now carry my lens and camera in my hand, downside, my right arm is longer than the left now
It's a poor design for 600 quids worth of tripod...........
On another note, a friends friend threw his set up over his shoulder and lost the lot, smashing his 1D body and 500mm lens. It wasn't the tripod but the lens plate, putting it on his shoulder had loosened the clamp and the whole lot slipped out of the clamp. I later found out he hadn't fitted the capheads to the under side of the lens plate which would have stopped this happening, so make sure all your lens plates have the 2 capheads screws fitted...
Seems like a very poor design for such expense. I bought the much cheaper Feisol 3471, and have had no problems in two years of use with a 500mm lens, etc. So much for getting what you pay for...
Discussion
11 replieshttp://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/781518
Whatever you do, do NOT follow the suggestion made by one of the guy on NatureScape suggested - crossing one of the leg so that you can carry it upright. This cross leg pushes the plate out!
I just check the referred screw and mine was actually loose. Just grateful that I came across these threads before I dropped mine!
I remember when I bought my Gitzo 1548 I notice a gap of a millimeter or two between the tripod and the top plate. I very foolishly didn't think anything of it. Having just purchased it I just aassumed that because it was new, that's how it's meant to be, with the top plate not sitting completely flush to the base.
All was fine for a year and I never thought any more of it. One evening whilst photographing damselflies I picked the tripod up by the ballhead (just to move a few feet), with a 20D, a Tamron macro lens and a flash attatched and the whole lot came away in my hand. A very close shave indeed and I dread to think of the consequence of chucking it over your shoulder before this happens, as it has done for many unfortunate souls.
A bit poor of Gitzo if you ask me, not only for ensuring this can happen, but for selling them with loose bolts. I would have expected better attention to detail, especially considering the high cost of Gitzo products.
I believe their response is that it's foolish to sling it over your shoulder in the first place. How else your meant to carry it with a 500 or 600mm attached beats me.
Has any one any good ideas to stop your shoulder going through hell after carrying the tripod all day???
Stewart......
A packet of foam pipe insulation from Wickes does the job. Costs about £2, if that, and more than enough to do several tripods. You hardly know you're carrying it with that in place.
Has anyone lost their rubber feet also with their Gitzo? I kept losing mine
According to the thread over on Naturescapes someone has already designed a product to ensure the plate can't come loose. I don't know if it's available for sale to the general public yet. I don't think so.
Simon
Thankfully my rucksack had pusded it all forward instead of it flying over my back, I now carry my lens and camera in my hand, downside, my right arm is longer than the left now
It's a poor design for 600 quids worth of tripod...........
On another note, a friends friend threw his set up over his shoulder and lost the lot, smashing his 1D body and 500mm lens. It wasn't the tripod but the lens plate, putting it on his shoulder had loosened the clamp and the whole lot slipped out of the clamp. I later found out he hadn't fitted the capheads to the under side of the lens plate which would have stopped this happening, so make sure all your lens plates have the 2 capheads screws fitted...