Broken Gitzo Tripod

Some of you may remember a thread I started about a year ago regarding tripod options. I went through the usual process of buying a series of cheap tripods and finally listened to the insistence of people in that thread that I should invest in a "real" one.

So I bought a new Gitzo and was quite disappointed to discover upon taking receipt of it that one of its legs came all the way out (in my hand, separate from the tripod) when extended. So I sent it back to the store, and they very quickly sent me a new one (kudos to Mike's Camera in Colorado for the great service).

Fastforward to a year later. This time the darned thing failed on me in the field. I was reframing a shot (with a very light kit mounted on the tripod) and heard a strange crack of a sound. I was applying no more pressure than was necessary to move the ballhead a bit, so I didn't think much of it. Then 15 minutes later, I see this chunk of material fall right off of the top of the tripod. Photo:

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You can see how the black plastic stopper tab pushed clear through the porous material of the tripod's bottommost angle shelf.

Woe is me. This is a "real" tripod? Alas, there was much I liked about the tripod, so I'm not giving up on Gitzo just yet. I had already been thinking of getting the next model up (a Series 2 carbon fiber model), so I just went ahead and ordered one and will give the repaired Gitzo to my husband to use. That is assuming that Gitzo honors the warranty and does the repair. We'll see how good they are with handling my warranty claim.

That's it. Just looking for a little commiseration, I guess. Anyone else had a Gitzo fail on them? Is this a common problem or am I just unlucky?

compuwar said:

I feel your pain, a tripod that costs this much shouldn't fail due to materials. My Gitzo has been banging around in the back of my truck or hanging off my pack down a trail for 5+ years and is still together.

Paul

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Thanks, Paul. I hope I can say that about my new tripod in five years. Heck, I want to be able to say that after ten or more years!

emorydunn said:

Tripods failing is never a good thing. And at least it didn't fail catastrophically where your camera actually fell off (I've had this happen on a monopod and it busted my camera and lens).

I'm guessing it's out of warranty? I would think Gitzo would have a pretty reasonable warranty.

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It's definitely still under warranty. Gitzo has a lifetime warranty. I bought this tripod on January 20, 2010. It failed exactly 1 year and three days later.

Of course, the warranty says that damage due to 'normal use' or abuse is not covered, but this is clearly a material failure. If they don't do a warranty repair, I will be shocked.

TheReef said:

Sorry to hear your misfortune, hope they don't let yous down anymore.

I was shooting a year ago and a big wave came and swept one of my tripod legs away (during a shot), I hadn't realised it was gone until a few moments later.

So I never trust them, I always wear my neck strap (I was at that time).
It's ironic because the only time I've sustained (substantial ) gear damage is when my own two legs have let me down

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I too wore my neck strap like that for a while, but now I tend to move around too much to have the strap remain on the camera. I'm often fussing around with lights or just standing away from the tripod (I use a radio-signal shutter release), and I don't want the strap swinging around beneath the camera and causing vibrations. So I have a strap that unhooks from the camera, and it goes into the bag when I use my tripod.

PS is it just me or does your husband always seem to end up with the short end of the stick when it comes to photography Kidding...

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Well, let's see...he's the voice-activated light stand, pack mule, sensor cleaner, and cash cow. But I'm his Photoshop mistress, Lightroom advisor, and gear researcher. That's an even deal, no? I always smirk when I hear a guy complain that his wife protests his gear purchases or gets impatient when he wants to stop and take photos on vacation; having a shutterbug wife comes with a whole other bag of perils!

Ruahrc said:

On another forum I recall a few incidents relating to their systematic series tripods, where the set-screw that holds the top mounting plate to the legs eventually worked loose and resulted in people's cameras dropping off the tripod and dropping into streams, smashing on rocks, etc. as they had their tripods slung over their shoulders.

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Eek!!! I'll consider myself very lucky, then. My camera didn't fall, or if it did, it fell into my hands. I actually don't remember that part. I just remember being stunned that part of the tripod had fallen off and being really bummed that I was then without a functioning tripod.

I'd like to hear about how the warranty process goes too. One of the reasons I picked Gitzo for my tripod was the lifetime warranty. Who do you contact about warranty work? The retailer from where you bought the tripod, or direct to Gitzo (Bogen)?

Ruahrc

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OK, I'll keep this thread posted on the progress of my warranty claim. I emailed Gitzo yesterday, and today I got a reply from Bogen (someone in Italy forwarded my message to them). It was a totally canned reply that ignored the photo I sent. I have to ship the tripod to them in New Jersey (at my expense) for them to evaluate.

Consultant said:

Maybe you didn't buy one according to carrying capacity (note tripod head is weight too).

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Carry capacity on mine is low, but my gear weighs in much lower. The head is a Markins Q3 Emille (a mere 375 grams in weight). I don't own a single lens over 100mm in focal length, so nothing I have is heavy. The camera I use on it most often is an ungripped 5D Mark II plus a Kirk L-bracket. My heaviest camera is a gripped 7D. Even the tiniest tripod Gitzo makes should be able to support anything I've got to put on it.

jabbott said:

I was thinking about the Gitzo GT2531 series 2 tripod but I can't tell from the photos if the leg locks are made of plastic or metal. That and I'm starting to wonder about their quality control after seeing this forum topic!

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That tripod (GT2531) is exactly the one I just ordered. I'll receive it on Tuesday. The outer grips on the locks are rubber, but the parts that screw in beneath the rubber are plastic.

John.B said:

Which series 1 model is that? I have the GT1541T and where yours failed was the last place I would've expected to see that happen...

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GT1932

As a Gitzo owner, I'll be interested to see how they handle your warranty claim, though the parent company came through for me on a carbon fiber Manfrotto tripod replacement (long story).

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I'll definitely keep the thread posted. This to me is a textbook case of material failure, so I expect them to honor the warranty.

Speaking of unlucky, Amazon just had the larger GT3541LS on sale for $450 ($600 - 25% off) not counting the current $80 rebate, as well as a similar deal on the GT1541T. It ended about a week or so ago.

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Actually, I wasn't so unlucky as far as the new one went. The GT2531 was listing for $650 the last time I was in the market and is now on sale for $499, with a current $80 rebate bringing it down to $420. That made the decision to get a new Series 2 much easier for me.

Ruahrc said:

Suffice it to say I have not had a quality problem with the leg locks being plastic. Technically it's probably superior in terms of weight. Why pay $$$ for CF leg tubes when you waste that advantage with heavy metal fittings, etc?

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I'm willing to bet that the plastic Gitzo is using for its locks is a better grade than what was on the 30-year-old Slik tripod that self-destructed during jabbott's shoot.

I do favor the increased speed/convenience of the 3-section legs but many like the 2541 for travel as it folds up a little shorter.

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I do a lot of traveling and hiking, but I have found no need for anything more compact than the 2531. My 1932 is exactly the same length as the 2531 when collapsed. I carry it around in a padded bag with a shoulder strap:



That's the bag in the foreground. Totally works for me. I've hiked all through the Alps with it. It's easy to carry cross-body (even while wearing the backpack) and nicely protects the tripod. When I fly, the whole thing goes in my checked luggage.

As you noted, the longer tripods have only two locks per leg to fuss with. So if I am really on the move (like during a hike), it's no big deal to open and close the tripod a lot.

Also, those travel tripods with more leg sections tend to be shorter when extended. I really dislike having to hunch over while taking photos merely because my tripod is a few inches too short. Going low to get a certain angle is one thing (then it's for a cause), but I don't want to be forced to hunch over if it's not really necessary.

Phrasikleia, did you ever seriously consider the 3-series tripods? Especially given your two-tripod setup, you'll have your (well hopefully a replacement) 1-series when you want to go light, and a 3-series when you need better support. I have considered in one fantasy future that if I ever get a bazooka lens, I'd sell my 2-series and go with a 2-tripod system. One lighter set (prob. a 1-series) for hiking and a sturdier set (3-series) for better support.

Although I guess it would also depend on your current/future lens arsenal and how you use it. I would not really consider taking a 3-series on a hike as a serious possibility, unless it was very short and/or easy terrain.

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No, I didn't because weight is still an issue for me. Weight matters on the trail and on the plane, so I need to keep it down as much as possible. The 2531 is carbon fiber and therefore weighs the same as my 1932, which is basalt fiber, even though the latter has thinner legs.

If I ever have a need to buy a really heavy lens, then I will be forced to get a more substantial tripod, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.