# Manfrotto or Gitzo!



## mitchcook (Oct 6, 2009)

Looking into a Manfrotto 190CX Pro or else a Gitzo tripod.
Would be used with a ball head with a Canon 5D MKII with an 24-105 L lens and Canon 40D.
Probably will be getting larger and heavier lenses in the future.
Opinions? Cheap or all out?


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## Griffy (Feb 19, 2006)

Go for a Redsnapper instead. Excellent quality and yet cheaper than either you mention. I bought a 324 with a ballhead and can't fault it. Also, if you're on the TalkPhotography forum you should get a discount too :thumb:

Edit: Just noticed your location...so maybe not!


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## mitchcook (Oct 6, 2009)

Looked em up and yeah they are just UK  
I'm getting a little frustrated. I don't know which is the right way to go!


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## jimbo1 (Nov 24, 2007)

They are both good. 
I have the manfrotto and its a solid, heavy tripod. A friend of mine has the gitzo and its just as good. either one you won't go wrong apart from a bad back carrying it around :thumb:

Like everything, pay more for quality and it will last you a lifetime. I bought 2 cheap jobs (plastic winders snapped) in a few years before deciding to get a decent one.


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## mrscott (Apr 26, 2010)

Gitzo tripods tend to be heavier and more expensive than Manfrotto, though they are VERY well made and therefore popular with travel and nature photographers etc.

Unless you're planning on giving your tripod some abuse though, you'll probably manage perfectly well with a Manfrotto. They are still very well made, but shouldn't break the bank.

Whatever you choose though, do add in as good a quality ball and socket head as you can afford. There's no point having some decent legs with a flimsy head on top!

You might also consider the Benbo range as well.


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## mitchcook (Oct 6, 2009)

Benro to me seems just like chinese knock-offs? Not so much a fan of that sort of thing..

Would spending 100 to 150 dollars (Canadian) still be considered cheap for a ball head?
The carbon fiber tripods shouldn't be thaaaat heavy.

My cameras tend to take a fair bit of abuse, but I think a tripod would be treated a little differently.


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## mrscott (Apr 26, 2010)

Try *BENBO* rather than Benro!

For example the Benbo 306 Professional Ball and Socket Head (google shopping?) - not sure what it is in Canadian dollars - a good head though.

Re. the legs, if you can afford carbon fiber over aluminium then your laughing :thumb:


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## tim (May 2, 2006)

Can't go wrong with a Manfrotto!

I love mine


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Gitzo here, but is a heavy beast.


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## buckas (Jun 13, 2008)

Benro here - same quality as Gitzo, without the extortionate price



> gitzo was looking to outsource it's legs to china a couple years ago. they picked up on this company, yilee precision in guangzhou (by hong kong), and signed them to a deal. gitzo taught them everything, practically gave the factory blueprints. what gitzo didn't know, yilee set up a dummy corp called benro and was building an exact copy of the gitzo factory simultaneously, practically on the other side of the hill (common story for businesses that aren't careful outsourcing in china). gitzo started noticing exact copies of their gear on the shelves of beijing and shanghai, with "benro" in place of "gitzo" and got just a wee bit upset. gitzo couldn't do anything, cause it's china, and they care fark all for intellectual property, especially considering gitzo is a foreign co and benro is local. after gitzo got out, benro established itself as a legit co in china, and has got the rep as de facto proware for tripods amongst chinese photographers.


has taken everything I've thrown at it

i own :

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-BENRO-C-257...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cabd8fd4c

lovely light but strong Tripod

http://cgi.ebay.com/BENRO-Gimbal-He...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a59e4c8b9

for long lens stuff - also own Manfrotto superclamp for use with this on it's own in hides/bench

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-BENRO-Ball-...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cac331994

for landscape shooting with the above tripod

All top quality stuff that I couldn't fault, which I use 24/7

Also can't recommend this eBay shop enough either http://myworld.ebay.com/dc-stuffs/ based in China, but get's the above items to me in about 4-5 days for free

:thumb:

Also they're badged as Induro in some countries, same items

drew


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## bretti_kivi (Apr 22, 2008)

picked up a set of 055 legs and 222 head in the UK. Great having a 'pod I don't have to stoop down to 

I'd check that the size is right for you. I'm not that tall and now, with the 055, I can put the camera so high I can't see the viewfinder any more. That's new. 

Bret


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## mitchcook (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm six foot two. So maybe a 055 would be better than a 190...
But I don't think I will be doing too many shots that will be that high. If I did I would just get a sturdy aluminum one with a lower feature-set that wouldn't be lugged around as often!
After seeing this video my faith has been restored in cheaper tripods. Look at how smooth everything seems to work etc etc. Looks like it would be a great tripod for doing shots of cars for sure!




Thank you everyone for the great tips.


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## little john (Jun 10, 2007)

Whats the difference between the 190 and the 055 over there price wise? I have a 055CX pro4 and it wasn't that much more than the 190CXpro so I decided that if I never use the extra height that 1 time that I needed it say while standing on a slope the extra £20-£30 would be worth spending as my back would thank me for no need to stoop down. My regret was the head I bought, I went for the 460MG for a light weight setup but its not fantastic for composing the shot it will move slightly some times while tightening it up. I think I will save for a geared head. I do like the quick release though and have RC2 heads on the tripod, mono pod and gorillapod, the head cost twice the cost of the gorilla pod in the first place.


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## mitchcook (Oct 6, 2009)

The difference is a hundred Canadian dollars to a hundred and fifty dependent on where it is.
Which would be 60 to 80 for you guys?


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## Blueberry (Aug 10, 2007)

I have the Manfrotto 190 CXPro 3 Tripod and its great. Its light as a feather to carry but sturdy and up to the job. I have a Canon 5D Mk II and use amongst others a 100-400 lens on it without any problems.

Upgraded to this tripod from a previous Manfrotto - just for the lightness of the tripod. Being a feeble female, I found carrying the non carbon tripod a bit heavy, especially on a long trek.

You won't be disappointed.:thumb:


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## mitchcook (Oct 6, 2009)

Thank you for sharing your opinion Blueberry.
I think I will go for it. I just need to find a local distributor who will treat me like a human.


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## bretti_kivi (Apr 22, 2008)

heads are, if anything, more important than legs. 
My old head is an 804RC2. Fine when you want to pan in a single plane (provided you've set up correctly), but fiddly to set up. The new head is a 222. I looked at a 322 and felt it pretty good, but the 222 has an advantage of height and a slightly more ergonomic grip for me. 

I also significantly prefer the "let go and it stops NOW" of a joystick to the insecurity of a ballhead. I have a 482 for the top of my flash bracket and I find it difficult to use properly. It does the job it's there for, especially with only a flash on, but still, I'd thing seriously about what you want to do with the kit.

Bret


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## mitchcook (Oct 6, 2009)

Received a 190XProB today. Along with 322RC2 head 
Very excited.
Played around with some night shots last night


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