Carbon Tripods - Sand / Saltwater?

[Wocka]

Gidday,

I just picked up a Benro C-297n6 carbon tripod yesterday.
Can anyone till me how these things handle the sand and saltwater or any water for that matter? If I use on the beach for sunrise shoots, as long as I rinse the legs in fresh water and allow to dry will the seals be ok?

Before I had a $30 Aldi tripod and didn't care, but a rinse of fresh water has kept this tripod working perfectly each time.

Cheers.

[DaveB]

I just picked up a Benro C-297n6 carbon tripod yesterday.

Congratulations! Hopefully you've also got a decent head to go with it.

Generally with tripods if you wipe muck off the legs before collapsing them, nothing should be dragged up inside the next leg section, and everything should be fine. I usually have a cloth in my back pocket to wipe down the tripod with. That particular model seems to have some level of rubber seal to stop water getting up inside, but I'd still wipe it down anyway: no need to get sand caught against the seal and scratching the carbon fibre.

Can anyone till me how these things handle the sand and saltwater or any water for that matter? If I use on the beach for sunrise shoots, as long as I rinse the legs in fresh water and allow to dry will the seals be ok?

Are you immersing the legs in salt water to above the first joint? If not, I'd just wet them and wipe down with a cloth to get rid of salt spray, etc.
If you are immersing the legs then it's a question of how good those seals are. Hopefully someone else here with intimate knowledge of those tripods (my experiences are mainly with Gitzo/Benbo/Manfrotto) can talk to that.
It may be that just wiping them down is enough most of the time, and if you're repeatedly treating the tripod like that, monthly disassembly/cleaning might help. But I'm just guessing.

[photohiker]

Well, I can't say much about salt water, my gitzo has never been near it.

But, a month or so after carting the gitzo around darkest Tasmania in the wet, it started to smell Water had found it's way in, even though there was no general immersion. (Nothing over half of the bottom section)

So, I think wiping down and running under fresh water is a good idea. If it gets a good dunking, strip & clean or at least open and rinse.

Michael

[StarForge]

The few times I've been adventurous enough to venture into the wet sand on a beach I brought a really cheap tripod with remote shutter control. I find it enough concern to worry about my camera and lens so to not worry about the tripod (especially when its not going to need any adjustment) is great. Those 'gift with purchase' tripods have their place

[DaveB]

If it gets a good dunking, strip & clean or at least open and rinse.

If/when you do clean the insides, make sure when reassembling that you've reapplied the right amount of grease (usually lithium grease, not engine grease!) to the joints. As you're disassembling, make careful note of which areas have grease, and which don't.

[tasadam]

As it is relevant to this topic, Gitzo have made a tripod called the Ocean Traveller.
Carbon fibre legs, stainless steel metal bits, and better seals for keeping out the water & sand.
If it was as tall as the GT2542L I am trying to buy I would have ordered one by now.

[Matt. K]

If it's a Gitzo then you need a bank loan. They are expensive!

[aim54x]

My manfrottos have been been immersed in water and sand a few times...I just dry off the sections before closing them down...I dont even know how to open one up to check and clean!