Tripod Costs

[kipper]

Has anybody wondered why it costs for a tripod, head and a few plates almost the same price you pay for a D70 and lens?

I mean what on earth are you paying for. Atleast with a D70 I can see the technical expertise that went into it to produce it. All I see in a Gitzo or a Markins ballhead is a few machined peices of material that would take sod all time to make.


I always thought RC Planes and Helicopters were expensive and an old mans hobby when you're retired. Man, I could of bought 2 RC Planes for the amount I've spent on camera gear.

[birddog114]

Has anybody wondered why it costs for a tripod, head and a few plates almost the same price you pay for a D70 and lens?

kipper,
It cost more than what you've said if you try to get full set of gear!

[MHD]

my head and 'pod will outlast my d70....

[sirhc55]

Kipper cost is relative to production - there are thousands upon thousands of D70’s so R&D is realised faster. Top end tripods beckon to a much smaller market, consequently the costings against R&D are higher. Unfortunately this is all a fact of life

[Glen]

Also Kipper just to be fair, you are comparing the best tripod, absolute top line models with the start of the DSLR range. $1.6k of legs and head seems reasonable under a $7k D2X

[Greg B]

Also Kipper just to be fair, you are comparing the best tripod, absolute top line models with the start of the DSLR range. $1.6k of legs and head seems reasonable under a $7k D2X

No, it doesn't

[AlistairF]

Has anybody wondered why it costs for a tripod, head and a few plates almost the same price you pay for a D70 and lens?

I mean what on earth are you paying for. Atleast with a D70 I can see the technical expertise that went into it to produce it. All I see in a Gitzo or a Markins ballhead is a few machined peices of material that would take sod all time to make.

Check out http://www.dragonimage.com.au/

These guys have Manfrotto-compatible (Chinese copies) gear at a fraction of the price, including tripods, pistol-grips, ball heads etc. Also I know quite a few Pros who use their studio equipment and like their gear alot. They seem really reasonable people when I've met them and have a store in Melbourne and Sydney.

[big pix]

I have changed my camera systems more that I have changed tripods .......still using a battered and bruised gitzo which I have used professionally for 12 to 15 years..........and still going strong.......

[birddog114]

kipper,
The Gitzo G1325 can last you for many decades if you well maintain and taking care of it and you don't have to upgrade to another tripod in life, I can give you that assurance. If you choose the right heads and other accessories then they're the same quality with your hard earned cash spent for them, those technos won't change much as the camera or other gadgets. A well good long term investment with your photography hobby.

AlistairF
The Dragonimage sells some crappy stuffs (tripod + monopod), I saw them in Sydney store, their prices ain't cheap, if they were good enough I've put lot of monies thru them for many years now instead of heading to Gitzo's ship. If people can't afford the high end Gitzo legs then go to the genuine Manfrotto products or new Feisol (not much heard of them lately).

[fozzie]

kipper,

It is like everything in live, you get what you pay for. I prefer to save and buy better quality, rather than buy someting today and have to replace it in 2 months/years. Also I look after my photographic equipment, keep it clean, lubricate where necessary and treat with utmost care, so I would expect my 'GITZO' to out last me.

Goodbye for now,

[dooda]

I had a slik for my F80, I'm finding that it worked well for that purpose, but it's too small for the D70, everytime I try and adjust it it moves afterward unfortunatly. One time I was near the ocean and it tipped over on it's own volition and would have fallen in the drink had I not caught it...needless to say...
I have a hard time justifying paying such a huge premium for really nice legs as well. For some reason I can't imagine the extra money paying off that noticably for some reason. I have talked with several people who really go for the high quality stuff, but I just can't seem to justify it (I guess I need to actually use the stuff to see how they work).

[birddog114]

Winter is around the corner, I have all the thermal socks for all my Gitzo legs keep them warm in coming cold days.

http://www.optechusa.com/product/detail ... CT_SUB_ID=

Then I'll find or sourcing new products for them to wear in Spring and Summer

[fozzie]

Birrdog114,

My thermal socks are on an order list with the man, but wright now I need the OP/TECH legs wraps on my legs, bloody cold in Adelaide this morning.

Cheers,

[birddog114]

I had a slik for my F80, I'm finding that it worked well for that purpose, but it's too small for the D70, everytime I try and adjust it it moves afterward unfortunatly. One time I was near the ocean and it tipped over on it's own volition and would have fallen in the drink had I not caught it...needless to say...
I have a hard time justifying paying such a huge premium for really nice legs as well. For some reason I can't imagine the extra money paying off that noticably for some reason. I have talked with several people who really go for the high quality stuff, but I just can't seem to justify it (I guess I need to actually use the stuff to see how they work).

dooda,
The cheapie tripod used to be not sturdy, and will creepy with the load on top of it and I sure hate it very much, annoying a lot when I want to set it to the fixed point and re-check, it slightly moved, same as me facing lot of vibration in those windy days.
Once you had a chance to have more big lenses or doing lot of macro, pano works then you'll find out how people want a good solid systems.
I'm not prasing RRS systems, they're in crisis now with the ordering of their stuff, the demand is huge, they can't cope with it, their production now are mostly in back-order everytime I placed an order with them.
Their products ain't cheap but people give them lot of order, I wonder why?

[pippin88]

Has anybody wondered why it costs for a tripod, head and a few plates almost the same price you pay for a D70 and lens?

I mean what on earth are you paying for. Atleast with a D70 I can see the technical expertise that went into it to produce it. All I see in a Gitzo or a Markins ballhead is a few machined peices of material that would take sod all time to make.

Precision machining like that found in the top tripod gear is in no way cheap.

Have you any sort of play with some of this gear? Even to see it used is impressive. The Markins and RRS ballheads are amazing bits of technical machining and engineering IMO.