After being so pleased with my recent backpack upgrade (and wishing I had done it much earlier), I decided to do the same with my tripod. I wanted carbon fiber (over my old aluminum model), which is not only extremely lightweight but also dampens vibration quite well. I also wanted something that extended fairly tall without the use of a center column but also would fold out nearly flat for low level ground compositions. After about a month of research (and several returns of equipment that looked good on paper but didn’t pass my testing), I ended up with what I feel is a perfect (although somewhat customized) tripod. This is a recap of that journey.

The other photographers I polled for advice offered a wide range of recommendations, from the cheaper knockoff brands like Benro and Slik to the tried, tested and expensive Gitzo brand. One option that seemed to be a perfect match of price and performance was the Feisol Tournament Series. For $399 you get the CT-3442 model, weighing in at only 2.31 lbs and the ability to fold up to only 18.9” while still extending to 54.33 inches without a center column (which I will rarely if ever use due to its added instability). Feisol has a reputation for great customer service and most owners are very happy with their purchase. However, one common complaint was that the rubber feet would constantly fall off (although reports indicate that white glue fixes the issue while still providing for removal if necessary).

I was about to pull the trigger on the Feisol when I noticed that Gitzo was running a rebate on several of their more popular models, including the GT2531. For only a few more dollars (after rebate) than the Feisol, I could get the tripod brand whose slogan is “Focus on Forever” (implying that it’s the last tripod you’ll ever need to buy, which has been validated by thousands if not millions of happy Gitzo users worldwide). The GT2531 is a 3 section instead of 4 (folding up to a longer 24.7”), but it’s maximum height and weight is within my needs so I went with it over the Feisol due to Gitzo’s impeccable reputation.

Several people tried to talk me into a 3-Series Gitzo, suggesting you should always buy a tripod that you can “grow into.” Right now I have no need for the increased weight a 3-Series supports and would rather keep my pack weight down. If I do ever purchase a 600mm, $8,000 lens and need to upgrade my tripod, the cost of doing so will be minuscule compared to the cost of that lens! That said, you have to be careful to not under size your tripod. A lot of photographers assume that if they don’t use super telephoto lenses, they can get by with a cheaper, less stable tripod. But remember, certain lenses like a Canon 24-70 f/2.8 are just as heavy as a telephoto, yet hang off your camera rather than make use of a tripod collar.

Here’s the Gitzo GT2531 setup in my back yard. As I mentioned earlier, one of my requirements was not to use a center column (which is essentially stacking a monopod on top of a tripod). This model actually comes with one out of the box but offers a “Ground Level Set” configuration which removes the center column and attaches the base plate directly to the bottom hook. Although not shown here, this tripod extends to 54.3″ without that center column. Once I put a head and camera on top, that’s pretty close to eye level for me (standing at 6′ 2″).

In addition to my stability concerns regarding center columns, I also wanted a tripod which could get very close to the ground for lower compositions. Gitzo’s Ground Level Set feature on these Mountaineer tripods allow you to fold the legs out to get your camera extremely close to the ground – almost as much as the systematic series, which looses the center column wing nut and receptacle to place your camera a few inches closer to the ground.

Gitzo’s own instructions on this Ground Level Set feature mention removing the center column, tightening the center column wing nut completely, then loosening 1/4 turn before connecting the upper disk directly to the upper casting using the column hook. This results in an extremely loose configuration and should be ignored. You should instead tighten the center column wing nut all the way down then connect the upper casting and column hook to maximum tightness before finally rotating the wing nut counter clockwise to raise it up flush against the upper casting. This creates a very tight fit!

I was initially apprehensive about giving up the lever-type leg locks I had grown accustomed to on my old tripod. However, after extensive use of Gitzo’s G-lock design ring-type leg lock system, I greatly prefer it. I don’t know if I would feel this way without Gitzo’s Anti-Rotation Leg (ALR) system, but with the ALR it’s actually quicker and more convenient to extend or retract the legs. This combined with the G-Lock design makes for an extremely rigid yet fast operating system.

Now that I had found a great pair of legs, it was time to get an upgraded ball head to sit on top. The choices here were equally as complex as the tripod itself. I looked at all the best brands: Really Right Stuff, Kirk, Markins, Arca Swiss, Arcatech, and Photo Clam. I started out with the later, a Photo Clam PC-40, which is basically a Markins Q10 knock-off. It seemed very capable, but a simple design flaw that made the bubble level useless when used in landscape mode put this head back on a UPS truck the day after I received it without even getting any field use.

I ordered an Arcatech GV2 from B&H Photo that same day and have been extremely happy with that decision. Weighting in at only 1 lb with a load capacity of 25 lbs and Archatech’s unique design, the GV2 is an all around fantastic ball head. Above you’ll see it mounted on my GT2531 tripod.

As I mentioned, the Photo Clam had a serious design flaw in it’s bubble level (or lack thereof in landscape orientation), but the GV2 is one of the few heads where you can actually still see the bubble level with the camera mounted on top (I position the screw nob on the lens side so the bubble sticks out the back side of my camera).  Even though my camera features an electronic level feature, I find these type of bubble levels very convenient.

Since the Arcatech head uses an Arca Swiss type quick release clamp, it was time for me to finally upgrade to an L-Bracket. The Manfrotto QR plates I was used to all featured flip out metal rings that made them easy to hand tighten. They also worked well with my Black Rapid strap. Arca Swiss plates instead require an allen wrench to attach or detach. I realize most landscape photographers leave their Arca Swiss compatible bracket or plate on full time, but since I frequently switch between landscape and action photography (or even portrait work), this is inconvenient to me. When doing landscape photography, I want to minimize weight and maximize stability so I normally remove my camera’s grip. When doing portrait work, I enjoy using the grip. These two different uses require me to swap out my bracket for my grip (or vice versa). I actually tried the Really Right Stuff bracket designed for my camera + grip, but the flex I experienced was completely unacceptable (see related post: Unacceptable Flex in Really Right Stuff L-Bracket).

I did look at the Kirk brand of camera + grip L-Bracket. It was very stable because of a unique screw attachment that connected the side of the bracket to the camera’s strap ring. However, not only is this one more screw to mess with when attaching/detaching the bracket, it was a different type of screw than the one attaching to the camera bottom – a terribly inconvenient design decision that requires yet one more tool taking up space in your bag (and one more tool to loose).

There is one thing I don’t like about the RRS bracket: using it with a shutter release cable (which is about 99% of the time). As you can see above, the bracket can fit nice and snug alongside my camera body for ultimate stability but it also prevents me from accessing the port for my shutter release cable (located on Canon’s along the side of the camera).

The solution RSS offers for this issue is to shift the bracket slightly into a secondary slot when attaching the bottom to the camera (see the picture above of just the bracket for this slot, right next to the screw). This creates the gap shown above for accessing Canon’s ports. I actually called RSS and talked to them about this strange configuration (the Kirk bracket is simply wider at the side, allowing for access to the ports and a snug fit against the camera – but also requiring the second screw attaching to the neck strap slot I mentioned earlier). The answer I got is that this configuration allows for a snug, slim profile fit when access to the shutter release port isn’t needed while also giving the configuration to access that port. I don’t know why you’d want an L-bracket instead of a traditional plate for mostly landscape orientation and the thought of moving the bracket for portrait mode when needed and then sliding it back for landscape seems ridiculous. At any rate, I keep mine constantly configured with this gap and haven’t noticed any flex in doing so.

I mentioned the Gitzo Ground Level Set feature earlier for removing the tripod’s center column. In the end  I decided that a specialized tripod base was worth the money. Two companies make these: Kirk and Markins. I went with the later (a TB-21) because the Markins actually screws into the Gitzo’s Mountaineer style center column receptacle and the hook on the bottom of the tripod mount whereas the Kirk only attaches to the hook (which was too  similar to the ground level set feature for me to justify the cost). I do wish the Markins base had a built-in bubble level like the Kirk model, since you need to have a level base for doing panoramic images. For that matter, I think the terribly expensive Gitzo tripods should all have a bubble level built-in (especially considering my aluminum Manfrotto for 1/3 the cost did carry this feature).

Regardless, I purchased the RRS BH55-LVL leveling plate to serve this purpose. I could have instead opted for the TA-2-LB leveling base, but weight is important to me and the simpler plate version has about 3/4 pounds less of it. Upon arrival, I was disappointed that the raised edge around the circumference of the plate hit the panning nob on my ball head…essentially rendering it useless. I was about to ship the thing back to RRS but instead ran by a local machine shop and had them drill a larger hole in the middle of the plate so it could rest between the Markins base and my tripod instead of between the base and the head, thus officially making my tripod setup “customized”

If you have a Mountaineer tripod and have opted to keep the center column, Gitzo offers a simple and economical bubble level that attaches to the bottom of the center column (GLEVEL1 for Series 1, GLEVEL2 for Series 2). Pardon the snowflakes on the picture above, I took it with me on a recent snowshoe trip for this picture.

Finale
In conclusion, I feel that I have now put together the ultimate tripod kit, which includes:

• Gitzo GT2531
• Markins TB-21 Base
• Arcatech GV2 Ball Head
• Really Right Stuff BH55-LVL Leveling Plate
• RSS L-Bracket

The total weight of the legs, base and ball head is only 3.9 lbs, a 2.5 lb improvement over my previous setup. Legs and head fold down to 28.75”, which does stick above the top of my pack but not enough to catch anything while on a hike. That minimum length can be decreased by 3.5” by going with the GT2541 (4 section) instead.

If you do need the added stability a Gitzo 3-Series provides, you might still consider the Mountaineer line paired with a Markins Base, as several photographers have reported better stability in this configuration than with a Systematic. UPDATE (02/28/2012): I now also own a 3-Series Systematic and while there remain many advantages in this custom Mountaineer setup (weight, folder length, etc), I don’t notice any increased stability over a Systematic.

Weight Specifications:
The measurements below are based on my own weight tests and may differ from what is published by the manufacturer.

Configured with Markins Base and RRS leveling plate:

	Weight (g)	Weight (lb)
Gitzo GT2531 (legs only, no column or base)	1148	2.530907
Gitzo hook+bolt (still required with Markins base)	54	0.11905
Markins base	120	0.264555
RRS leveling plate	40	0.088184905
Arcatech GV2 Ball Head	450	0.99208
TOTAL	1812	3.99

Configured with Ground Level Set:

	Weight (g)	Weight (lb)
Gitzo GT2531 (legs only, no column or base)t	1148	2.530907
Gitzo hook+bolt	54	0.11905
Gitzo base + wing nut	102	0.264555
Arcatech GV2 Ball Head	450	0.99208
TOTAL	1754	3.86

Special Thanks:
I’m a Canon shooter, but the wonderful people over at Nikonians.org haven’t ever held that against me and provided some great advice along the way in my quest for this tripod setup. I highly encourage you to check out this great web resource regardless of what brand you prefer.