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A bit OT, 30 years, same tripod


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Nice article. Presumably you don't take it for long walkies (the tripod, not the dog). Tripods are one of those things that tend to get neglected when upgrade time comes around. But the technology has moved along a bit. My carbon fibre Manfrotto with small ball head (1.5 kg in total) is what goes out with me and is helping to preserve my shoulders and arms which are no longer pristine unfortunately.

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I envy you guys being able to carry heavy weights. Pete Davis (Dyn LLun on here) is 67 or so and still lugging an enormous camera and tripod around. My shoulders are telling me they've had enough of that and there is no arguing with them. 

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My old Gitzo is still running after 20 years plus (second owner here on that one). I found a Manfrotto tripod like that above chucked out in Brooklyn recently and added that to my stable! Personally, I like the older heavier steel. In rough neighborhoods that special tripod martial art comes in useful. Carbon fibre might not stand up to the abuse...

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Still have my two legged Gitzo, was garenteed for a lifetime and one reincarnation, but Bogen wanted $300.00 to fix the broken

leg....

 

On the other hand I am still using, almost daily, my Norman 800 Superlight.  I've sent it in for repair twice and it continues to work

like a champ.  Norman's are great, too bad that Bill and the company is gone, but still in business.

 

Chuck

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Hi Mark

 

If it is still as solid as a rock why change it. New gear is unlikely to last as long as holding onto you trusty friend.

 

.dov

The only reason that I would change it is if it sustained further damage, although I will now stop taking it for granted

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Bought my Mamiya RB in 1987, still in regular use

 

Alex

 

Yes, you can't get decent bookends these days ;):)

 

My old original Benbo from Kennett Engineering days is still going strong but looks like cr#p, which I kind of like. Not sure exactly when I bought it, some time early 90s - on third set of protective feet (some held on with gaffer tape). Still used indoors but less so out in the wild, I went carbon fibre a long time ago for a carrying around tripod.

 

Geoff

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Yes, the well-made tripods from the past can last a long time.  My Manfrotto Triminor was bought new 35 years ago for 35mm use, and my Gitzo Cremaillere 3 was bought second-hand 20 years ago for 5x4 and larger format.  Both are great tripods that continue to give good service.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My Giant Gitzo in some of the pictures here :- have had for nearly 50 years. I replaced the three top sections some 25 years ago and the head has had several new locking knobs over the years. Cost me a fortune all those years ago (astronomical now) but in the long term a bargain. Still in constant, hard use every day. Will see me out. The wooden tripod in some of the pics is the other end of the price spectrum. It's an old surveyors tripod I picked up for a tenner in a junk store. I put a spare Gitzo 5 head on it and it too has long hard use and is still working fine. I have used this for over 30 years now. Both these tripods have taken real beatings in the field and also survived many, many short and long haul flights around the world.  I love Gitzo stuff as you can still buy every screw, knob, washer and leg section for every tripod they ever made. 

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I suppose that I am very lucky to be selling work, both new and 'vintage' through my galleries and dealers that is made using traditional kit and materials. The buyers of my work would not be amused to get an inkjet print from a digi file! This means that the vast fortunes I invested over the years in top end kit, vastly expensive large format lenses etc. etc. has now repaid itself many, many times over and still doing so. I have hardly any 'redundant' kit here. Even my older top - end Leica lenses are now being used on my Digi M's due to their inbuilt compatibility. Buying the best never let me down although it was hard going financially over the years. Reaping the benefits now though. 

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