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Experience buying new carbon tripod


wparsonsgisnet

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Two things:

1. I bought the new, carbon fiber tripod from Leica (it's really nice)

2. It's GERMAN.

 

With regard to point 2: the reason we can depend upon Leica glass is that once a German makes something like this they ALWAYS make it the same way. Take it to the bank.

 

So, with regard to point 1: the tripod is really beautifully made. I bought the tripod, the large ball head, and the carrying case.

 

Naturally, with the case there is NO sign of it. I believe the sales rep said something about it being sourced from a 3rd party.

 

As to the tripod. It comes with 2 screws a 1/4-inch and a 3/8-screw. It is delivered with the 3/8-inch screw installed, and the other screw comes in a nice bag with 2 wrenches for the mechanics we might be.

 

Because the tripod came before the ball head, I swapped the 3/8-inch screw for the 1/4-inch screw so I could use the device with my camera. And … (wait for it) … it turns out the 1/4-inch screw stripped while I was tightening it with the wrench. Examining the wrench, I see no damage, so it's the screw fitting itself.

 

Soon, the ball head came so I replaced the screw with the 3/8-inch screw because the ball head needs that fitting. And I took the screw to the dealer who sent it off for replacement (about 6 weeks ago).

 

Today, I got a call from the dealer who tells me I have to being in the tripod as it must be returned with the screw for replacement.

 

He laughed as he told me that he told the rep that as a Leica user I would understand.

 

It's a really nice, German-made, device. Really nice.

 

Regards to all, Bill

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I would send the Leica tripod back ASAP. A travel tripod that folds to 20"? The top-tier tripod brands are Gitzo and RRS. You'll pay a lot more than the Leica tripod cost for their travel models. The RRS TQC-14 is $850 and the Gitzo 1544T is $680. I'd take the RRS over the Gitzo.

 

Well known value models are Benro and Feisol from mainland China and Taiwan respectively. You get about 85% of the quality of a top-tier brand tripod at about half the price. Don't dismiss the good value brands; I bought a Benro traveler to back up my Gitzo traveler and pretty quickly realized it was a better tripod. After about a year I sold the Gitzo and kept the Benro.

 

You'll also need a decent ballhead. Don't buy a Markins Q3T; lovely ballhead but not good in severe cold. I've had three of them so I speak from experience. Look at Acratech, RRS heads for great performance in any environment.

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I would send the Leica tripod back ASAP. A travel tripod that folds to 20"? The top-tier tripod brands are Gitzo and RRS. You'll pay a lot more than the Leica tripod cost for their travel models. The RRS TQC-14 is $850 and the Gitzo 1544T is $680. I'd take the RRS over the Gitzo.

 

Well known value models are Benro and Feisol from mainland China and Taiwan respectively. You get about 85% of the quality of a top-tier brand tripod at about half the price. Don't dismiss the good value brands; I bought a Benro traveler to back up my Gitzo traveler and pretty quickly realized it was a better tripod. After about a year I sold the Gitzo and kept the Benro.

 

You'll also need a decent ballhead. Don't buy a Markins Q3T; lovely ballhead but not good in severe cold. I've had three of them so I speak from experience. Look at Acratech, RRS heads for great performance in any environment.

 

 

+1 for Benro travel tripod.

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Well known value models are Benro and Feisol from mainland China and Taiwan respectively. You get about 85% of the quality of a top-tier brand tripod at about half the price. Don't dismiss the good value brands; I bought a Benro traveler to back up my Gitzo traveler and pretty quickly realized it was a better tripod. After about a year I sold the Gitzo and kept the Benro.

 

Well said. Too often people gravitate towards the 'its expensive so it must be good' sector of the market, and it seems to me particularly so on LUF. Feisol in particular are a fine brand, and are not 'behind the market' as a cheap copyist either, a lot of features they first put into their tripods are now used by other manufacturers.

 

Steve

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Two things:

1. I bought the new, carbon fiber tripod from Leica (it's really nice)

2. It's GERMAN.

 

With regard to point 2: the reason we can depend upon Leica glass is that once a German makes something like this they ALWAYS make it the same way. Take it to the bank.

 

I'm not sure if you're joking or not, I expect you are, having seen some of the recent threads here about lenses being delivered with all sorts of bizarre faults!

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What model Leica tripod did you purchase?

The Trica 1 listed on the Leica USA website is listed as not available for on-line dealers and has been that way for a long time.

I need a tripod for an Leica 82mm Televid Spotting Scope, so I'm interested in what you actually purchased.-Dick

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  • 2 weeks later...

I bot the "Carbon Traveller Tripod" shown on this page:

 

Leica Camera AG - Photography - CARBON TRAVELLER TRIPOD

 

My dealer says my tripod has come back from Leica and I will be picking it up tomorrow. I'll report.

 

The dealer also says it is made of unobtainium.

 

I bot mine for two reasons:

1. I am an unabashed fan of Leica. I've been using their lenses beginning with a 50mmDR and an M4 in 1970. It's all about the glass, but they make stuff right. With regard to the assorted complaints about lenses and so on, it's just stuff. There are a ton of people around here who have been using the lenses since dirt was invented and the cameras since then and getting them serviced properly. Stuff happens to all camera manufacturers, as commented many times on this site.

2. I figured this tripod would become a collectible. Maybe that's happened already ….

 

So, I get the tripod back tomorrow. BTW, if you go to the website referenced above, one of the images shown is the tripod carrying case. Only the gods know where mine is.

 

Regards to all, Bill

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BYW, since my son who lives in C--------a, has my M4, M6, 50 mm DR and 90 mm 'cron, and I miss the way the DR draws (thank you Sean Reid for this vocabulary word!), I recently bot a DR in really nice condition on eBay and had the close-focusing cam milled off by DAG.

 

And I'm in love again. All those old Greek myths pale in comparison to the images from a DR lens. It's magical.

 

And, tomorrow, I get my tripod back. Hoo-Hah.

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So, I picked up my tripod today and was pleasantly surprised that the screw problem is fixed. I figured that I'd get a replacement box with a lousy screw in it.

 

However, because the tripod is made of unobtainium, I got the my own back -- with a really well made replacement screw post. Congratulations, Leica, for sourcing screw posts so rapidly.

 

Did I say how nice the tripod is?

 

Regards to all, Bill

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