Although I wanted to purchase the Gitzo GT2545T Series 2 Traveler tripod on B&H Photo Video, I had difficulty justifying the $1128.90 price tag.
The Gitzo Series 2 is the world's pre-eminent travel tripod due to its lightweight, compact size, and extreme stiffness. However, the Neewer Carbon Fiber 63' tripod on Amazon for $109.99 was hard to pass up.
When I received the Neewer tripod from Amazon on January 14, 2020, I was surprised by the quality that I saw.
The carbon fiber legs and center tube are of very high quality. They move very smoothly and lock firmly into place with only a minimum amount of force applied to the twist locks. The twist locks work smoothly and goes from the leg section's full release to locked down in about 3/4 of a turn. The center column has a nudge to prevent rotation, and the ball head appears well-made.
The ball head is all metal: body, ball, knobs, plate, so I expect it to be durable. It has three locking mechanisms. The first is for panning rotation, the second is for putting resistance on the ball for fine positioning, and the third locks the ball down securely.
The feet have rubber soles, which can be easily removed to reveal metal spikes. When I extended the tripod, I tried to determine how stiff it was. It's not as rigid as the Gitzo, but I was impressed.
I will try it out in the field and see how it works. Although the Gitzo is better, it's not 10 times better.
Neewer Carbon Fiber 63' Specs:
The Gitzo Series 2 is the world's pre-eminent travel tripod due to its lightweight, compact size, and extreme stiffness. However, the Neewer Carbon Fiber 63' tripod on Amazon for $109.99 was hard to pass up.
When I received the Neewer tripod from Amazon on January 14, 2020, I was surprised by the quality that I saw.
The carbon fiber legs and center tube are of very high quality. They move very smoothly and lock firmly into place with only a minimum amount of force applied to the twist locks. The twist locks work smoothly and goes from the leg section's full release to locked down in about 3/4 of a turn. The center column has a nudge to prevent rotation, and the ball head appears well-made.
The ball head is all metal: body, ball, knobs, plate, so I expect it to be durable. It has three locking mechanisms. The first is for panning rotation, the second is for putting resistance on the ball for fine positioning, and the third locks the ball down securely.
The feet have rubber soles, which can be easily removed to reveal metal spikes. When I extended the tripod, I tried to determine how stiff it was. It's not as rigid as the Gitzo, but I was impressed.
I will try it out in the field and see how it works. Although the Gitzo is better, it's not 10 times better.
Neewer Carbon Fiber 63' Specs:
- Material: Carbon Fiber
- Maximum Height: 63"/160cm
- Minimum Height: 17.7"/45cm
- Loading Capacity: 33lbs/15kg
- One leg can be removed as a monopod and converted into alpenstock.
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