[brj]

I'm looking to buy a Gitzo carbon-fiber tripod in the next month or so, and was curious about their durability.  I don't doubt that they're rugged under normal use, but I'm pondering their durability when lashed to the outside of a backpack and subject to miles of grabbing tree branches and underbrush, accidental banging against rocks, the occasional downpour, etc..  The Gitzo's aren't cheap, and I'm only willing to consider it if I think it will really last me a lifetime.

(I'm willing to consider some sort of lightweight protective sleeve or similar article as protection, but the question still stands.)

Thanks!

[DaveC113]

It all depends on the construction of the tripod. Its impact resistance and ultimate strength could vary wildly. In general, cf can have exceptionally good impact resistance, but a scratch that compromises the cf weave will lead to cracking, sometimes very quickly. This is also true of gouging aluminum, to a greater or lesser degree depending on the alloy. Cf is also more likely to be poorly manufactured, but regular tubing that a tripod uses is more likely to be made properly compared to complex shapes. If there are a lot of complaints about durability, I'd skip it. If not, its likely to be ok. 

[Photon46]

I don't think I'd worry about durability of carbon fiber. Although I've not used a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod, I have used their other tripods for twenty years and they are as good as it gets IMO. At around the ten year mark, I replaced the fiber ring inserts that you tighten the sliding sections against. That's the only thing that wears other than the rubber tips. I've used carbon fiber quite a bit in various sculpture fabrication applications for years and it is VERY tough durable stuff. There's are reason they use that material for race car and aircraft construction, extraordinarily high strength/weight ratio. I can't imagine it would suffer anything but dings and scratches in the outdoors. As someone who lugged their metal Gitzo and 4x5 outfit for hundreds of miles over trails when I was younger, I assure you, the lighter weight will be welcomed at the end of trail and will seem like a bargain!

[Photon46]

BTW, if you head over to the largeformatphotography forum, there are posts after after posts in a forum similar to this where owners talk about their experiences with Gitzo carbon fiber tripods. There are specific answers from owners addressing your concerns about durability of carbon fiber tripods.

[jcpix]

I've had a Gitzo fiber mono-pod for a few years and it works great. Much lighter then the others. I'd give it   

jeff

[Tubes 4 Ever]

My profession happens to be in carbon fiber and composite manufacturing. rest assure if properly manufactured, composite materials with carbon reinforcement are incredibly strong, much stronger than steel and of course do not have the same pitfalls for corrosion and mechanical damage.

[brj]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies!

I not a structures guy, but I do have an aerospace background, so I'm at least passingly familiar with some high-end applications of composites and some of their trade-offs vs. various metal alloys.  Composites almost always win on strength-to-weight, and, as Tubes 4 Ever pointed out, corrosion resistance (although TI does well here too).  That said, they don't do well in high temperature environments (not an issue here) or high impact environments (landing gear is made out of metal for a reason).  It was this second issue that concerned me most, especially as I'm considering one of the lighter-weight models that has correspondingly thinner tube walls.  I'll probably choose the GT1541.

Photon, I'll check out largeformatphotography.com when I get a chance, but I'm guessing that they are all using beefier models that would tend to mitigate some of my durability concerns.  By the way, kudos for hauling a medium format rig for hundreds of miles into the wild - my DSLR rig will be a positive lightweight in comparison (although I'll pay for it in quality).

This feedback helps mitigate them quite a bit - thanks!

[nathanm]

The only time a light tripod is good is when you're not using it.  Otherwise having that thing heavy and hunkered down into the dirt is always favorable.  I've hung my pack on mine, although it's technically over the weight limit and makes getting stuff out of the pack difficult, but man it's like a rock then!

[brj]

The model I'm looking at is rated for more than double the amount I weight I'll ever put on it.  It also has a hook underneath the mount point to hang weights to further stabilize the tripod.

[Levi]

Hi there,

I am using a Gitzo G series carbon fiber tripod/mono-pod/ballhead and so far it is durable and stable.  Since I invested quite abit on the tripod, I have a Gitzo tripod case for travelling.  I am not sure about manhandling the tripod/ballhead, it is a precise instrument so carefull handling is advised.

You can spend an equally amount of money or perhaps more on a good ball and head setup so choose wisely.

They all have hook underneath so you can weigh it down for even stable installation.

Cheers,
Levi

[mcullinan]

I am not sure about manhandling the tripod/ballhead, it is a precise instrument so carefull handling is advised.

They all have hook underneath so you can weigh it down for even stable installation.

Cheers,
Levi

Umm, are you sure you are talking about photography??????????
lol
Mike

[nathanm]

That's a reach…

[Levi]

It all depends on your angle my friend. 

I am not sure about manhandling the tripod/ballhead, it is a precise instrument so carefull handling is advised.

They all have hook underneath so you can weigh it down for even stable installation.

Cheers,
Levi

Umm, are you sure you are talking about photography??????????
lol
Mike