Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs, with Multi-Position Center Column - Supports 22 lbs (10 kg)

Comments about Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs:

I wanted an affordable but strongly built versatile tripod. This tripod is exactly that. But since it is made from aluminum rather than carbon fiber it is quite heavy. However, its weight also gives it stability. The best thing about this tripod is that when fully extended it is so tall that I do not need to extend the lowest and thinnest of the leg parts fully (when I have my ball head and camera on it). Even without fully extending it I can still stand straight (I am 5'10'') and look through the camera view finder to compose the shot. When you are using a tripod for the whole day and you have to bend a little (either your waist or neck) every time you want to look through the viewfinder that actually becomes a pain in the neck. This tripod thus is very easy on my neck and back while photographing. The design has two flaws though. The twist locks are quite rough on the hand. Second, the center column does not have an in built anti-twist mechanism or even an anti-accidental-release mechanism. To secure the center column from both twisting and accidentally sliding out I have to tighten the twist lock bolt to the limit that my fingers can withstand. They should make it slightly easier by a redesign of the center column. This is the only reason why I am giving it a four star. Otherwise it is sturdy and strong.

Comments about Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs:

I have had this tripod for about a month now and it"s everything and more than I expected. It's extremely sturdy and Innovative in the design. It's Features are pretty cool as well. It features a moveable head with 360 movement. an adapter that makes the center column like 2" long so you can really get a low ground shot. The carrying case is very well made and durable. It comes with two straps, one for the tripod itself and one for the carrying case. It also comes with a tool kit which is very useful at times. other than that by far the best tripod I have ever owned and I have had quite a few. I highly recommend this to those amateur's with pro equipment like myself.

I used this tripod with my sony A850 (which is pretty heavy itself) to capture a tornado brewing in my town. very high winds and debris. this tripod didn't even budge with the wind.

like I said. The best tripod I have ever had. Worth every penny!!!

Comments about Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs:

Very Sturdy. I use mainly for studio portraits and works great.

Comments about Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs:

I have two of these, and just got both. One for work, and one for my personal photo business. The overall design of the tripod is good. It is solid and seems well thought out. The problem I have had is with the bushing on the head. The bushing is aluminum or some lighter metal and is not threaded onto the bolt in the center of the head. I bought a heavy duty Giottos ballhead to go with one of the tripods. When I went to screw the head down, it seemed solid until I tightened the three set screws. I did this just beyond finger tight with the supplied allen wrench. The bushing snapped and came off. This doesn't give me great confidence in the product with heavy expensive Nikons and lenses attached to it. The first 9370 came to me with a bent head. [...]it seems more of an issue with the quality of the materials used in the product. Otherwise, the design itself is rather ingenius in what it is designed to do. P.S. I fixed the one tripod by using a bushing from a Slik Monopod, so ingenuity allowed me to keep from sending that one back as well. It now seems solid.

Comments about Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs:

I'm a student and photo enthusiast so I'm far from pro so this tripod exceeds my needs or capabilities thus far. Aluminum construction makes it very heavy but in light to moderate wind it's also very stable.

All of the little functions Giottos put into the tripod add up to great versatility for many different situations. I don't have to raise the center column because with 65 inches w/o the head it's plenty tall. Fully extended the tripod remains stable.

I originally wanted the 3 section MT-9360 but B&H didn't have any in stock so this was the next best choice around $200. Very happy with the purchase :)

Comments about Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs:

I was looking for a solid tripod that was able to stand in harsh uneven terrain. This is the one. I'm relatively short, at only 5'7'', so a tripod this tall may seem like a bad choice. With only three of the four leg sections extended, the tripod is near eye level. As I shoot on very uneven terrain, however, it is often I'll have one or two legs with all four sections fully extended, with the other leg only half extended. This tripod stay very solid in any position.
Before purchasing, I thought the centre column design was somewhat gimmicky, but it is actually very functional, and locks down very tight when not in use. I've used the three way column for shooting macro shots down low. It is surprisingly stable.
The twist lock legs work brilliantly. Generally just one half to three quarters of a turn will lock the sections tightly or release them. I've not experienced any slipping. I shoot in sandy salt water beaches a fair bit, and the tripod performs well in these conditions. There is some sort of rubber gasket on the the twist locks that seems to keep the sand out. Although quite heavy, the weight just adds stability. It may not be the tripod you want to take to Everest, but it is not so heavy that you wont take it with you on day hikes.

Comments about Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs:

I wanted an affordable but strongly built versatile tripod. This tripod is exactly that. But since it is made from aluminum rather than carbon fiber it is quite heavy. However, its weight also gives it stability. The best thing about this tripod is that when fully extended it is so tall that I do not need to extend the lowest and thinnest of the leg parts fully (when I have my ball head and camera on it). Even without fully extending it I can still stand straight (I am 5'10'') and look through the camera view finder to compose the shot. When you are using a tripod for the whole day and you have to bend a little (either your waist or neck) every time you want to look through the viewfinder that actually becomes a pain in the neck. This tripod thus is very easy on my neck and back while photographing. The design has two flaws though. The twist locks are quite rough on the hand. Second, the center column does not have an in built anti-twist mechanism or even an anti-accidental-release mechanism. To secure the center column from both twisting and accidentally sliding out I have to tighten the twist lock bolt to the limit that my fingers can withstand. They should make it slightly easier by a redesign of the center column. This is the only reason why I am giving it a four star. Otherwise it is sturdy and strong.

Comments about Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs:

I have had this tripod for about a month now and it"s everything and more than I expected. It's extremely sturdy and Innovative in the design. It's Features are pretty cool as well. It features a moveable head with 360 movement. an adapter that makes the center column like 2" long so you can really get a low ground shot. The carrying case is very well made and durable. It comes with two straps, one for the tripod itself and one for the carrying case. It also comes with a tool kit which is very useful at times. other than that by far the best tripod I have ever owned and I have had quite a few. I highly recommend this to those amateur's with pro equipment like myself.

I used this tripod with my sony A850 (which is pretty heavy itself) to capture a tornado brewing in my town. very high winds and debris. this tripod didn't even budge with the wind.

like I said. The best tripod I have ever had. Worth every penny!!!

Comments about Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs:

Very Sturdy. I use mainly for studio portraits and works great.

Comments about Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs:

I have two of these, and just got both. One for work, and one for my personal photo business. The overall design of the tripod is good. It is solid and seems well thought out. The problem I have had is with the bushing on the head. The bushing is aluminum or some lighter metal and is not threaded onto the bolt in the center of the head. I bought a heavy duty Giottos ballhead to go with one of the tripods. When I went to screw the head down, it seemed solid until I tightened the three set screws. I did this just beyond finger tight with the supplied allen wrench. The bushing snapped and came off. This doesn't give me great confidence in the product with heavy expensive Nikons and lenses attached to it. The first 9370 came to me with a bent head. [...]it seems more of an issue with the quality of the materials used in the product. Otherwise, the design itself is rather ingenius in what it is designed to do. P.S. I fixed the one tripod by using a bushing from a Slik Monopod, so ingenuity allowed me to keep from sending that one back as well. It now seems solid.

Comments about Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs:

I'm a student and photo enthusiast so I'm far from pro so this tripod exceeds my needs or capabilities thus far. Aluminum construction makes it very heavy but in light to moderate wind it's also very stable.

All of the little functions Giottos put into the tripod add up to great versatility for many different situations. I don't have to raise the center column because with 65 inches w/o the head it's plenty tall. Fully extended the tripod remains stable.

I originally wanted the 3 section MT-9360 but B&H didn't have any in stock so this was the next best choice around $200. Very happy with the purchase :)

Comments about Giottos MT-9370 Aluminum Tripod Legs:

I was looking for a solid tripod that was able to stand in harsh uneven terrain. This is the one. I'm relatively short, at only 5'7'', so a tripod this tall may seem like a bad choice. With only three of the four leg sections extended, the tripod is near eye level. As I shoot on very uneven terrain, however, it is often I'll have one or two legs with all four sections fully extended, with the other leg only half extended. This tripod stay very solid in any position.
Before purchasing, I thought the centre column design was somewhat gimmicky, but it is actually very functional, and locks down very tight when not in use. I've used the three way column for shooting macro shots down low. It is surprisingly stable.
The twist lock legs work brilliantly. Generally just one half to three quarters of a turn will lock the sections tightly or release them. I've not experienced any slipping. I shoot in sandy salt water beaches a fair bit, and the tripod performs well in these conditions. There is some sort of rubber gasket on the the twist locks that seems to keep the sand out. Although quite heavy, the weight just adds stability. It may not be the tripod you want to take to Everest, but it is not so heavy that you wont take it with you on day hikes.