Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

Never mind the fact that the tripod comes with a nice nylon shoulder strap, hefty and padded bag full of tools and doohickies, the tripod itself is an excellent buy. It is an investment as being a student, it doesn't come easy but this is simply an amazing tripod.The carbon fiber has a nice feel and doesn't seem brittle. The legs unfold with an 8th of a turn and not a 4th like manfrottos and I chose this model as it has three leg sections (meaning two twisty knob things) as opposed to four sections (which would have three twisty knob things) which means I can unfold and collapse the tripod fairly quickly.The legs do not go more than their highest setting which is something like 10 degrees- so no sticking legs up into the air against a building, but the canter lever design is wonderful and another highlight of why it can be good to choose a brand that is off the beaten track- cool tricks like that. You may not use it often, but when you want to do macro work of ants walking beneath your tripod on the sidewalk, it sure makes you grin from ear to ear.I love this thing, and if you are a student, look at the Giottos lines and find the one that is perfect for you. [...]

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

I am an amateur photographer doing macro of insects and flowers. So far this tripod is very nice to use and gives me the flexibility that I need to get the camera down close to the ground or up and under a nodding flower. I used it for 4 hours this weekend and so far am quite happy with it especially considering the price.
Only a minor complaint. Wish the tightening knobs were a bit more ergonomic. I have a bit of trouble getting them tight, but with practice this will get better.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

This is my first "professional" tripod and so far I am impressed with the Giottos build quality and features. I especially like the twist-lock legs. The tripod easily supports my Canon 7D with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses + 1.4x extender. This comes with a case and tool kit included which is a nice bonus.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

The specs on this tripod are impressive. The quality of build is very good--nicely machined metal pieces, well-finished carbon fiber. The rubber feet can be removed to reveal spikes. The included accessories are useful and were not just cheap bits to add to a bullet-list for perceived value; they were top quality and thoughtfully selected: the bag was nice, with pockets, and big enough to accommodate a large ball-head; the strap was useful; the short center insert was machined aluminum and there was an integrated lock to hold it in place securely. The legs are 6 layers of carbon fiber rather than 3 used by others (like the Manfrotto... more on that later) which promised greater rigidity. I was also impressed by the design, which was thoughtful and practical (lots of touches suggesting attention to detail). Overall, I was impressed when I assembled this tripod, which I mated with a Really Right Stuff BH40.

However...

When I mounted my camera (Nikon D40) with a short macro (60mm f/2.8), the tripod legs would bend and splay slightly under moderate load. When I used the extendable center horizontally for a macro shot, the camera (remember, this is a lightweight D40 and a small 60mm lens) would wobble easily, and it took a relatively long time for the vibration to damp out. This seemed strange to me, but with little experience with better tripods, I wasn't sure if this was normal.

So, I decided to try a commonly-recommended Manfrotto 055CXPRO3, which is a few dollars less than the Giottos on B&H, but includes no additional goodies. Bare bones. However, when I set up the Manfrotto alongside the Giottos with identical height or center column extension, I got better stability and resistance to wobble from the Manfrotto. It wasn't a huge difference, but it was noticeable. Also, the Manfrotto's center column is easier and quicker to switch to its horizontal orientation. Now, it is not as flexible as the Giottos, which can adjust to any angle (the Manfrotto is limited to 90 degrees), but once in place it was quite stable. The Giottos was able to reach greater height without using the center column, but this was less important to me because I am pretty short; a taller photographer may prefer the Giottos since s/he would be less likely to need to extend the center column to get the camera to eye level.

Overall, I was impressed with the Giottos, but less so when compared with the Manfrotto, which I ultimately kept. I will be buying a protective bag, shoulder strap, and spiked feet for my Manfrotto, but that will bring the total price over $100 more than the Giottos, which provides all those extras in the box. So, the Giottos is an excellent value for a well-made, well-designed tripod, but it ultimately wasn't for me.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

Super light weight. Easy adjusting legs and center column. Great tripod for backpacking.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

The first thing to go was one of the plastic turn-keys, it snapped right off.

This shouldn't have been a big deal and it's not next to the real problem.

Giottos HAS NO CUSTOMER SERVICE. I mean, the have an e-mail you can use and a number you can call in China to leave a message but getting a response will never happen.

They have no US based service center either.

So, as if that wasn't annoying enough, I was scouting a shoot and I went to move my tripod to carry it, compacted, with the legs all in and no camera up top, and one of my legs just fell out. It fell right out of the socket.

Now, I know you may say this was car heat or something that deteriorated the glue. Nope, I keep my tripod out of heat as much as possible, out of the car if just to reduce a chance of theft.

Giottos has not responded to 2 calls and 3 e-mails. The tripod seems great for many reasons but buyer beware.

This company won't do you any favors.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

After lugging what I thought was a light Aluminum tripod, I found the carbon fiber made a significant difference in portability. The twist legs were quick to learn and worked flawlessly. So far, I feel I have made a great decision to move up to this quality tripod. Have not found any significant problems yet.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

The Giottos MT-8361 replaces my Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod. I needed a taller tripod with more features, greater flexibility, and still reasonably lightweight. After doing the research, I decided on the MT-8361 and have no regrets after using it intensively for a month.

The MT-8361 is very solid, even with all leg sections extended. The leg twist locks are smooth, fast, and reliable, making shooting in the field much easier. The neoprene grips have been very welcome in cold, snowy conditions. One feature I've used much more than anticipated is the center column, which can be adjusted to almost any position -- very handy in creating unusual shooting angles.

I paired the MT-8361 with a Giottos MH–1301 ball head. The combination is easy to carry even on rough ground and handles my Olympus E-3 and large-ish 50-200mm lens with no trouble.

In sum: The MT-8361 is a very good performer with quite a few upscale features at a reasonable price.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

Light,versatile,and fits well in my carry on camera bag.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

I have been using the 8361 for landscape and macro shots with great success.
This unit along with a ball head allows me to move into any position. It is a great value for the money. I have nothing bad to say about this product.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

This is a fantastic product at this price point. It is very sturdy while also being very easy to adjust. I would strongly recommend this product for the budget conscious amateur or professional.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

Use it with some common sense. It's a good tripod just don't try and make it do things it wasn't designed for.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

Light weight, very versatile, feels luxurious, components are solid and together with the Manfrotto ball head 468MG its a blast, I have already taken impressive pictures at night and they have all come out great.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

I bought this with a Giotto ballhead to handle my Canon 20D with a Canon 70-200 IS L zoom and 1.4 tele-extender. It handles the weight and the balance just great and is a nice, tall tripod so I never have to raise the center column. (I am just under 6' and never have it to the full height.) It has special adjustments so you can aim a camera just about any way you could ever think of, too. Very sturdy carbon fiber and pretty light. It also came with a free monopod that comes in very handy when hiking where you don't want to carry much gear. I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase and BH's good service.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

I travel for a living and carrying extra heavy camera gear can be restrictive and a burden. This tripod is so lightweight that it is a pleasure to bring along with me on my trips.

I've had great success using it while doing AEB / HDR photography in churches and cathedrals in Europe. Also use it for landscape shots while using ND filters and longer night exposure shots.

It is very comfortable to carry around and only weighs 2.3Kg or 5.06# lbs! It'll support 8 Kg or 17.6 # lbs. Wow! The CF sections just look high tech! The rubber grips add comfort. The option to open it up either low/medium/high is great as is the removable center post which can be jacked up high, mounted sideways, and upside down!

Highly recommend this tripod. Once you try CF, you'll never go back to your old heavy metal tripods.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

A recent nature photography workshop convinced me of the value of a good, lightweight tripod. After quite a bit of research, I chose the Giottos MT-8361. With the popularity of the Gitzo/Bogen/Manfrotto tripods, one might think that this is simply a cheap knockoff. On the contrary, this is a precision piece of equipment in its own right.

The carbon fiber legs are smooth and exceptionally well-made. Though it's not advertised as such, the legs do not rotate, which makes adjusting the leg locks and leg length significantly easier. The locks themselves are strong and operate smoothly. The 'body' of the tripod, where the legs connect, is precision machined and very solid.

I haven't yet had occasion to use the adjustable-angle feature of the center column in the field; but in experimenting with it at home, I find Giottos to have the best implementation of this kind of design. The similar Manfrotto feels flimsy in comparison, and is limited to a 90 degree angle. The Giottos is rock-solid at any angle, easy to adjust, and a pleasure to use. The adjustable leg angle feature is also exceptionally implemented. The adjusters are all metal (vs. plastic in some other brands, even ones that cost more), solid and secure.

The great design and construction of this tripod gives me confidence in my photography, and the light weight allows me to take it almost everywhere. This is a truly exceptional product.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

I got what I expected and it was well worth it.

This is a light tripod but, since it is carbon fiber, very sturdy. My first use was on the 30th floor of a hotel overlooking the Gateway Arch shooting a night shot. Worked great. Easy to set up and steady in the wind.

I love the fact the the center post can be configured in an a seeming infinite number of ways. It can be removed, tilted to shoot straight down at 90 degrees to tripod or use and of the angles from 0 to 90 degrees. It can be removed and stuck in from the bottom to shoot from under the tripod (not sure why you would want to do this but you can) through the legs.

With the legs unlocked the tripod legs can be splayed out putting the tripod 9" off the ground allowing the camera to be placed close to the subject.

This tripod came with a case and a traveling strap.

Comments about Giottos MT-8361 Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs:

This is truly a wonderful tripod, especially for the money. I notice that some of the bigger brands (Gitzo/Benro) are trying to copy the Giottos' multi-functional capabilities, which can only mean that Giottos hit a homerun with its original and innovative design. And I decided to spend my money on the original and not the copycats.

This tripod is solid as a rock, and it also comes with a wonderful padded carrying bag and toolkit, as well as an additional padded carrying strap, that most of the other manufacturers don't even add-in with theirs. Why would anyone spend more money to buy less tripod with less extras? I decided to spend less money on more tripod that had more extras, and I am absolutely happy that I did.

This Giottos tripod is a beautiful, sturdy, unbelievably versatile piece of equipment ... that comes with more accessories and functionality than tripods that cost twice as much ... and for this reason I recommend it as highly as I can.