Review of Feisol CT-3401 and Kirk BH-3 ballhead

[obelix]

Some of you might have read this link where Thom Hogan talks about tripods: http://www.bythom.com/support.htm

Well, I read it, just did not follow it

I had a $20 Hakuba tripod that you get in Walmart / Target. Worked well with my Olympus C-2040 and to a large extent with my Minolta DImage 7hi. I even made lots of good panoramas with it (3 way pan tilt head). I still use the tripod to mount my hotshoe flash in my studio.

Then I got the D70 and an all-metal 70-210 f/4 - f/5.6 lens. The tripod became a vibration generator :(. It was about time to get a new tripod. I read Thom's article and then went ahead and saved some money by buying the Bogen 3001BN legs and a Bogen 3 way pan tilt head. It felt heavy and robust. I bought the tripod two days before I was leaving to India, so I lugged the tripod with me. It occupied 1/3 rd of my checkin bag and somehow I lugged it with me. Once I reached India, it remained in my home, inside the checkin bag. It was impossible for me to lug the tripod around the country :(

I came back, returned the tripod and then read Thom Hogan's article again. This time, I saved even more money with a Bogen 828B aluminium tripod with an integrated pan tilt head. I do lots of panoramas and the ball head that came in this setup did not cut it.

This tripod worked very well and then I bought the 300 f/4. Same cycle. The tripod had become a vibration generator.

After spending many more cycles and re-reading Thom's article. I came across this thread:

http://www.nikonians.org/dcforum/DCForumID15/872.html#3

Many good reviews for the Feisol in dpreview as well, so I ordered the CT-3401 tripod directly from Feisol's website, http://www.feisol.com [$185 + $25 S&H]. I had to choose between the 3-leg and 4-leg tripods, bought the 4 leg tripod for its extra height and shorter folded length.

I then started searching for a ball head and quickly narrowed down to these three ball heads. [I hope that I will not buy a 300 mm f/2.8 lens in my life, or else I have to go for another round of ball head / tripod upgrade :(]

1) Kirk BH-3 [$230 comes with a generic plate] [20 ounces]
2) Markins M-10 [$310]
3) Acratech ultimate ballhead [$280] [16 ounces]

This was a difficult choice. I got the chance to try out an Acratech ultimate ballhead and loved it. People who bought the Markins swore by it. The only nit with the Acratech was a bit convoluted to put the camera in a vertical position without a "L" plate.

I then wrote to a few people who had bought the Kirk BH-3 and BH-1 and all favorable reviews. The Acratech stood out for ease of cleaning since the ball was completely visible.

Very little to choose between these 3 heads, it came down to cost. The BH-3 was the cheapest of the lot came with a bundled generic plate as well [$50 value] which makes the BH-3 a bargain. I ordered the Kirk BH-3.

The feisol arrived first from Taiwan. [BH-3 is made to order and takes about 2 weeks to ship from date of order]

I was very impressed with the customer care I received. [Minor nit - no automated response of your order, just your paypal account gets deducted]. I got a scanned invoice / shipment notice within 48 hrs and the tripod showed up at my home in about 10 days.

The tripod, fully extended was 134 cms [~52 inches]. I was a bit worried about the height when I ordered the tripod, but once I got the tripod, I knew that fully extended [without the center column], with the ball head and camera mounted, it won't be a hassle for me [I am 5'10"]. The ball head is 4.25 inches tall and the body is about 5 inches on top of it. So, the total height from ground up to the viewfinder is about 61 inches, just about right for me. [If you are taller than 5' 10", you must consider this. Feisol is supposedly working on a newer / taller tripod. Make sure of this before you buy it]

I was also worried about getting the 4 section tripod. I wondered if I was sacrificing a little bit of stability for the benefits of the 4 sections. Once I extended the tripod to its full height, all those concerns dissipated. The tripod is very robust, even with all 4 legs extended. If I needed extra stability, I would probably add bean bags to the leg [if I needed].

The tripod itself was very light, easy to carry and Feisol thoughtfully adds the rubber tubings to the legs [hurray] and it came with a nylon carrying bag [hurray - with enough room for a ball head - well thought].

The Ball Head eventually arrived today. It was a snap to install the ball head. It took about 5 minutes to understand the 3 knobs that are used to control the head.

I played a bit with the tension settings of the ball head and set it to a certain higher tension than the default one. [Gives a certain sense of security]. The generic plate that came with the head is very good too. It came with a wrench to fasten the plate with the base of the camera. Seems to work just fine. The camera mounted on the mounting plate smoothly and once fastened, just smug fits.

I was able to release the ball with the control knob easily and adjust the camera to its position and fastening the camera was a snap. It just feels right and smug fit. I quickly tested the camera in portrait position and tried the panorama base as well. Every thing feels just right and accurate, just as every owner suggested.

I took the setup for a spin with a really heavy 85mm PC micro Nikkon f/2.8 lens [shift tilt]. I was able to position the camera easily and it stayed where I wanted the camera to be.

After a few minutes of usage, I had no qualms about carrying the camera by lifting the tripod alone - I have never had this sense of security so far with any of my tripods :). The tripod helped to do this:






I can't think off a negative aspect to this setup as of yet, but then I have just taken it on one outing. The age of the feisol is a bit of a bother since not many have owned it for a long time, but few folks have used it for 6-8 months and they seem to be very happy with it.

I still took a few shortcuts to what Thom suggests - I only hope it does not prove expensive :)

I will post my experiences with this setup here as I use this setup more.

Hope this helps!

[DavidTO]

Interesting. I know I need a new 'pod for my 20D. Just don't have the funds now, but your review will do me good. Look forward to reading your full evaluation.

[obelix]

Originally Posted by DavidTO

Interesting. I know I need a new 'pod for my 20D. Just don't have the funds now, but your review will do me good. Look forward to reading your full evaluation.

Sure. I guess I will post pictures where the tripod really helped :), it is very difficult to be objective here. I should have added YMMV to the post :)

Seriously, if you are getting a tripod, just pass on the aluminium legs and go for Carbon Fiber ones, at $185, it is not _that_ expensive.

[wxwax]

great report, Obelix. How about some pics of your head and legs?

Your pal,
Asterix.

[obelix]

Originally Posted by wxwax

great report, Obelix. How about some pics of your head and legs?

Your pal,
Asterix.

Hey, not me, but this dude has exactly the same setup :)

This is Nurgles:P from dpreview.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...ssage=11132808

[Viking]

Nice.. I want that tripod to.. WOnder if my d200 and 70-200mm vr will be stable on it....

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by Viking

Nice.. I want that tripod to.. WOnder if my d200 and 70-200mm vr will be stable on it....

Check the max weight specs for the heads and legs. Should be easy to figure out. Don't forget the head.

[claudermilk]

The Feisols look to be one of the best deals on tripods right now. They consistently get rave reviews over at FM--even from some very picky users.

[Manfr3d]

Originally Posted by claudermilk

The Feisols look to be one of the best deals on tripods right now. They consistently get rave reviews over at FM--even from some very picky users.

Don't forget the new Velbon Sherpa CF Carbon Fibre tripods. They
are starting at 200 bucks and are almost like gitzos. I wonder why
they're not so popular. But I'd guess because Velbon used to make
wal markt tripods in the past?

[CalfeeRider]

Originally Posted by Viking

Nice.. I want that tripod to.. WOnder if my d200 and 70-200mm vr will be stable on it....

I have the same legs, with an Acratech Ultimate ballhead, RRS Quick-Release Clamps and L-brackets. Works great with my 1DMkIIN and 100-400 IS which should be about the same weight you're looking at - if not heavier. And if you're looking at doing any hiking, the setup's really light to carry. I just hang my camera bag off the centerpost hook when I need to add weight.

[ggeinec]

Originally Posted by obelix

Many good reviews for the Feisol in dpreview as well, so I ordered the CT-3401 tripod directly from Feisol's website,

. . .

I ordered the Kirk BH-3.

. . .

The tripod helped to do this:

. . .

I will post my experiences with this setup here as I use this setup more.

Hi obelix,

I just stumbled across this review of yours. I'm curious how you feel about this legs\ball head combo now that you've had it for about three years.

Would you do it again?

Do you have a link to some photos you've taken with this setup? (The links above no longer work . . . )

Thanks!

[jdryan3]

Originally Posted by ggeinec

Hi obelix,

I just stumbled across this review of yours. I'm curious how you feel about this legs\ball head combo now that you've had it for about three years.

Would you do it again?

Do you have a link to some photos you've taken with this setup? (The links above no longer work . . . )

If you click on obelix profile you will see they haven't posted since Feb 2005. You may be waiting a while for an answer...

[a110p0]

I purchased a Feisol C-3442 last year. I needed a tripod that was
compact enough to pack in my luggage and the CT-3442 fit the bill.

The legs fold over the ball head to minimize the size.

It's a good tripod for traveling, light, compact and pretty
steady considering it's size. It also extends to full height (54 in.)

However, I have had a couple of problems with the Feisol.

The first problem was with one of the legs. The bonding of
one of the legs to the joint failed and the leg would detach.
I sent an email to Feisol and they sent me some glue to reattach
the leg and that fixed the problem.

The second problem was that one of the rubber feet came
off and was lost while on a shooting trip. It's hard to
shoot without those feet when you're on a hard surface. I
ended up replacing all the feet with rubber furniture feet,
which seem more secure anyway.

Also, to extend or collapse the legs, you need to do it in a the correct
order because the legs will twist. Not a huge deal, you'll get the
hang of it.

I also have a Gitzo GT-2530 (which I love), but it's heavier and
more difficult to carry for hiking or traveling. It is more stable and
handles better (setup and take down).

The Feisol is no Gitzo, but it is significantly less expensive.

I have no problem with Feisol as far as customer service goes, they
fulfilled my order in a timely manner, I received my tripod within a
week (from Taiwan) and they responded quickly with my issue with
the detached leg.

I would always prefer to use my Gitzo, but for certain situations
the CT-3442 works out well.


Alvin

[ggeinec]

Originally Posted by jdryan3

If you click on obelix profile you will see they haven't posted since Feb 2005. You may be waiting a while for an answer...

Lol, yes, I know, I thought about that. But I decided it was worth a chance that he might still get notified if I post . . .

[ggeinec]

Originally Posted by a110p0

I purchased a Feisol C-3442 last year. I needed a tripod that was
compact enough to pack in my luggage and the CT-3442 fit the bill.

The legs fold over the ball head to minimize the size.

It's a good tripod for traveling, light, compact and pretty
steady considering it's size. It also extends to full height (54 in.)

However, I have had a couple of problems with the Feisol.

Alvin

Thanks for passing along your experiences with your Feisol. I shall continue to research . . .

[obelix]

Originally Posted by ggeinec

Hi obelix,

I just stumbled across this review of yours. I'm curious how you feel about this legs\ball head combo now that you've had it for about three years.

Would you do it again?

Do you have a link to some photos you've taken with this setup? (The links above no longer work . . . )

Thanks!

Replying an year after ggeinec asked the question in case he gets notified of replies

I still use the tripod. It is still functional, after nearly 4 years :).

There is just one thing I hate about the tripod - the locks are sometimes very hard to unlock with one hand, particularly in cold. I had blisters in my hand when i shot in sub-zero temperatures in yosemite last year and had to use both hands to lower the legs.

Apart from that, this is the ONE photographic equipment which has served me very well for the past 4 years.