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Gitzo Tripod Failed Again

Dan Bellyk

New member
Well my tripod failed again tonight and almost cost me $7000 worth of my gear, leg came right off. This is the second leg to fail this one even worse. Gitzo did not warranty my last repair and it cost me $300
Not sure why this one failed but I hope Gitzo will come good!
This tripod cost me $1000, I was hoping for something to last longer than that!
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I once had this happen to me in 0f weather in Yosemite about seven or eight years ago. The leg adhesive failed and the leg came loose and detached. That was a nightmare day because earlier the bottom segment of my 3 series tripod actually shattered due to sideways pressure in the snow.

Gitzo replaced the leg that detached under warranty and I had no further problems. The broken leg segment I paid for but they replaced.

How old is that tripod? The reason I ask is that I've not had any issues with younger tripods including my 3 series and 5 series behemoth. I just wonder if it was something they changed with different adhesives over time.
 

jlm

Workshop Member
adhesive letting go is one thing, but the cracked socket suggests a lot of sideways force, probably generated by the leverage of a long leg pushing the socket against the stop?
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I didn't see that crack before. That's nasty and another reason why the newer tripods using machined aluminum/magnesium (such as RRS) are much better than what looks like 'pot metal' used by Gitzo. That shouldn't ever happen without abuse and I'd hope that they'd step up under warranty (or shame).

The last one I had crack/shatter on the hinge was a manfrotto and that ended up being the last manfrotto I owned. Ever.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I must not be stressing my tripods enough ... None of mine have ever failed. :-\

Currently using Feisol CT3442 Tournament and Manfrotto 190CXpro3 legs. They're far from the best there is, but they're both quite sturdy for the size/weight equipment I'm using and have been in service for six and three years respectively, with no issues.
 

jlm

Workshop Member
i'm pretty sure Gitzo uses aluminum, judging from the machined areas. for the uninitiated, "pot metal" is an inexpensive (and weaker) casting alloy of mainly zinc and what was left in the melting pot, hence the name. cast aluminum and magnesium are to be preferred
 

Dan Bellyk

New member
I have to dig up the receipt because I can't remember the model number as that was on the leg I already replaced. I shoot out in the snow and around water a lot and wonder if this was the issue, no impact here. Regardless if I happened to be carrying my gear and holding onto this leg you can guess what would have happened to my camera and lens.
The other leg that was replaced was binding when retracted and hard to open, rep are facility in Toronto said they would not warranty it so it cost me $300. I think I have had it for 4 or 5 years
 

Dan Bellyk

New member
normal outdoor use, only thing I can think of is I used it in the water the other day and it froze and expanded. Still should not happen in my opinion!
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
I started thinking about temp changes as well extreme cold to hot then back again. Can't see how water would affect unless you had it submerged all the way to the leg joints. Even then it shouldn't have been the cause. Looks like metal fatigue of some type. Did I miss how old the tripod is?
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Looks like corrosion to me too. Sure you weren't using it to jack up the car? ( Sorry :) )

I can't imagine putting enough stress on the metal there in normal use unless as you say there was some chemical or freeze/thaw process going on. With my peg leg Gitzo the leg adhesive just loosened up and the leg eventually popped out but with no damage to the mount at all. Yours looks way more catastrophic.

Sorry to see that. It's definitely not "normal" failure IMHO.
 
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fotophil

Member
The failure may be more than an adhesive failure since there appears to be white depsoits on both the exterior and interior surfaces. I wonder if there has been some corrosion. Gitzo needs to examine the part.
 

D&A

Well-known member
MY thoughts upon seeing the white residue is some sort of corrosion as others have mentioned. Any possibility that some of the waters the tripod's been used in contained salt water or possibly chemicals of some kind....not so much on the day of leg failure but even prior to that? Just a thought. sorry to hear of your experience as I'm sure it was the last thing on your mind while shooting. Hope you get compensated for your loss.

Dave (D&A)
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
Okay, just finished watching a CSI rerun. The white residue people are seeing looks to me more like what is underneath the paint that flaked off after the stress fracture. Not so certain it's anything other than the composition of the metal. Is it flaky substance Dan?

Bottom like here is that that stress fracture should never have happened and looks to me as maybe metal fatigue which is beyond scary for any tripod.

Please keep us posted on the outcome.

Don
 

Dan Bellyk

New member
Well today I ordered a Induro INCT414 from B&H, done with Gitzo. I have one leg replaced that was defective and one with total failure, so if I spend another 300 to fix this leg when will the other leg fail and at what cost. I spent $1000 on this tripod and I'm kind of pissed that it did not last that long.

My good friend George took this of me in Algonquin Park, this is why we buy this gear for the reasurance that our camera and lens will be safe.

 
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