Gitzo Camera Tripods and Monopods

Outfit Your Gear Bag for Pro Excursions With Gitzo

Gitzo is a leading international manufacturer of photographic accessories, especially tripods. You can find an affordable selection of these tripods in this collection on eBay. Here are a handful of key details to bear in mind when narrowing down your choices.

Gitzo produces tripods made of wood, carbon fiber, basalt, and aluminum. You may also encounter tripods made of magnesium alloys. Each material has its own advantages and suitability to the type of photography you do, intended applications, and budget. The materials and their advantages are:

• Wood: Transmits less vibration.
• Metal/alloy: Highly sturdy and inexpensive.
• Carbon fiber: Very durable and lightweight.
• Basalt: Volcanic rock fiber tubing that is retardant to high temperatures, lightweight, and affordable.

There are no hard and fast rules. It boils down to preference, needs, and the application for which you intend to use your camera, binoculars, or telescope. You can buy a Gitzo product with or without a head, since most tripod heads attach via a quick-release plate that is compatible with different head types. The different head types and unique capabilities to consider are:

• Pan & tilt heads have three independent levers for movement vertically, horizontally or laterally (panning).
• Geared heads are heavy-duty heads designed to support heavy equipment while still making precise movements.
• Ball heads move in any direction and boast move/lock position capabilities.

Gitzo, like all tripod manufacturers, produces tripods with a variety of foot shapes and types. The two most common are rubber and spike. Some Gitzo products include both. If you prefer, refine your choices on eBay to search and retrieve results for one or the other. The vast array of gently used and new-in-box (NIB) Gitzo products on eBay encompasses nearly every tripod type that Gitzo produces, so you may even come across hybrid feet engineered for extreme or custom applications. Generally, rubber feet are for all-around, everyday use on flat surfaces. Spikes come in handy when you're shooting on gravel, sand or another uneven, semi-solid surface.

Think about what you intend to use your tripod for, determine your needs based on this, and peruse tripods whose features correspond to your needs. You may also want to consider monopods, which are as sturdy as tripods, easy to pack, transport and setup. As for tripod features to bear in mind:

• 360-degree rotation for outdoor and nature filming.
• Telescopic, foldable or collapsible legs as well as adjustable leg angles.
• Twist lock, flip lock or wing-nut locks for legs.
• Reversible center post for upside down mounting between the tripod legs.
• Water resistant (for use outside or in water).