Short Review - Feisol CT-3371 Tripod

Scott_Quier

I attended the Glacier Shootout in 2007 with what I thought was an adequate tripod and ballhead. And, up to that point in time, it was more than adequate. But, at Glacier, the wind never stopped blowing. Between the wind and the lack of a good tripod, my keeper rate from the shootout was very disappointing.

What really brought this lack home though was a short exchange I had with Andy. I looked my shots when we got back from a morning shoot and all were motion blurred to one extent or another. When I caught up with Andy in the lodge later that morning I asked if he had gotten any keepers. He looked me like I was crazy and replied with something like (but kinder), "Well, of course I got some keepers." That was the clue that woke me up.

I have a trip Alaska in a short while and I'm going to the 2009 Shootout as well. I have determined that I will not be under equiped (in terms of a tripod at least). So I did some research and took a chance:

The Feisol CT-3371. Not the most expensive carbon fiber (CF) tripod around, but the specifications fit the bill.

Here then is my short review:

I ordered the tripod I thought would fit my needs from their secure web-site. Ordering process was simple and smooth. As soon as I created an account with them (a requirement), I received an e-mail, part of which is quoted here

By ordering your FEISOL equipment from our shop, you can take advantage of several great benefits:

. Official FEISOL Distributor for the USA and Canada
. 3 Year Warranty on all new products
. Shipping from North Carolina, USA
. No International Bank Transfer Fees and Hassles
. Warranty and Return Address in the USA
. Repair Service in the USA
. Easy to use Online Shop
. Product Reviews you can read and write
. Pay with Pay Pal, Credit Card, Bank Transfer, Money Order or Check
. DHL Tracking Number provided for purchases in the USA
. Support Ticket System

As soon as I completed the order (on a Saturday, 21 March), I receive the usual confirmation. On Monday (23 March), I received an order status update, indicating the tripod had been shipped. But, no tracking number, no mention of which shipping company was used. Four hours after I got the update from Feisol, I got an e-mail from FedEx providing me with the tracking number - from which I was able to determine expected delivery date. The package arrived on Wednesday, 25 March. Doesn't get much better than that.

1. When I opened up the shipping box, the product box was completely surrounded by shipping peanuts. Packing was good.


2. Opening the end of the product box, I see black fabric. Hmmm ... I didn't remember that the tripod came with a bag.


3. The tripod in the bag


4. In a plastic bag


5. One of the legs


6. The tripod base - just for a sense of scale


7. With the Acratech Ultimate Ballhead, again for a sense of scale


8. The coupler - A 3/4 (+/-) turn of the lock gets you from tight to loose enough to extend/collapse the leg. Loosen the coupler and the leg slides very nicely, no bumps, no muss, no fuss. Tighten it down a bit and it's SOLID.


9. Collapse the leg in just a touch, press the top portion of this catch and the legs will open out to 1 of 3 different lock positions, the last being almost flat.


10. A couple of images to give a sense of the size of the largest tube (there are three sections). The specs say the top section is 37mm in diamater. Disassembly of a joint shows the tube thickness to be on the order of approx 1.0mm - 1.1mm thick - that's the best I can do with the crude measuring tools I have at hand - no micrometer:D


11.


12. Finally, a Really Right Stuff BH-55 PCL with my 50D and Ef 70-200 f/2.8L IS. You can't see it here, but there's a metal eye-hook that looks able to support a good 15kg - 20kg screwed into the underside of the tripod base - just the thing for adding a little more stability to the device.


Inital over-all impressions are that this tripod is everything I could ever want. It's tall when extended - 61", with legs extended, about 8" more than I'll ever need. It's short when collapsed, some 26" which is short enough for my check baggage. And, it's light - lighter than my Manfrotto 3021BN by a good bit - makes up for the beast of a ballhead:deal.

A local photography club has a photoshoot tomorrow night and I'm looking forward to putting it through some paces.

cmason

I am so glad you posted this! I have been looking at the Feisol tripods for some time, and was delighted when they got a US distributor (2 hrs down the road from me).

My brother has the CT-3402, and it is a awesome tripod, capable of folding up to a very tiny size. He equipped it with a Acra-Swiss head, and it is rock solid.

Great to hear that your experience is similar, now I gotta figure out how to talk the wife out of some cash...

Art Scott

so that baby with legs fully extended and no center column is 5' at the mounting plate??

I think that my be just what I am looking for also....if Giottos doesn't have a comparable when I am ready......I screwed up last time and got a standard center column and that really hinders me at times..................

I also find it interesting that upper level tripods are using twist locks and not q uick (snap) locks that most people seem top prefer.......

gryphonslair99

cmason wrote:

I am so glad you posted this! I have been looking at the Feisol tripods for some time, and was delighted when they got a US distributor (2 hrs down the road from me).

My brother has the CT-3402, and it is a awesome tripod, capable of folding up to a very tiny size. He equipped it with a Acra-Swiss head, and it is rock solid.

Great to hear that your experience is similar, now I gotta figure out how to talk the wife out of some cash...

If you happen to get by there would you take a look at the CT-3372LV and give me your opinion on it. I am seriously looking at it to put a Wimberley II head on. I like the leveling base idea along with the fact that it will go from 3.5 inches tall to 71 inches tall if I ever need the height. It's 300 + cheaper than the Gizto model that would be similar.

Scott_Quier: Thanks for the review. It has caused me to really consider one of their tripods. They looked good, but I am a hands on kind of guy most of the time.

cmason

gryphonslair99 wrote:

If you happen to get by there would you take a look at the CT-3372LV and give me your opinion on it. I am seriously looking at it to put a Wimberley II head on. I like the leveling base idea along with the fact that it will go from 3.5 inches tall to 71 inches tall if I ever need the height. It's 300 + cheaper than the Gizto model that would be similar.

Unfortunately, they do not have a show room, it is simply a shipping/warehouse.

Scott_Quier

cmason wrote:

I am so glad you posted this! I have been looking at the Feisol tripods for some time, and was delighted when they got a US distributor (2 hrs down the road from me).

My brother has the CT-3402, and it is a awesome tripod, capable of folding up to a very tiny size. He equipped it with a Acra-Swiss head, and it is rock solid.

Great to hear that your experience is similar, now I gotta figure out how to talk the wife out of some cash...

Glad to help ... with the information that is. Getting your DW to free up the $$ - thats all on you

Art Scott wrote:

so that baby with legs fully extended and no center column is 5' at the mounting plate??

I think that my be just what I am looking for also....if Giottos doesn't have a comparable when I am ready......I screwed up last time and got a standard center column and that really hinders me at times..................

I also find it interesting that upper level tripods are using twist locks and not q uick (snap) locks that most people seem top prefer.......

Yup - fully extended the mounting plate is a bit higher than my chin (I'm 5'8" [68"] tall) - which puts it a touch too high for my needs, especially after I add the ballhead and camera. Playing with it in the family room, it looks like fully extended for me will be about 8" less then the maximum available. But, that extra height will come in handy should I ever need to set this up on a sloping surface and the odds are very good that I will have that opportunity in both May and October.

As for the twist locks - yes, I think it would have been nicer to have the snap locks but I have to think there's a reason why most (all?) CF tripods come with the twist locks instead.

gryphonslair99 wrote:

Scott_Quier: Thanks for the review. It has caused me to really consider one of their tripods. They looked good, but I am a hands on kind of guy most of the time.

Por Nada! And, I'm glad I am able to help. I did a quick google search of DGrin and found the last review to be in 2006. I thought it might be time for an update. And, I completely understand about being "hands on." I don't usually drop $350 without know a bit more about what I'm buying. I found a couple of recent experience reviews on other sites and they were all positive. I figured, if the worst happened I could always hop in the car and make the drive to the warehouse and raise a fuss. I'm so glad it looks like that's not going to be needed.

gryphonslair99

As for the twist locks - yes, I think it would have been nicer to have the snap locks but I have to think there's a reason why most (all?) CF tripods come with the twist locks instead.

From what I understand, there is. The lever locks do not put even tension around the entire leg where as the twist lock, by forcing a shim between the two leg tubes does. This is better for composite legs where as Aluminum it does not matter.

Scott_Quier

Results from first use
As promised, I had the opportunity to use the tripod last night at a local photography club meeting/shootout. Let us just say that the tripod/ballhead combination got some attention! This is alright, among friends - I hope that's not a foreshadowing of what I can expect to encounter on a regular basis.

Anyway, the ballhead was a dream to use - no surprise there given the loads of great press RRS equipment gets. Comparing it to the Acratech Ultimate Ballhead - well there is not real comparison. Mounting my 50D with a 24-105 f/4L to the RRS "L" bracket and then mounting this to the ballhead clamp and giving a gentle twist to the ballhead clamping knob - well the camera didn't move at all. With the Acratech, I'm used to having to compensate just a bit for a slight dip in the positioning of the camera once the ballhead is clamped into place. Very nice experience.

Now for what everyone is waiting for ... impressions about the tripod. Ummmmm ..... well, in short all I can say is that I'm very impressed! It's going to take a bit of time to get used to the twist locks (I'm used to the clamp levers on my Manfrotto). That having been said, it was nice to extend the legs to the desired / required length, mount the camera to the ballhead and have everything just SOLID. It's just head and shoulders above anything I've ever experienced.

I guess you can say that I'm pretty happy with the purchase and the performance it promises to deliver.

Now I can't wait for my two trips this year!!!

Jabba

Nice review- I ordered a Feisol and I have to say that they were very good to deal with. I wound up returning the unit because of a design flaw that I feel like I should bring to everybody's attention. Again- the folks at Feisol were super nice and took my tripod back without a hassle- but I couldn't live with one element of their design, so I traded up to a Gitzo ($OUCH$)


Here's the thing- the bolts they use at the top of the tripod legs to secure and tension the hinges are held secure with loctite. If you look real carefully, you'll find that Gitzos (and others) use a brass washer on each side. Set the tension with an allen key, and the legs have that amount of tension, period. The Feisol doesn't have those washers. With the loctite idea, each time you spread the legs open, there's a chance the loctite will give up the ghost and the leg tension will decrease. After a few open/close events, the legs then flop open if you don't hold them all together. That was a deal breaker for me. Not only was it a hassle to transport the tripod when open, but it made the tripod less steady as well. I had two legs that seemed to maintain tension, and one that just wouldn't. I put some stronger Loctite on there- same result after a few tries.

Overall, the product is just about what you'd expect, and a hell of a good value. I just know that small stuff like having one floppy leg drives me batshit crazy. I spent the extra cash and I'm totally happy with the Gitzo (don't talk to me about ballheads!). If cash is tight, this is a heck of a deal on a VERY good and stable tripod- you might find some relief at the local hardware store and walk away with a screaming good deal. Somehow the idea of having to fiddle with a $350 tripod was less appealing to me than spending double that on the Gitzo- but that's how my brain works sometimes.

Scott_Quier

Jabba wrote:

Nice review- I ordered a Feisol and I have to say that they were very good to deal with. I wound up returning the unit because of a design flaw that I feel like I should bring to everybody's attention. Again- the folks at Feisol were super nice and took my tripod back without a hassle- but I couldn't live with one element of their design, so I traded up to a Gitzo ($OUCH$)


Here's the thing- the bolts they use at the top of the tripod legs to secure and tension the hinges are held secure with loctite. If you look real carefully, you'll find that Gitzos (and others) use a brass washer on each side. Set the tension with an allen key, and the legs have that amount of tension, period. The Feisol doesn't have those washers. With the loctite idea, each time you spread the legs open, there's a chance the loctite will give up the ghost and the leg tension will decrease. After a few open/close events, the legs then flop open if you don't hold them all together. That was a deal breaker for me. Not only was it a hassle to transport the tripod when open, but it made the tripod less steady as well. I had two legs that seemed to maintain tension, and one that just wouldn't. I put some stronger Loctite on there- same result after a few tries.

Overall, the product is just about what you'd expect, and a hell of a good value. I just know that small stuff like having one floppy leg drives me batshit crazy. I spent the extra cash and I'm totally happy with the Gitzo (don't talk to me about ballheads!). If cash is tight, this is a heck of a deal on a VERY good and stable tripod- you might find some relief at the local hardware store and walk away with a screaming good deal. Somehow the idea of having to fiddle with a $350 tripod was less appealing to me than spending double that on the Gitzo- but that's how my brain works sometimes.

Not trying to defend the Feisol, but mine does have a brass bushing/washer between the leg and the mount plate hinge point, one on each side of the hinge. The order of parts, is

• Bolt head
• Mounting plate hinge point
• Brass washer
• Leg hinge point
• Empty space
• Leg hinge point
• Brass washer
• Mounting plate hinge point
• Bolt head

I can only guess that the people at Feisol listened to you and/or others and modified the design.

Jabba

Could be- They asked me about it and I described the problem in detail. I hope that's the case, as it's a very nice product and a necessary one given the extreme high prices that a Gitzo brings.

mike1.6

Scott_Quier wrote:

Not trying to defend the Feisol, but mine does have a brass bushing/washer between the leg and the mount plate hinge point, one on each side of the hinge. The order of parts, is

• Bolt head
• Mounting plate hinge point
• Brass washer
• Leg hinge point
• Empty space
• Leg hinge point
• Brass washer
• Mounting plate hinge point
• Bolt head

I can only guess that the people at Feisol listened to you and/or others and modified the design.

Thanks for all the work. Very informative.

ivar

Awesome review, Scott!

Thanks for letting me turn this in to a 'gear review'! It's under 'accessories'

Pier Paul

CF Legs Seam & Leg Bolts Sleeve?
Scott, some Gitzo representatives explained the different methods used for making CF legs and said in this interview that the far-eastern CF legs have a seam on the inside of the legs. If your CT-3371 has some, could you post a photo?

An other question: does the bolts holding the legs hinge in the aluminum top casting or in a replaceable steel sleeve like on the Gitzo?

ziggy53

Pier Paul wrote:

Scott, some Gitzo representatives explained the different methods used for making CF legs and said in this interview that the far-eastern CF legs have a seam on the inside of the legs. If your CT-3371 has some, could you post a photo?

An other question: does the bolts holding the legs hinge in the aluminum top casting or in a replaceable steel sleeve like on the Gitzo?

Pier Paul, welcome to the Digital Grin.

I bet Scott responds shortly but please feel free look around the forums in the meantime.

Scott_Quier

- Welcome!

Pier Paul wrote:

Scott, some Gitzo representatives explained the different methods used for making CF legs and said in this interview that the far-eastern CF legs have a seam on the inside of the legs. If your CT-3371 has some, could you post a photo?

I inspected the outer surface of the tubes and the inner surface of the top two tubes of one leg (visually and by touch). No seam evident.

Pier Paul wrote:

An other question: does the bolts holding the legs hinge in the aluminum top casting or in a replaceable steel sleeve like on the Gitzo?

I don't know. I would have to do some serious dis-assembly to find out. A visual inspection under bright light shows that the hinge is quite tight and completely encased - that is, one can not see the hinge bolt anywhere. Some day I might be of a mind to dis-assemble the hinge to find out and/or repair, but right now it's working to well to chance messing it up. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.