Just another tripod thread...

ijm5012 wrote:

Impulses wrote:

ijm5012 wrote:

Impulses wrote:

ijm5012 wrote:

If you're not looking for something that can easily be thrown in your luggage like the Sirui T-005X, I would recommend looking at the Desmond DCF-432. I own one, and it's a very nice tripod. It's what I use with any "local" shoots (where I don't have to pack it and fly with it).

32mm max leg diameter, 4 secions, carbon fiber, very nice height without the need for a center column.

Hmm, looking it over again it's actually pretty tempting. When I first searched for it I only saw the price with different heads which threw me off... At $200 it's only $50 more than the aluminum Sirui N-2004X for thicker AND slightly taller/lighter CF legs and feature parity in ever other regard (short column, mono leg, 3 position spring locks, etc).

The one thing that gives me pause it's that this is the first CF tripod Desmond put out, at least under their own name, and it's only been around a year. Not much in the way of reviews... If that SCV blog that reviews a lot of Desmond accessories had reviewed it already I'd be a little more confident.

There's some positive Amazon reviews although one mentions the rubber stoppers over the spikes felt a little too bouncy and he replaced them, any thoughts on that? I think I'd be afraid of losing them too since they're just like a pressure cap... Looks pretty fantastic in every other regard tho.

Regarding the rubber feet being too "bouncy", don't know because I haven't run in to a situation where it has caused an issue. I do wish the feet operated like a Sirui where you could simply twist them to extend/retract the spikes. Having to remove them does put you at greater risk of losing them, but just like I do with my lens caps, as soon as they come off they go in my pocket. The fit VERY snug over the spikes though, so you're never going to be in a situation where they spontaneously fall off.

Regarding the performance of it, I have no qualms. It comes with its own bag which makes it great for transporting. Like I said before, I think it's a bit too big if you're expecting to throw it in your carry-on luggage or strap it to your back pack and go hiking. But I have a separate tripod for that sort of thing. This is the only tripod I use when I'm going someplace that's within driving distance. If I'm driving, the size isn't an issue.

I'm 6'4", and when using the tripod with the center column removed and a K20-X ballhead, the rear LCD/EVF of my cameras is just about at eye level, which is what I really was looking for (a nice, tall tripod). Build quality is very good as far as I can tell. I've owned the tripod for about a year now, and used it in hot, rainy summer days as well as sub-zero winter mornings, and it's never given me issues. I have no qualms about recommending the tripod to somebody looking for a solid and sturdy full-size tripod.

Desmond also makes a DCF-428, which I believe is basically identical to the Sirui you're looking for with regards to dimensions (leg diameter, height, etc.).

Read thru an older thread where you and others discussed and endorsed the Desmond, heavily leaning that way now, even if I'm not gonna travel with it I can't ignore the benefits of CF and the pound saved for pretty much the same price.

One more question if it's not too much trouble, haven't seen this discussed anywhere... How does the short center column work? The Sirui actually has a split 2 section column and I believe you can still attach the weight hook with the short section on.

It's kinda trivial (why would you want a weight hook if going low after all?) but it'd be useful to be able to use it all the time without the long column if I chose to do so. So can the weight hook be attached with the short column or no column?

Read somewhere that that K-20X overhangs minimally (2mm?) so you can disregard that question in my previous post, tho it'd still be useful to know if the legs close in parallel around it. I might've overlooked if someone mentioned that elsewhere.

The base of my K-20X ball head is exactly the same diameter as the plate it threads on to on the tripod, so there's no issue getting the legs to fold up around ball head.

Yes, you can still hang a weight from the tripod even without the long center column installed. In fact, I've simply removed the long column, and use the short column all the time now. The DCF-432 is tall enough for me (the 428 may be tall enough for you if you're 5'11") that I really don't need the center column except the rarest of occasions. I have it in the bag with me, but never really use it.

Excellent, thanks a lot for the quick reply! Literally can't find a reason not to opt for it over the Sirui so I'll be ordering it tonight along with a K-20X.