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Gitzo Traveller review

The Gitzo Traveler tripod test in Zao Moutain range in Yamagata prefecture to shoot frost-covered trees, which can only be seen from December to March. This phenomenon only occurs in a part of north-east Hokkaido.

MSoX_JP_2014Mar_01

My name is Reiji Oe , an advertising photographer based in Shiogama City in Miyagi prefecture. I take photos of nature and cityscapes and their peaceful dwellers. A lot of my work also involves recording the scenery in the Tohoku area as well as the recovery progress after the 3.11 earthquake. Photography is my life work.

The equipment I am now mainly using is a Canon 5D Mark III, EF24-1051. For filming, I use a Mamiya 645TL. I usually use wide angle~standard and macro lenses. However, when I shoot in mountainous areas, I take along a telescopic lens.

When doing photography trailing through the mountains or when on photography trips, I try my best to reduce my belongings, including my lenses and camera equipment. Tripods are by far the bulkiest and heaviest items, but when you want to take photos with a lot of depth, when you have firmly decided on the composition or when you want to take clear beautiful shots in the forest, this is an indispensable tool, so however heavy they are, they are a must-take item.

MSoX_JP_2014Mar_03

I took the Gitzo Traveler tripod to Zao Moutain range in Yamagata prefecture to shoot frost-covered trees, which can only be seen from December to March This phenomenon only occurs in a part of north-east Hokkaido. It is well know abroad and goes by names such as the “ICE MONSTER,” etc., since the snow-covered trees really do look like monsters sculpted by nature.

When taking ice-covered trees, if the weather on that particular part of the mountain is not cooperating, you can’t take good shots. I feel like I had good luck for this project – but that is also maybe because I went to Zao three times to do it.

On the mountain peak, it is very cold, reaching as low as -20℃. Also, weather conditions on the mountain are very volatile. You think it’s getting a little misty, but 30 minutes later it’s so foggy that the view in front of you completely whites out, and it gets dangerous. In this kind of severe environment, speed is of the essence.

The Gitzo Traveler tripod series features high load capacity and portability that only tripods made with light and strong carbon fiber can have. Weighing in at 1.4 kg, it’s lighter than a two-liter pet bottle.

As a result, holding it with one hand is not a burden at all, and it’s a cinch to fold up and stow away. This portability helps you reduce the amount of time getting to the location of your shoot as well.

With a load capacity of 5.5 kg, there is no need to fret about the instability you usually get with a portable tripod. It is steady as a rock with a 35mm single reflex lens mounted. Even in typically unstable snowy conditions, there is no problem taking photos. You’ll find yourself saying: “the next thing I gotta try with this is long exposure shots at night!”

The free platform of the overhauled kit allows even speedier tripod attachment and set-up, and the ball portion operates smoothly even in low temperatures. Even when the camera is in horizontal position with a 200mm telescopic lens mounted, the head does not sway, though when the telescopic lens is used with the camera in vertical position, it’s a littler less stable.

“I wasn’t planning on doing photography that requires a tripod here, and I didn’t feel like bringing it along because it’s too heavy to use in this place.” Many places I have traveled to evoke these thoughts; however, there were also places for which I ended up regretting not taking along a tripod.

Even on the present winter scenery shoot, when I got to the point where I really wanted to put down my things, I was able to affix the camera to the tripod stably and so there was nothing to worry about.

Knowing that a tripod that is as light and easy to use as this one exists, the potential number of places I want to try photo shoots has multiplied in my mind.

MSoX_JP_2014Mar_08

 

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