Gitzo GM3550 Mountaineer 6x Carbon Fiber Monopod Review Round-Up
The Gitzo GM3550 6x Carbon Fiber Monopod shares most of the GM5540’s great features including G-Locks, 6X Carbon Fiber Legs and great construction quality. Still, the differences are many. While they are similarly-sized retracted (the GM3550 is 21.3″, 54 cm), the GM3550 has one additional leg section (5 total) that allows it to extend much higher than the GM5540 – to a very-high 75.6″ (192 cm). Unless you are really tall, this height would require steps, a ladder or another photographer height assistance tool to reach (remember – the camera and lens have a height of their own above the monopod height). However, extending the narrowest (bottom) leg section to get this height results in more wiggle at the bottom leg lock than I prefer. With this section closed and locked, this is a very solid monopod. It handles the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens and the Canon EF 600mm f/4 L IS USM Lens with ease. The Gitzo GM3550 6x Carbon Fiber Monopod is rated to hold 36.9 lbs (18 kg) – significantly more than the larger-diameter Gitzo G1588 was rated. The lower weight rating compared to the GM5540 is likely the result of a smaller-diameter leg design. You won’t notice much difference in stability, but you may or may not like the thinner grip section. My personal preference is for the thicker grip – I can control the camera and lens slightly better with it. People with smaller hands (mine are medium-sized) will be better able to control the GM3550. The Gitzo GM3550 6x Carbon Fiber Monopod is about 20% less expensive. It has a smaller top plate. At 1.4 lbs (600 g), it is lighter (compared to 1.9 lbs / 0.9 kg). I could be very satisfied to use this monopod for all of my needs. READ FULL REVIEW AT DigitalPicture.com
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Get information and user reviews for this tripod from Amazon: Gitzo GM3550 6X Carbon Fiber 5 Section G-Lock Monopod
Yes, there are some penalties to pay for getting the ultimate tripod base for your big gear. The first penalty you will encounter is the price – This is not a cheap tripod. The next penalty you will suffer is in regard to the GT5540LS’s size and weight. Even though it is made of Gitzo’s 6x carbon fiber, it still weighs 6.5 lb (2.96 kg). A reasonably small folded length of 23.6″ (60 cm) does not tell the entire story – it is much larger in diameter than the GT3530LSV. Prior to getting the Gitzo GT5540LS 6x Carbon Fiber Tripod, the Gitzo G1548 Carbon Fiber Tripod (above right) was my large lens tripod of choice. The GT5540LS’s G-Locks are the biggest improvement over this tripod. They are much nicer to use. The GM5540LS weighs 6 lb 4.8 oz (2.85 kg) – 5.2 oz (.14 kg) less than the GT1548. This difference is not huge, but nice. ? ?Had the Gitzo GT5540LS 6x Carbon Fiber Tripod not come along, I would have been perfectly content to continue using the GT1548. But now, having used the GM5540LS, I would have a harder time being content with the old pod. 
For many years, the Arca-Swiss B1 Ballhead was the standard by which all other ballheads were judged. The Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 Ballhead replaces this model and delivers the same performance in a smaller size and at a lower price. There is not much to dislike about this change. Although strong, the Z1 is still precise and smooth. The main friction control remains easy to turn well past the point of the ball being locked tight (for any use I have at least) and is indexed for visual confirmation and repeatability. When making adjustments, the transition from free to locked is very smooth – small, precise changes can easily be made up to the point of locking. The main friction control knob has a small amount of play in it but only if you firmly pull out on it – I don’t notice this in normal use as I have no reason to pull out on it. Unique to the Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 Ballhead is the aspherical ball. As the load on the head is moved away from center, the effects of gravity increase. To offset the higher gravitational effect, more ball tension is needed. Conventional ballheads require correcting tension control adjustments to be made. The Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 Ballhead, because of its elliptical ball, automatically adjusts to handle the off-center load. In other words, the tension automatically gets tighter as you move the load off-center. And it works as advertised. Very nice. Overall, Fit, finish and functionality of the Z1 are exceptional. The Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 Ballhead is currently my primary ballhead. This is a smooth, refined and solid camera/lens support. 
Flexibility is this 5-pound aluminum alloy tripod’s strong suit. Its reversible center column can be removed and reinserted horizontally. Two smoothly operating keys loosen the top portion of the platform that holds the center column in place and let it flip up 90 degrees. When the column is mounted horizontally, it can swivel 360 degrees and tilt up and down, then be locked in place. With the legs at their widest angle, the horizontal column lets you bring the camera as close to the ground as you like. Switching the center column between vertical and horizontal is quick and easy. The column also has a built-in weight hook at the bottom, and on top of the legs there are both a fluid level and a little compass.??The AX214’s four-section twist-lock legs can be locked at three angles and can bring the tripod to a maximum height of 58 inches, or nearly six feet with the center column all the way up. One of the legs is padded, to make it more comfortable to handle in the cold and easy to carry over a shoulder. The tripod comes with a carrying strap that attaches to a built-in hook, as well as a nice padded bag. You can also hook the little tool case that comes with this pod onto the hook. It contains a wrench and a hex key for adjusting the leg tension and tightening up the mounting plate, as well as spiked metal feet that are interchangeable with the tripod’s rubber ones. The AX214 is built to support up to 17.6 pounds of gear, but it folds up to a compact 22 inches for carrying. About $190. 
The Acratech GV2 Ballhead’s quality build, light weight and attractive skeletal design convinced me to give it a try. Since most ballheads do not allow enough rotation for shooting in portrait/vertical camera orientation (without an L-plate or collared lens), a drop notch is generally provided. The ballhead is then oriented so the neck of the ball can be positioned into this slot – leaving the camera in position for the vertically-framed shot. Acratech took this design one step farther (at first glance at least). Large, collared lenses used on top of ballheads can become hard to control – their generally-heavy weight gives them a strong tendency to fall over. Gimbal-style heads (the Wimberley Tripod Head II is one) are designed so that the gravitation effect simply holds the lens balanced – a real plus when working with these lenses. The Acratech GV2 Ballhead functions as a gimbal head when the ballhead neck is lowered into the drop notch. A large lens can be easily positioned and used without locking the friction control knobs. Physically, the Acratech GV2 Ballhead has a lot going for it. Going into the field, the first thing I noticed was that my framing moves slightly to the right when I lock down the main friction control knob. I tried a wide range of minimum friction/tension settings with no change in this behavior. With a Sigma 120-400mm DG EX HSM Lens set to 400mm, my framing moves about 1″ (254mm) at 15′ (4.6m) when the GV2 is locked down. There is no elevation drop as is common with cheap heads, but the rightward movement is definitely the biggest negative attribute of this otherwise great ballhead. The GV2 has some slip-stick behavior when near tight, but I didn’t find this to be hindering in the field. The Acratech GV2 Ballhead is a quality-construction, well designed tool. 
The Kirk BH-1 Ballhead is a very high quality ballhead for general-purpose use. Put a quick-release body plate or lens plate on your camera or tripod collar and tighten them into the Kirk BH-1 Ballhead’s universal Arca-Swiss style quick release clamp and nothing moves. Adjustments are smooth to make and immobile when tightened. The Kirk BH-1 Ballhead is functionally a very good ballhead. My biggest issue with the BH-1 is that I occassionally/accidentally (usually in the dark or while looking through the viewfinder) adjust the friction knob instead of the panoramic knob as they are similarly sized. It generally is not a big deal – just an inconvenience. As for capacity, it did not have a problem with my Canon EF 500mm f/4 L USM Super Telephoto Lens mounted on a Wimberley Sidekick. The bottom line? The Kirk BH-1 Ballhead is currently one of the best ballheads. 
The Manfrotto 322RC2 Heavy Duty Grip Ball Head is made from magnesium to ensure light weight and high performance. Its design keeps the weight of the camera plus lens as close as possible to the tripod’s centre of gravity. This head only adds 10.3 cm to the height of the tripod and 700 grams to overall weight. Targeted mainly at photographers with SLR cameras with relatively light lenses or advanced, long-zoom digicams, it can also accommodate lighter medium format camera/lens combinations. Maximum recommended load is five kilograms. Flexibility of movement is the key feature of this novel tripod head, which is designed to allow single-handed positioning in all directions, freeing the photographer’s other hand to access the camera’s controls. The head supports 90 degrees of lateral tilt in each direction and front tilt from -90 degrees to +3 degrees. Panoramic rotation of 360 degrees is provided. This head is the most flexible tripod head we have used and it’s very easy to get used to manipulating the direction and orientation of a camera through the adjustments provided by the grip. Freeing one hand to control the lens and camera adjustments while the other controls the framing position is a big advantage in many shooting situations. All movements are smooth and the head is easily locked into place when the correct camera position is achieved. 
If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.