Lightweight/Traveling Tripod

[HDNitehawk]

Actually, I wonder if I they are phasing outthe GT1542T in favor of the GT1544T

Someone can correct me if I am wrong but, I think the 1,2 and 4 digit are the release dates. The GT1544T being the newest and replacing the older models. This may be why the GT1542T is $484 and the GT1544T is $739.00, the cheap price is probably a clearance price. I looked at the GT1542T last summer before I went to yellowstone, I thought it was priced over $700 at the time.

I think I would still stick with the RRS head because of reputation. The other brand may be great, and sometimes I am the last to move on a great new item. I tend to let others be the test subjects. But I read many good reviews about the RRS head, and honestly this is the first time I have ever even looked or heard of Markins.

[Kayaker72]

Someone can correct me if I am wrong but, I think the 1,2 and 4 digit are the release dates. The GT1544T being the newest and replacing the older models. This may be why the GT1542T is $484 and the GT1544T is $739.00, the cheap price is probably a clearance price. I looked at the GT1542T last summer before I went to yellowstone, I thought it was priced over $700 at the time.

I think I would still stick with the RRS head because of reputation. The other brand may be great, and sometimes I am the last to move on a great new item. I tend to let others be the test subjects. But I read many good reviews about the RRS head, and honestly this is the first time I have ever even looked or heard of Markins.

Rick, I think you are dead on, the 1, 2, and 4 are the sequence that they were released. What I want to know is what happened to the GT1543T? I can only find a reference to it in old ebay sales. Must have been pretty short lived.

Regarding Markins, I've convinced myself that even though I've never heard of them before, that they are one of the established high end brands. That is one of the reasons that I posted all the links. I am preparing another post on the ball heads (waiting on RRS website to work again), but I'll steal the following from it:

I did a quick survey of the GT1542T reviews on BH to see what it was paired with and the Markins Q3T came out on top. Of the 44 reviews, 19 people identified theirball head:

1. Markins Q3T: 6
2. RRS BH-40: 4
3. Arcatech GP-s: 3
4. Different Manfrotto: 2
5. RRS BH-30/Gitzo/Kirk BH3/Markins M20: 1 each

I did a similar search through the BH comments on theGT1541T:

1. Markins Q3T: 7
2. Gitzo 1780QR: 4
3. Misc Gitzo: 4
4. RRS BH-25: 3
5. One each for Markins Q3E, RRS BH-30, and KirkBH-3

Ok, as I was finalizing this post, my GT1542T just showed up. Oh, first impressions are very good. It is so small and light, yet, fully extended, it is much more solid than my old tripod.

As for the ball head...I am going to test a few things with the tripod, but where I think I am at is BH-40 if I don't replace the center column and Q3T if I do so that it can fit within the legs. I am also toying with the idea of buying both and returning the one I don't like.