Hi all,

It's time for a new tripod!

Budget: Up to $1000, but preferably <$700
Use: Travel and hiking
Style: Landscapes
Material: Carbon fibre

I've reviewed umpteen dozen brands and the ones I've discarded include Manfrotto, Benro, Feisol and Really Right Stuff. I'd need a massive incentive to revisit these.

The final four brand contenders are:

Brand Model Weight (kg) Load Capability (kg) Length Folded (cm) Height (no-ex) (cm) Height (extended) (cm) Price
Gitzo GT1542T 1.00 8 43 117 149 $700-800
3 Legged Thing Brian 1.3 8 42 134 193 $539 (incl ball head)
Sirui N1204 1.0 12 44 132 156 ???
Sirui N1204X 1.2 12 46 132 160 $799
Sirui T1204X 0.8 10 40 115 140 $309
MeFoto RoadTrip 1.4 8 39 135 156 $440 (incl ball head)

The Gitzo has an awesome reputation and is a quality product, but is pricey and its specs don't stand out.

The 'Brian' looks great on paper (the extra 300g isn't a big deal), but is only relatively new to the marketplace.

Sirui in general seems like the best value for money. The N1204 looks good on paper, but I can't find a supplier in Oz and product quality may be dubious.

The MeFoto also seems like a good allrounder.

So, my main question is...

Has anyone out there had real world experience with 'Three Legged Thing', Sirui and/or MeFoto tripods??

In the absence of info, my default will probably be the Gitzo.

A secondary question then, has anyone had recent experience with the current generation of Gitzo's?

Any help is much appreciated!

Cheers,
Andrew.