Incredibly stable and solid. Beautifully finished with bullet-proof construction quality. You get what you pay for. This tripod and other Gitzo products are absolutely superb! No wonder the pros love Gitzo.

Expensive. Glitzy image obscures an absolutely stellar product. Causes, "Gitzo Itch". That's when after one use, a normally sane and rational man runs out and spends an inordinate amount of money to replace an already superb tripod (Bogen 3033) he already owns!

Recently took a friend's G1340 out for an afternoon of shooting, using my favorite Graf Studioball head. The combination of the Studioball rigidly coupled to the 1340's heavy fixed mounting plate (rapid or geared columns can be purchased separately if you must have them) makes this combination one the most stable camera mounts around. Just shoot a few rolls of film using a 300mm lens you're familiar with and you'll stunned at how sharp that old telephoto lens can be. Dang! Sweetening the pie, this super-stable tripod easily goes right down flat to the ground. My old Bogen 3033 doesn't come close.

Customer Service

Never had to use it on either Gitzo G2220 Explorer, G1172 QR Pan Head, G1276 universal ball head, or the 1340 tripod.

Similar Products Used:

Bogen 3033, Bogen 3021B Pro, Gitzo 2220 Explorer (another "evil" product).

As other Gitzo tripods the G340 is very solid and simply built. Dismantling is easy and ca be completed in just a few minutes.
Because of the missing center column it can be
positioned at a very low lever, or better: completely on the ground.

It's heavy and bulky due to its 3 (instead of 4) leg-sections.

I'm using this tripod for 5 years practising outdoor photography and it never let me down.
Damping of vibrations caused by the camera, variability and robustness are excellent.
Even bad environmental conditions like water, mud, sand, rocks etc. have no impact on the G340.
I'd buy it again.

Customer Service

not necessary; it won't break!

Similar Products Used:

Linhof

Very sturdy.
Simple construction.
Easily maintained.
Able to shoot from ground level with centre column removed.
Tall (over 6ft) and still fairly sturdy at max height (as long as it isn't windy).
Good weight (for stability and portability).
It will probably last forever.

Needs very regular maintenance to keep working smoothly.
Rubber twist grips on last two leg sections don't give very good grip and tend to come off when they get wet.
Leg locking system is not the best.
Paint starts falling off as soon as it comes out of the box (but who wants to be seen with a pristine tripod anyway?)
Rubber feet have a tendancy to shoot off at high speed under pressure as leg sections are put away so it is a good idea to glue them in first.

I have not found another tripod make that even comes close to Gitzo for rigidity. The 340 series is as sturdy as I need for medium format and 35mm lenses up to 400mm (and would probably handle even more). I don't find it too heavy to carry over long distances. As I do a fair bit of coastal landscape photography I need to strip the tripod down completely, re-grease all the threads and wipe down all the tubes about once a month to keep it working smoothly - otherwise it can lock up and become awkward to operate. Although this is a job that I could do without, this is still the only tripod make that I would consider using now. Although Gitzo tripods seem expensive the fact that they perform so well and last so long makes them excellent value for money.

Customer Service

Never needed in 4 years.
Parts seem reasonably priced.

Similar Products Used:

Benbo Mk1
Manfrotto 055
Gitzo reporter (old model)