Touring Italy's Top Tripods

As Gitzo and Manfrotto tripods were named two of our Editor's Choice top tripods of the year, I thought this would be the perfect time for me to talk about a press junket I was part of last month to visit their production headquarters near Venice, Italy.

Now I have to start by saying that this trip happened after the Editor's Choice judging was done. And, also, I had almost nothing to do with the judging of this or any other category, so our Editor's Choice ranking is in no way a result of my trip, only a coincidence.

If you're not already familiar with Manfrotto and/or Gitzo, the two companies are now part of the British Vitec Group and are well described and distinguished by their entrepreneur founders. Lino Manfrotto was a photographer in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, in the 1960s and began by designing lightweight, user-friendly equipment for himself and friends. Gitzo was founded in 1917 in France by Arsène Gitzhoven, who was a skilled inventor. Although the two companies are now housed in the same production facilities in Italy, they are purposefully kept separate and often compete in the market. The research and development teams especially, although they are friendly with each other, adhere to their own philosophies: Manfrotto's of working closely with photographers to give them what they want, and Gitzo's of listening to photographers and then inventing a product that serves their needs.

Paul Wild, president of Bogen Imaging (their distributor), stressed several times that the thing the two companies most have in common is craftsmanship. While many companies have shipped production to China, all but one of the two companies' lines are made in Italy. And while the production facilities are high-tech, there are many steps of assembly still done by hand, often by employees who have been with the company for decades.

The companies even manufacture the complicated molds used to cast the their heads and joints. And they conduct extensive in-house tests to ensure their products hold up under the extreme rigors photographers put them through.

In recent years the companies have been rewarded for their care and ingenuity with precipitous growth and several awards. They continue to centralize and streamline their production facilities, and are planning to create a much larger shipping hub within the next year to handle growing numbers of orders.

Manfrotto, especially, is also expanding into consumer markets, trying to gain the kind of recognition among hobbyists that it's long enjoyed with professionals. Through a licensing agreement with National Geographic, the company is producing two tripod lines branded with National Geo logos -- Tundra, for point-and-shoots and small video cameras, and Expedition for SLRs. They have also created a full line of bags, with a vintage "explorer" feel made out of Earth-friendly hemp and brass.

Gitzo is also planning to release a new vintage-feel bag line, honoring the company's 90th anniversary with leather tooled pieces reminiscent of Gitzhoven's original packs.

Manfrotto has also been expanding rapidly into lighting and film supports, largely with their Avenger line, which includes the ingenious Crosspole system. Another exceedingly cool example of how the company works with their end users to develop new products is the Fig Rig, created in tandem with director Mike Figgis. This steering-wheel-shaped video camera support creates seamless flow between high and low shots by increasing the area of a camera's hand-holds.

But most importantly, Gitzo and Manfrotto continue to keep in close contact with the photographers they serve, constantly coming up with new products. Manfrotto's NeoTec line, with legs that open without having to unlock each individual segment, has been very popular. As has Gitzo's G-Lock system, which locks with only a twist, rather than long tightening and loosening spins, and grows stronger as weight is applied vertically. Both companies also focus on new materials: Gitzo has Basalt, which is lighter than aluminum and more affordable than carbon fiber; and Manfrotto is constructing heads out of a technical polymer that helps make their 'pods even lighter.

And, having spent five days in Italy with their production and sales teams, I can also tell you that Manfrotto and Gitzo give top priority to quality of life -- which also contributes to their 'pods' craftsmanship. Their warehouses and workshops are unlike anything you would find in the U.S. -- nondescript low buildings, sure, but set not in the middle of concrete jungles, rather at the foot of soaring mountains and surrounded by grass and trees. The buildings are lit largely by windows and skylights and are open constantly to the breeze. If happier employees make better products, I can see why these 'pods have won so many awards.

~Miki Johnson

(Photo: Tubes waiting to be turned into Manfrotto and Gitzo tripods at the companies' main production facilities near Bassano del Grappa, Italy/By Miki Johnson)