Gitzo Boom or K-Tek?

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EJShin

Member
I currently have a Gitzo aluminum pole right now and am quite happy with it. I even spent the time and effort to get a cable through it. Though, my current pole is only 6.9' long fully extended and I was thinking about getting a longer carbon fiber pole(12' or so). The Gitzo poles are dirt cheap, but the K-Tek poles certainly do look really nice too. For those of you who have used both poles, what are the trade offs to each pole? Which one is lighter? Etc.

I tried doing a search, but I couldn't find anything that directly compared poles from both companies. All I've been reading is that people don't have complaints with either of them.
 
The k-tek graphite poles are WAY light... I have both the k-tek and the gitzo 12.8' pole... the k-tek is a 9'... if I can get away with the k-tek then I always take it... but for the dollar per foot on that gitzo it's a great value... if I ever break, lose, or wear that pole out I will immediately replace it with another.

Last year you could get that gitzo for $219.95 from adorama... then B&H followed suit and priced it the same... then somebody got wise to a few of us saying how cheap it was for what you got... and the price climbed to $249.95 suddenly... it's still a good deal.

I will agree that you will NEVER regret a k-tek purchase... I love all their stuff... it's a question of what you can afford. The gitzo to k-tek comparison is not unlike a chevy to bmw comparison... sure the bmw is a better car, but a chevy can be nice and it still gets you where you need to go. Bottom line is that I'd buy as much length as you can afford... putting priority on the length first, materials of construction second, and brand third.

If you follow this, and you're on a budget then it will be the gitzo 7680c... if you have some extra money to enjoy uncompromising construction and materials... all the way to the final design... then k-tek makes damn fine gear.
 
MattinSTL said:
...k-tek makes damn fine gear.
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I agree. We just have the aluminum pole with internal cord and couldn't be happier. We also have their shock mount and wind screen and they both work great. We were on a tight budget and got the cheaper versions in their line and they seem as good if not better than some of the top of the line stuff I have dealt with before.
 
There used to be a company called Lightwave making aluminum poles that were getting popular in circles of budget-conscious filmmakers... and that momentum held on for a while even after K-Tek released an answer to that product... until people realized that you could get a perfectionist designed product from K-Tek... that weighed something around 25% LESS... for LESS money!

I'm pretty sure Lightwave got swallowed up by Rycote or somebody... but as far as that pole was concerned I gotta' say it was no loss to the community.

The ONLY alternative I ever suggest people consider is that gitzo at nearly 13' and carbon fiber construction... if it weren't for that pole you wouldn't hear me talk about anything but K-Tek in a boom pole thread.
 
MattinSTL said:
The ONLY alternative I ever suggest people consider is that gitzo at nearly 13' and carbon fiber construction... if it weren't for that pole you wouldn't hear me talk about anything but K-Tek in a boom pole thread.
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Thats the gitzo boompole I have =) Its great price/quality/weight. Although a friend of mine had an upper end K-Tek graph and internal cable well... if I could magically switch them without his notice I just might (aka would) BUT---

I still love the carbie 12.5'+ gitzo in the hands of anyone who knows how to boom it gets the job done and more and heck its good enough =)
 
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