As part of Gitzo’s 100th-anniversary celebrations, the company announced a collaboration with Sony. The Gitzo Traveler a is one of the first products to arrive as a result. The Traveler A (or Traveler Alpha) is essentially a Gitzo GK1545TA Series 1 Traveler tripod kit that has been tailored to suit Sony A9 and A7-Series cameras including the A7 II, A7R II, A7 III, A7R III and A7S II.
The most important aspect of the collaboration for the Traveler A is the shape of the quick release plate. This has a lip along its front edge that moulds around the bottom front corner of Sony A7 cameras. It’s an elegant solution that prevents the camera from twisting on the plate.
- Buyers’ Guide: Best Travel Tripods
If you want to use the tripod with other cameras, you’ll need a short Arca Swiss compatible release plate (GS5370SD). It also accepts all Gitzo‘s D profile plates and the new Gitzo L-Bracket A that’s designed for the Sony A9, A7R III or A7 III.
Gitzo includes its most compact professional-level carbon fibre tripod head in the kit. This is a ball head with independent pan and tilt locks. The lock and release action and head movements are both smooth and there’s a spirit bubble to help you get the camera level.
Performance
At just 1.43Kg, the Traveler A feels light in your hand but it also oozes quality. This is partly down to the use of Gitzo’s Carbon eXact tubing for the four-section legs and centre column. The twisting leg-locks are also made to a very high standard so they loosen readily and lock tightly with minimal effort.
Despite the tripod’s low weight, it has a maximum shooting height of 165cm. It can also handle payloads of up to 10kg, although Gitzo recommends that it’s limited to use with focal lengths of up to 135mm.
The lowest possible shooting height is 23.5cm.
The legs fold up over the tripod head to give a packed-down size of 43cm. In addition, a fancy Italian leather strap comes in the box for carrying the tripod. It takes a little puzzling out at first, but it’s very convenient to use between shots.
As it’s a travel tripod, the Traveler A isn’t designed to compete with a heavy-duty set of legs like one of the Gitzo Systematic range, but it strikes a very good balance between portability and support. Even when the legs and centre column are fully extended, the camera is held very steadily.
Verdict
Although its price is high enough to make your eyes water, the Gitzo Traveler a is a delightfully high-quality travel tripod. It compliments an A7-series or A9 camera perfectly and should give many years of service.