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Rogeti made the most innovative tripod I've ever used in the 20yrs I've been in this business. Gitzo, Manfrotto, there's no competition. This thing makes sense and I look forward to future innovations from this company. Despite being in Europe with said manufactures present, I'm glad I went with Rogeti.
Fits perfectly, very well matched to the camera body, very stable and secure, light and well made. Outstanding L-bracket, highly recommended.
Although I have other brands of geared tripod, I purchased this one as it is particularly lightweight (approx tripod only 1.4kg) and its folded diameter is reasonably small. Leg locking mechanism is smooth. The centre column locking mechanism on the tripod head is solid. With C32G geared column gives me 2m height. The geared racking is very smooth. Could do with a locking screw on the top plate but minor issue. My only issue on the C32G would be the handle could be designed collapsable to take less space when packed. It can be taken off but secured with a screw. The free 3 red wheels are well made and it's design saves me using a heavier and more bulky tripod dolly. The wheels cannot be locked. The C32T is solid and can be used with the centre column or geared column and with 32mm extension tubes. This provides a very lightweight, solid horizontal boom arm option. Although you can buy their counterweights, I would like to see an end hook as an option for using your own counterweight like a small bag. I was using the much heavier Manfrotto boom arm. If you need a high quality tripod, fairly portable, lightweight, has wheels for mobility, has option for geared column or shooting downwards with boom arm this system is highly recommended.
I don't often write reviews, but this product deserves a wider audience. The RG-1 is often compared to the better known Arca D4. But there are actually significant differences that are worth highlighting.
1. The first thing to say is the RG-1 is nothing like the various cheap clones of the D4 that have emerged in recent years. It has its own unique design features and is beautifully built to a very high standard.
2. The second thing to note is it's smaller and lighter than the D4. Enough that it will pair nicely with a smaller, lighter tripod, giving significant savings in terms of the total system weight. This is very welcome for walking and hiking.
3. The ergonomics are superior to the D4 in my opinion. Where the D4 seems to have knobs and leavers all over the place, the RG-1 has just two main knobs for the primary geared axes, conveniently set off to the right, but also reversible for left hand operation. There is a single clutch for tilt, which falls perfectly under the left hand (while you right hand holds the camera grip). A separate small knob at the base of the head locks the base pan. It's extremely intuitive and (unlike the D4) you will never find yourself reaching for the wrong control. Rogeti has clearly thought long and hard about this, and it shows. The handling is superb.
4. The unique design of the RG-1 combines a tilt axis that works in the same way as the D4 with a levelling axis that moves in an arc, similar to the way the Arca Cube works. This makes for a very stable head. But it also means when you tilt the head down (to photograph something on the ground), the levelling axis remains in the same plane. On the D4 it doesn't and you have to use the rotating panoramic head instead. Here again, I prefer the way the RG-1 works.
5. The RG-1 is modular. This might not seem like a big deal. But actually the design is very clever. Here again, this shows the time and care Rogeti has taken when developing the RG-1. Amongst other things, you can fit different clamps to the top of the head, including a simple X-Y clamp, a rotating panoramic clamp, a geared panoramic clamp and a focus rail. You can even fit third party clamps if they have an Arca-style dovetail underneath (Really Right Stuff, amongst others, has a few options like this). You can also fit the geared panoramic clamp at the base of the head if you want geared control in every possible axis. There are even more accessories designed for architectural and video shooting. Personally, I prefer to work with just the X-Y clamp to keep the weight down, but the modular approach offers a lot of flexibility and lets the user choose their own setup. This is very different to the way Arca does things, whereby you are locked into a proprietary clamp, which can only be removed with a heat gun and doing so invalidates the warranty. Needless to say, I prefer Rogeti's approach.
Overall, the RG-1 has exceeded my expectations. It combines exceptional design, quality engineering, brilliant ergonomics and a high degree of versatility in a relatively light, compact head that is very smooth, very stable and a joy to use in the field. Last but not least, don't let the price put you off. The RG-1 is in no way a cheaper alternative to the D4. It's a premium product, superior in many ways to the D4, at a very fair price for the quality on offer. Highly recommended.
