Yes, there are some penalties to pay for getting the ultimate tripod base for your big gear. The first penalty you will encounter is the price – This is not a cheap tripod. The next penalty you will suffer is in regard to the GT5540LS’s size and weight. Even though it is made of Gitzo’s 6x carbon fiber, it still weighs 6.5 lb (2.96 kg). A reasonably small folded length of 23.6″ (60 cm) does not tell the entire story – it is much larger in diameter than the GT3530LSV. Prior to getting the Gitzo GT5540LS 6x Carbon Fiber Tripod, the Gitzo G1548 Carbon Fiber Tripod (above right) was my large lens tripod of choice. The GT5540LS’s G-Locks are the biggest improvement over this tripod. They are much nicer to use. The GM5540LS weighs 6 lb 4.8 oz (2.85 kg) – 5.2 oz (.14 kg) less than the GT1548. This difference is not huge, but nice. ? ?Had the Gitzo GT5540LS 6x Carbon Fiber Tripod not come along, I would have been perfectly content to continue using the GT1548. But now, having used the GM5540LS, I would have a harder time being content with the old pod. READ FULL REVIEW AT DigitalPicture.com
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Get information and user reviews for this tripod from Amazon: Gitzo GT5541LS Series 5 Long 6X Carbon Fiber 4-Section Systematic Tripod with G-Lcok – Replaces GT5540LS