Timm
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 p.2 #6 · Gitzo tripod CF Vibration Damping | |
I have both the 2220 EX and the 2530 EX. I've been using the 2220 EX for five years, and the 2530 EX for two months.
The 2220 EX is a poorly and cheaply made tripod in many regards. The leg-extension twist locks failed within a year, and the replacement parts (threaded sections that clip over the aluminum tubing) have needed to be replaced just about every year (not covered by warranty, according to Bogen Imaging USA), due to the use of a very poor quality plastic ( I seem to have fixed this problem with an industrial-grade contact adhesive). The angle locks, while holding up rather nicely, need to be adjusted frequently or the tripod will slowly sag under the weight of camera and lens (I don't use anything over 340mm, my heaviest gear is macro set-ups with a couple of heavy focusing rails).
The 2530 EX is altogether a different beast. The leg extension twist locks are much better built, without the cheap plastic bits (still lots of plastic, but it appears to be of much higher quality). I was disappointed to see the same cheap plastic used in the anti-rotation system, but this does not take the same wear-and-tear as the twist locks. The twist locks require less than 1/4 turn from full lock to full open, and very little force is required for a full lock.
The spider appears to be identical to that of the 2220 EX, as do the angle locks. If there's been any change here, I can't find it--based on a complete tear-down of the tripod to remove the grease and replace it with a dry lubricant.
The carbon material in the legs seems very well made. It has the feel of a high-end GF flyrod blank.
The difference in weight may seem small--until you've carried the 'pod a few dozen miles on a mountain hike.
Both the 'pods seem to dampen quickly, and, when anchored (I use a piece of parachute cord to anchor my pods to a rock or stake), are stable in the wind. I use both 'pods with either an Acratech AUB or Arca Swiss Z1.
Both also have a small amount of "sag" when using a long lens or high-mag macro set-up. I have learned to anticipate this and compensate, but it's irritating. I'm sure it has to do with the off-center column and the tilt-joint.
In both, the tilt-lock is not continuous but has detentes built into the joint, which gives the center column tilt an all-or-nothing effect that can be a nasty surprise when adjusting it with camera mounted. I intend to hack this problem sometime.
If you don't absolutely need the tilting center column, skip it. The infinitely adjustable leg angles, OTOH, are incredibly useful and I hate using my old Bogen 3021 because it lacks them. They're also much faster and easier to use with gloves on than Gitzo's usual angle locks that must be pulled out to unlock. The fact that the legs lock completely means it's very convenient to pick the 'pod up and move it fully set up.
Unfortunately, it seems that the wonderful angle locks only come on the tilt-column models. Too bad.
Another point in favor of the 2530 is height. At 5'6", I have to use about 7 inches of column extension to get the camera to eye-level on the 2220--something that will affect stability much more than the materials used in the 'pod. The 2530 is about 4 inches too tall for me to use with the legs fully extended and the camera level.
Here's a comparison of the heights:
Good luck--Timm.
Edited on Nov 16, 2007 at 08:39 PM
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