It seems to me that this tripod, the Gitzo GIGT2545T,
it is not so wobbly, (or not wobbly at all), at the bottom
segment of the legs.
It is a 'Traveler 2' series, as opposed to the '1' series.
The bottom part of the legs are supposed to be
stronger than the 'spaguetti' looking from the '1'
series. So one may say it is sturdy(-ier) enough for
many years to come.
Main reason to be interested in it, is that it is light enough
to take it around to do architectural shots. One can
also add a light central column, and again, hopefully
the bottom part of the legs are strong enough not to
deform over time.
What are your thoughts on this tripod? If you were to
be interested in a light weight tripod, would it be one
of your candidates?
My experience with super-light travel tripods isn't good so I like the fact that Gitzo have "beefed" this one up from their Series 1, but it's too short and too expensive for me to consider.
I recently picked this one up and have really been enjoying it. It's been a huge upgrade from my Mefoto and I feel like it's more than tall enough for me (6'2"). It's heavier too, but I've had no issues carrying it all day for hikes.
Unless you already have a ball-head, I'd also recommend going with the Gitzo ball-head. It collapses really well so the folded tripod fully contains the ball-head. It's also a good deal, I think only ~$100 in addition to the tripod, vs ~$250 when bought separately.
I bought the BH30 ball head and it definitely doesn't fit on the tripod with the legs folded. But I knew that going in. Just wasn't sure how good the Gitzo had was.
Also, I got a great deal on the tripod only.
wdshuck wrote:
I recently picked this one up and have really been enjoying it. It's been a huge upgrade from my Mefoto and I feel like it's more than tall enough for me (6'2"). It's heavier too, but I've had no issues carrying it all day for hikes.
Unless you already have a ball-head, I'd also recommend going with the Gitzo ball-head. It collapses really well so the folded tripod fully contains the ball-head. It's also a good deal, I think only ~$100 in addition to the tripod, vs ~$250 when bought separately.
The Gitzo ballheads are wonderful except for one thing: it's pretty easy to inadvertently loosen the friction knob, although for me it's mostly a problem when I carry a tripod such that the knob faces my body. The solution is to be sure the knob faces away from you if you carry the tripod with a camera attached.
I've got a pair of GH3382QD (big brother to the one you're looking at), one mounted on a Series 3 Mountaineer and the other on a Series 3 Systematic XLS and love the way they lock down, smooth panning, and general feel. I just wish Gitzo had thought harder about their friction mechanism.
As for the tripod you're thinking about: I also thought about it and finally decided that for the incremental weight and slightly longer folded length, I'd be better off with the Mountaineer and beefier head. But if you're not supporting heavy gear, the Series 2 Traveler is a really nice piece of gear.
Perhaps a better word would be 'flimsy'!
I should have written flimsy!
Are Gitzo tripod legs, specially the bottom
part, 'flimsy' in your opinion?
I like what you all guys mention and I agree:
It is expensive and the very bottom section
of the leg is as thick as a toothbrush. I
mean, in the 'series 1' it looks quite thin.
That's why I got interested in the 'series 2'.
I may buy the legs first. I also saw a small
head made by Manfrotto for around $100
Unfortunately, there is not a shop near to
where I live, so things have to be mail
ordered. The head looks good, except for
the knob that is inadvertedly loosened.
Let's see with the budget.
The maximum weight on it would be a
medium format camera and sometimes
a friend's small large format camera.
It makes no sense to buy a Traveler and use it with the short column.
Compared to the Mountaineer it has 2 leg angles instead of 3. A weaker center column locking mechanism. Smaller less stable leg locks. Less stable base.
All of these compromises are made just to be able to fold it into a neater package. With the short column you can't fold the legs back and should get a Mountaineer (or similar construction from another brand) instead if that's your intended configuration.
You can go to Gitzo's site and download their catalog. The catalog has all of the leg section diameters and other vitals.
I've had Series 2 and 3 Mountaineers and a Series 3 Systematic. I've also handled Series 4 and 5 units (too heavy for my needs), and an old Traveler-like Gitzo. The lowest sections of all the Mountaineers and Systematics are rock solid when extended and I have no qualms about extending them. My GT3542L Mountaineer is very stable with the legs fully extended, and even with its [removable] column extended. I was fortunate to be in Seattle when deciding on a new tripod and was able to handle a number of Gitzos and other brands at Kenmore Camera. Handling was very important, because had I not, I would have bought the smaller Series 3 Mountaineer. The one I bought folds smaller, extends higher, and overall is wonderful. All I did was replace the standard feet with Gitzo's combination ones, which I really like. One thing that sold me on a new Mountaineer (mine replaces an older Series 2 Mountaineer) was the removable column. Most of the time I prefer shooting without a column, but some of the museum and other studio work I do benefits from having a column, and the Mountaineer's flexibility has been very handy.
igmolinav, if you live near San Diego as your info suggests, isn't there a Samy's or other store within reasonable driving distance? Or is there a camera club or meetup group you could connect with and maybe see what local photographers are using?
Glad to year you made a decision Igmolinav -- I hope it works out for you!
The funny thing is that I just ordered a (used) GT2545T w/GH1382QD head from B&H. When I initially looked at it (because of your initial post) I was put-off by the limited height and of course the price. But a careful analysis against my Sirui travel tripod indicates the Gitzo w/ballhead will be 5" higher without the column, and based on user reports the tripod and centre column is quite stable for modest DSLR kits (it is a Series 2) -- moreso than my Siuri anyway. So from a height and stability perspective I think it should work well enough with my small Z7 mirrorless kit that I'm building. Keeping the whole kit small and portable is critical for me as I like to hike and bike to shooting venues.
The price actually wasn't too bad considering it was used, and the fact that Gitzo was including the ball head at a big discount with the package helped a lot. In fact the total price really wasn't all *that* much more than what I was going to have to pay for a Induro/Feisol with a quality ballhead.
So I guess only time will tell if this works out for me, but I wanted to thank you for bringing this option to my attention with your original post.
I only wonder if it is durable and if one
could also work with the weight of some
film cameras without a problem. I mean
the head's base looks small, but it looks
like is very likely to hold on top of it a
Hasselblad C camera with lens and film
back, less than 8 lbs., and a large format
camera with lens and film holder, some 4 lbs.
This would be the large format camera: https://intrepidcamera.co.uk/
Also have a look at the Gitzo GT2542LS. Very stable, but doesn't come in a combination package with a ballhead. A center column (GS3513S or GS3313GS) would add a lot to the price. Higher load rating than the mountaineer (same as the 3542LS and 4542LS.)
The diameter of the base for mounting a head is very small and would not work with any of the ball heads or gimbal heads that I own. It is a common problem with the "traveler" designated tripods from manufacturers.
I only wonder if it is durable and if one
could also work with the weight of some
film cameras without a problem. I mean
the head's base looks small, but it looks
like is very likely to hold on top of it a
Hasselblad C camera with lens and film
back, less than 8 lbs., and a large format
camera with lens and film holder, some 4 lbs.
This would be the large format camera: https://intrepidcamera.co.uk/
The Manfrotto Element does have some nice features; light weight @3.1 lbs (vs ~4 lbs for the Gizto GT2545T w/head), a decent maximum height (for a travel tripod) of 65" (vs 61" for the Gitzo), yet at 16" when folded is 1.5" shorter than the Gitzo. The Manfrotto also has three position leg lock vs only 2 positions on the Gitzo. (I've seen some complaints about this but don't understand the problem...in lieu of not having a middle leg lock position just collapse one of the leg extensions, and voila! Short setup.) Certainly the price of the Manfrotto @ $330 can't be beat (vs $999 for the Gitzo). That price is even less than what I paid for my very good Siuri travel tripod. Makes you wonder what Manfrotto left out.
One thing I don't like about the Manfrotto are the five leg sections....4 are already too many, though for an occasional use travel tripod that might not be important. But I bought the Gitzo as a full-time tripod so 5 legs sections are a non-starter for me. Also, one reason I traded my Siuri travel tripod (which also weighted 3 lbs w/head) was that I found it too light weight even for my mirrorless camera and the Manfrotto isn't any better in that regard. In my experience any tripod that weighs much less than 3 lbs (without head) is too light for all-conditions-use tripod, though I know some Feisol owners might disagree with me there!) So as strictly a travel tripod the Manfrotto looks pretty good...really good even, but don't see it as being a good substitute for the Gitzo for a full-time tripod. That said, the price difference makes the Manfrotto very attractive.
