I've played with several N2204's in my local stores, and walked away impressed. I put it next to my Gitzo 2531 in the store and it seemed to be similarly stable, and the travel size and detachable monopod would have been quite handy on my recent trips to Asia and Europe. The M3204 seems just as impressive, though I've only been able to handle one example. The guys at the store (and this is a "real" camera store, not a retail shop) have had pretty positive things to say as well.
Having watched reviews for them on several forums, the experiences generally seem to be very good.
My $0.02
Lars Johnsson wrote:
The only Sirui tripod that I have used broke. It was not the same model as yours. But one leg just fell off it after a couple of minutes use
Was yours new out of the bag or a store demo?
Jul 23, 2012 at 03:51 PM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
If you have a look at comparable Gitzo and Sirui models the leg locking systems are virtualy identical.
If the leg locking collar is backed off completely from the threads then the leg section and the collar can fall out. This is the way they are built.
This point was made clear to me by the sales person. I had both Gitzo and Sirui models on the counter when he warned me about this.
When I created the same situation with my Gitzo GM2541 Monopod, the leg was free to slide out of the larger section, and did.
Why would you do this? I can extend and lock a leg section on any of my Gitzo tripods with little more than 1/2 turn on one of the leg lock collars. It takes quite a few (maybe 15 or more?) full turns to get a collar completely unscrewed. I'm lost on the point you (or the store sales person) is trying to illustrate. Further, the Gitzo G-lock simply isn't the same as those on Sirui, Benro/Induro, or any of the other Chinese-made knock-off brands I've seen. If something else works for you, that's fine, but Sirui isn't the same as Gitzo, and neither is the same as RRS, for example. Each has its own pro's and con's, one of which may be cost of ownership. They all have three legs, I'll give you that
Jul 24, 2012 at 04:18 PM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
Lotuselite wrote:
If you have a look at comparable Gitzo and Sirui models the leg locking systems are virtualy identical.
If the leg locking collar is backed off completely from the threads then the leg section and the collar can fall out. This is the way they are built.
This point was made clear to me by the sales person. I had both Gitzo and Sirui models on the counter when he warned me about this.
When I created the same situation with my Gitzo GM2541 Monopod, the leg was free to slide out of the larger section, and did.
No Sirui tripods that I have looked at or tried have " virtualy identical" leg locking systems as any of my Gitzo tripods
I don't see much difference in the design philosophy between the two items, detail maybe but not the principle. http://jetset.zenfolio.com/img/s1/v46/p136909983-4.jpg
For what it is worth, I have a Sirui P-326 monopod that just traveled through seven countries in five weeks, got a lot of use and held up just fine. I talked to the Sirui guys at CES for a while too. I love my Gitzo 2531, but I have been impressed with what I've seen kicking the tires of a N-2204 and M3204. I'd like to see some good side-by-side tests for stability between them and Gitzo.
I was using the Gitzo 2531EX for almost a year and eventually sold it because of underutilization. Shortly after, I saw the Sirui T2204x in a local store and decided to try it out. To my amazement, it handled very similarly to my ex Gitzo. The locking mechanism feels the same as the g-lock and it deploys just as effortlessly too. It is also very stable and certainly measures well against the Gitzo. The most astonishing thing about this tripod is that its priced at 1/3 of the Gitzo's equivalent. I have since bought the Sirui and paired it with a Markins Q3T. It has been almost 2 years and I am still every bit as please as day one when I bought it.
dcains wrote:
What was so different about the Sirui that made you use it more than you had used the previous Gitzo?
I dont think I use the Sirui more often than the Gitzo. I sold the Gitzo because most days its just sitting in my house and I can't stand the sight of a $700 paper weight. On the other hand, I can handle a $200 paper weight more readily and its really close to the Gitzo both in terms of functionality and handling.
