Replacement for Gitzo 2531? Need to get low.

Hello everyone. I need some suggestions please. I inherited a Gitzo 2531, I think tripod is not in front of me, from my father in law when he passed away. The Tripod is awesome for about 70%of things I need a tripod to do. How ever, it sucks for anything low to the ground. I am really frustrated with it when trying to do Macros and an low perspective Landscapes. It is an old discontinued model and the center column is pretty long, and not reversible or removable. I have grown to love the stability and ease of use, I love the twist leg locks and heights when need bu I almost never use the height I am practicing the adage of get low more and more often. My previous tripod was a Manfrotto CxPro554 and it was not nearly as stable and I hated the flip locks. However I loved the way that I could flip the center column around to get super low and set the solid sideways to get the legs spread out and low.

So I am looking for recommendations for a new set of legs. As much as I would love another Gitzo, they are simply way out of my price range. I am hoping to be closer to 3-500 range. If you have something used I would love tear about it. Anyway thanks for any and all help or suggestions. Oh, I will be using my RRS BH55 head with what ever legs I get and I will probably end up selling the Gitzo.

I finally found the instructions the other night and there is nothing about reversing the center column. The next model revision specifically made a big deal about the new column being reversible and the fact that you could remove a portion of the Column to get rid of the section that sticks down allowing the legs to spread and get extremely low.

Juan A wrote in post #19043394
Hello everyone. I need some suggestions please. I inherited a Gitzo 2531, I think tripod is not in front of me, from my father in law when he passed away. The Tripod is awesome for about 70%of things I need a tripod to do. How ever, it sucks for anything low to the ground. I am really frustrated with it when trying to do Macros and an low perspective Landscapes. It is an old discontinued model and the center column is pretty long, and not reversible or removable. I have grown to love the stability and ease of use, I love the twist leg locks and heights when need bu I almost never use the height I am practicing the adage of get low more and more often. My previous tripod was a Manfrotto CxPro554 and it was not nearly as stable and I hated the flip locks. However I loved the way that I could flip the center column around to get super low and set the solid sideways to get the legs spread out and low.

So I am looking for recommendations for a new set of legs. As much as I would love another Gitzo, they are simply way out of my price range. I am hoping to be closer to 3-500 range. If you have something used I would love tear about it. Anyway thanks for any and all help or suggestions. Oh, I will be using my RRS BH55 head with what ever legs I get and I will probably end up selling the Gitzo.

Mine gets pretty low. Same model. No center column. I replaced the main hub assembly with a Markins one. Much better. Another option is go with a Leofoto tripod. High quality and lower cost.

https://www.lonelyspec​k.com …ber-travel-tripod-review/

That piece at the bottom s different than on my tripod. But the rest looks the same. I’ll investigate when I get home.

That Markins hub would be Gret and may be the best solution if I can find it.

Juan A wrote in post #19043439
That Markins hub would be Gret and may be the best solution if I can find it.

https://www.markinsame​rica.com/MA5/TH.php?re​q=TH200


I think you can find it on B&H too.

That link says out of stock and so does B&H

Would a simple swap to a very short center column provide similar results to swapping the whole hub? I have found that other brands like Induro, Benro, etc. columns are compatible as long as the series remains constant.

https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …er_Column.html?​ap=y&smp=y

https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …gm3zMDdabbLIaAn​f3EALw_wcB

https://www.adorama.co​m …_wcB&utm_source​=adl-gbase

That would work assuming there is a way to check compatibility. Leaning towards selling my legs and just biting the bullet on a new Gitzo. Lol.

Interesting situation. It almost seems as though there might have been multiple versions of the 2531. Doing some searching I can find a 2531EX and one in particular catches my attention and it is termed “series 2.” The series 2 does seem to have a column that adapts to low shooting, but it is a 2nd column, not one that reverses. The nut at the top unscrews, the longer column comes out after the short column is inserted the retention nut is replaced. So...was there a “series 1”, did it also have two separate columns, one long and one short?

John from PA wrote in post #19043928
Interesting situation. It almost seems as though there might have been multiple versions of the 2531. Doing some searching I can find a 2531EX and one in particular catches my attention and it is termed “series 2.” The series 2 does seem to have a column that adapts to low shooting, but it is a 2nd column, not one that reverses. The nut at the top unscrews, the longer column comes out after the short column is inserted the retention nut is replaced. So...was there a “series 1”, did it also have two separate columns, one long and one short?

I have the gt2531ex. The column swivels. This allows both for the legs to be almost flat and also for the camera to be lower than the head. Under the proper circumstances, the camera can be below what would be ground level, especially if the camera is rotated to be upside-down.

It's no longer available but can be seen here: https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …31EX_6X_Carbon_​Fiber.html

That tripod looks interesting unfortunately it is not the one I have. Mine is not the EX.

FTb wrote in post #19043402
Are you sure you can't remove and invert the center column? I don't have experience with that particular model, but I looked at photos and it appears very similar to many other models that would allow removal after simply unscrewing the bottom cap.

Is this your model?


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I have the 2531, and as FTb's illustration shows, the chrome metal piece unscrews to withdraw from the bottom of the center column, and you can then completely withdraw the center column out the top and re-insert it inverted. Then, rather than using the camera itself upside down and centered under the tripod legs, you can mount something like this arm to the center column base and put the ballhead either on the sliding portion or at the end of the arm (as depicted). note: This illustration does not show the center column inverted.

So you were right, My father in law had a cap over that piece that just spun around. I pried the cab off and the hook absolutely unscrewed. Thanks!

For anyone following, my Father in law had apparently put a black cap over the bottom hook on my tripod. I pried it off this morning and the column absolutely comes out and is reversible. You all saved me a significant amount of money, Thank you. Also I found and ordered a Markins TB-21 which replaces the center column with a new base so that I can really flatten the tripod out. https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …pod_base_tb_21_​black.html As soon as B&H opens up I am ordering that plate. Achieves the same thing a the Markins replacement hub, which I cannot find anywhere.

Thank you all for your help!