Hi everyone,
Recently I acquired the new Gitzo GT2530. This is my first Gitzo tripod, and I am very impressed with the sturdiness of the tripod so far. Compared to my aluminium Manfrotto tripod, it transmits next to no vibration, it is lighter and sturdier, especially when both are fully extended.
There is one thing though, that bugs me a little bit. It is not something that I will lose too much sleep over, but it seems like a little imperfection in the Gitzo design. With the centre column, if you grab it and twist it from side to side, there is always a little play, no matter how much you tighten it! When you look at the centre column, it is round, with a little groove in the side. Into this groove fits a protruding tongue, which effectively locks the column so that it cannot rotate, but because of the tolerances involved, there is always a little play in the system.
My Manfrotto centre column is triangular and so is the opening in the tripod spider, and because of that it cannot rotate at all. In fact, trying the two tripods side-by-side, the Manfrotto is clearly the winner in that department (and only that department). As soon as you extend the legs, the Gitzo pulls ahead and there is no competition. But... it seems like a weakness in the design.
I have seen a similar thing on a friend's Gitzo, but did not think about it at the time, since I wasn't in the market for one at that time. Typical!
Is your rapid column Gitzo the same? Is there anything that can be done about it, or is it just art of the design? I can take the centre column out altogether, if I want a sturdier (and lighter) setup, so it won't be a problem in general use, it is just a little surprising, that's all. Please note that this is not Gitzo-bashing or anything like that, I am just haring an observation.
So, all you Gitzo owners, what's the story
