Review: Gitzo GM2541 Monopod, RRS High Capacity Monopod Head w/ RRS B2 Pro II Clamp

excellent review. always appreciate the time, effort and great product pics you provide.

MDJAK wrote in post #6235956
excellent review. always appreciate the time, effort and great product pics you provide.

Thank you MDJAK!

Hi ben_r_,

I'm just wondering if this setup was tall enough for you. I'm 5'8" tall and I'm not sure if the height of the GM2540 would be adequate enough for me. Do you think it is?

Great review. If I could only get over the cost of the RRS head. I have the 2540 monopod and it is terrific.

I'm going to buying a Markins Q3. While I think that the RRS style solution, if made to work, is a better solution than a ballhead on a monopod (which I think is vastly secondary to the RRS solution), I'm going to try it with the Q3 for the few times I need any articulation on top of the monopod. The Markins has such a great friction control, I think I'm going to try just using that to see if it would work well on monopod.

J.

ben_r_,

If you could answer these questions in addition to my other one above that would be greatly appreciated.

For someone like me that have an RRS L-plate on the camera, how would I benefit from using the RRS monopod head? Can I use my camera with the L-plate like I would with a arca-swiss compatible ballhead? Meaning I can switch the camera from landscape to portrait position on the fly?

Sgt_Strider wrote in post #6250684
ben_r_,

If you could answer these questions in addition to my other one above that would be greatly appreciated.

For someone like me that have an RRS L-plate on the camera, how would I benefit from using the RRS monopod head? Can I use my camera with the L-plate like I would with a arca-swiss compatible ballhead? Meaning I can switch the camera from landscape to portrait position on the fly?

If you attach an AS clamp on the monopod, you will be able to use the L bracket same as on an AS equipped ballhead, i.e., go from landscape to portrait. You just don't have the ballhead action.

Sgt_Strider wrote in post #6250684
ben_r_,

If you could answer these questions in addition to my other one above that would be greatly appreciated.

For someone like me that have an RRS L-plate on the camera, how would I benefit from using the RRS monopod head? Can I use my camera with the L-plate like I would with a arca-swiss compatible ballhead? Meaning I can switch the camera from landscape to portrait position on the fly?

The only time you will need the head is if the subject is considerably over the horizontal plane. For field sports, you do not need the head. Those who shoot BIF would find it useful.

The only time I've really needed the ability to angle the head was in shooting alpine ski racing in shooting up a steep headwall from the bottom.

J

If you guys had the choice, would you go with the lever clamp or with the screw-knob style clamp? Which is more convenient? I think Ben was saying that the lever clamp isn't any less secure, but it's just more expensive. Why?

Lever clamp all the way. I've converted all mine over from knobs to levers even on monopods and been much happier that way.

The lever clamp holds the plate very firmly and maybe more firmly than a knob unless you really reef on it. The worry is that the lever will get snagged and cause a release. Hasn't happened in my experience and also has a more positive locking than the knob. It's easy to misalign the dovetails and the believe you actually have it loaded. This is much more difficult on the lever.

The convenience of the lever is really much better.

J.

JohnJ80 wrote in post #6265024
Lever clamp all the way. I've converted all mine over from knobs to levers even on monopods and been much happier that way.

The lever clamp holds the plate very firmly and maybe more firmly than a knob unless you really reef on it. The worry is that the lever will get snagged and cause a release. Hasn't happened in my experience and also has a more positive locking than the knob. It's easy to misalign the dovetails and the believe you actually have it loaded. This is much more difficult on the lever.

The convenience of the lever is really much better.

J.

i think that's debatable.

http://www.tripodhead.​com/products/AK-100.cfm

but yeah the lever is more convenient. i'll be field testing my new monopod set-up in monterey this week to decide which QR works better for me.

ed rader

Sorry guys, was out of town camping in South Lake Tahoe, CA shooting the whole weekend. It was awesome!

Sgt_Strider wrote in post #6249549
Hi ben_r_,

I'm just wondering if this setup was tall enough for you. I'm 5'8" tall and I'm not sure if the height of the GM2540 would be adequate enough for me. Do you think it is?

I am also 5'8" and fully extended this setup is way taller than me. So yes, for someone our height this setup should work perfect.

Sgt_Strider wrote in post #6250684
For someone like me that have an RRS L-plate on the camera, how would I benefit from using the RRS monopod head? Can I use my camera with the L-plate like I would with a arca-swiss compatible ballhead? Meaning I can switch the camera from landscape to portrait position on the fly?

The RRS monopod head does allow you to use the RRS L plate in either the portrait or landscape orientation and the benefit comes whenever you need to angle the camera to shoot something closer to the ground or higher in the sky than you can realistically tilt the whole rig. Or if you want to shoot something up close and are looking to gain that extra stability...

Sgt_Strider wrote in post #6263567
If you guys had the choice, would you go with the lever clamp or with the screw-knob style clamp? Which is more convenient? I think Ben was saying that the lever clamp isn't any less secure, but it's just more expensive. Why?

Lever clamp all the way, the screw clamp takes WAY too long IMO. Its well worth the added cost.

ben_r_ wrote in post #6269809
Sorry guys, was out of town camping in South Lake Tahoe, CA shooting the whole weekend. It was awesome!

I am also 5'8" and fully extended this setup is way taller than me. So yes, for someone our height this setup should work perfect.

So when you had this setup, did you usually extend this monopod all the way?

I couldn't wait for your response so I placed an order today. However, RRS is sold out and they told me they should receive a shipment tomorrow. If so, they'll mail it out to me tomorrow.

Sgt_Strider wrote in post #6270274
So when you had this setup, did you usually extend this monopod all the way?

Nope, it was way too tall.

And dont worry about them being out of stock, theyll get more in soon. Those heads sell fast thats all.

ed rader wrote in post #6265075
i think that's debatable.

http://www.tripodhead.​com/products/AK-100.cfm

but yeah the lever is more convenient. i'll be field testing my new monopod set-up in monterey this week to decide which QR works better for me.

ed rader

Boy, I can't remember where I saw the comparison, but the lever clamp provides 50lbs of clamping force (that's from RRS website). The comparison I saw showed them to be about the same but it was more problematic with the knob depending on how hard one torques the knob. I just can't find the link right now.

The QR lever is less tolerant of variations in plates and how they are made. RRS recommends using wimberly and RRS plates only but I'd be ok with kirk too. The ebay knockoff's I'd pass on for the lever clamp.

Either one is more than adequate to hold pretty much any photo gear. The QR Lever is just much more (as in lots more) convenient.

J.

JohnJ80 wrote in post #6275632
Boy, I can't remember where I saw the comparison, but the lever clamp provides 50lbs of clamping force (that's from RRS website). The comparison I saw showed them to be about the same but it was more problematic with the knob depending on how hard one torques the knob. I just can't find the link right now.

The QR lever is less tolerant of variations in plates and how they are made. RRS recommends using wimberly and RRS plates only but I'd be ok with kirk too. The ebay knockoff's I'd pass on for the lever clamp.

Either one is more than adequate to hold pretty much any photo gear. The QR Lever is just much more (as in lots more) convenient.

J.

i can tell you the guy i talked to at Kirk had higher praise for the manfrotto QR than the RRS QR.

ed rader