New Gitzo Fluid Head (1 Viewer)

Has anybody tried the new Gitzo G2180 fluid head seen here: http://www.bogenimaging.us/product/itemlist.php3?manufid=2&sectionid=6

It's very light, 1.19lbs, about the same as the Swarovski FH101 (I've read all the complaints about the Swaro). Unfortunately the street price is also about the same, $250.

Henry,

I've seen it and tried it briefly in front of a shop with my own scope on it. I hope to loan it for a field trial some time in June.

I was surprised to see that although the supplied QR-plate is small, the head accepts the long QR-plate of the Gitzo 2380/Manfrotto 501 heads, so balancing is possible to some extent. Initially I thought that the default drags were too light, but pans and tilts were smooth and positive nonetheless. Unlike the 2380, this model does not have separate locking levers or knobs. Rather, you use the same knob for both friction adjustment and locking. At least on the sample I tried, there was some residual movement left after tightening the knobs as much as I reasonably dared to. I did not have time to experiment with the spring-loading adjustment, so I don't know how well the adjustment works in practice.

The head looks good and is very light, and relevant interfaces (head-to-tripod, head-to-plate) are metal.

All in all, I want to try it out since it seemed to have promise as a lightweight complement to my 2380. It did not initially impress me as good enough to fully replace its bigger brother, although it did seem as it could be better than the Manfrotto 700 and 701.

Also the way it felt under a Fieldscope 82 ED A made me suspect that 2kg would be the upper weight limit for it, and that it might be better with shorter scopes than long ones such as the old Swarovski, Kowa 820 series or Leica 77.

I'll post more impressions if I get a chance to use it more.

Kimmo

Kimmo,

Thank you very much. That's just the kind of information I wanted. I'm thinking of assembling a very light scope/head/tripod combination. The scope is still an open question, but I have been very impressed by a friend's Gitzo 1128 tripod which she uses with a Bogen/Manfrotto 3130 (128 in europe?) head and a Swarovski 65mm scope. I notice that the new 1198 basalt tripod actually weighs less than the old 1128 carbon fiber and is almost as light as the new 1158 6x carbon fiber and much less expensive. On paper the new 2180 looks like a very promising low weight head. Too bad the price is so high, substantially more in the US than the 2380. I hope you'll have a chance to try it again and post more impressions.

Henry

Henry,

Here in Finland I was told by a dealer that the 2180 and 2380 cost roughly the same, but I have not yet seen the 2180's price in print.

The basalt tripods look rather attractive, but a friend of mine who works in the retail trade tired out a bunch of lightweight alternatives recently as he was going on a birding trip abroad. His conclusion was that the basalt models vibrated considerably longer than carbon versions when he had his scope on them and tapped the legs. More rigorous testing would be needed, of course, but I trust his judgement.

I have unfortunately been to lazy to carry out my long-standing "definitive tripod test" project yet. Now I'm planning a trip abroad for myself also, and since I don't own a lightweight tripod yet, perhaps I could use that as a carrot for myself to finally get in gear with testing...

Prior to having actual data, I would go out on a limb and recommend the Manfrotto carbon models with three-part legs over the Gitzo basalt if you feel that the Gitzo carbon is too pricey.

For a head, since most of the 60-65mm scopes are decidedly rear-heavy, the 2180 with a long mounting plate would provide a better balance than the Manfrotto 700/701RC's

Kimmo

Yesterday I had an opportunity to briefly evaluate a Gitzo 1198 basalt tripod. I quickly discovered that something I had failed to notice in the specs makes it unsuitable as a scope support for anyone taller than about 4' 10". It's extended leg height is about 6-10" shorter than the other 11xx Gitzo tripods. That must account for its lower weight compared to its 1197 basalt sibling, but also means that most people would need to use it with both the legs and the center column fully extended, even with an angled scope. Used that way it's not a very stable tripod. I found the time for a scope image to settle after a leg tap was 4-5 times longer with the center column fully extended compared to no extention. Another thing I noticed is that the leg locking collars on the basalt tripods are narrower and lighter duty items than the collars used on the carbon fiber Gitzos. The 1198 basalt legs are clearly not as rigid as the similar sized carbon fiber legs of the 1128 and I think part of the difference is probably caused by the less robust locking collars. My friend who ordered the 1198 tripod is returning it, possibly for an 1197 which at least will be tall enough, so I may have a chance to try that one soon.