Sirui T-025x Tripod

[parshal]

Has anyone tried one of these? I've got one on order and thought I'd search the forum to see if anyone is using it but can't find a post. It's 1.5 lbs., under 12" folded and you can remove the center column to further reduce the weight. It gets rave reviews from the photography folks since this new version (the 'x') lets you remove the center column. They also find it extremely stable. It seems like a real winner for a light backcountry tripod.

 

[AitchAr]

I haven't tried it, but it was on my short list with the gitzo 0531 and the slik 624. Like you, all of the reviews I read were positive. If I remember right, the t-025x comes with a head and I already had an outdoorsman pan. I eventually ended up with the slik 624.

 

[parshal]

I received the Sirui. Wow, it's nice. The 5 legs are very quick to deploy and they aren't very long which gives you lots of options when setting the height. Mine weighs 1# 14.3 oz. with the center column and C-10x head that came with it. Without the head it weighs 1# 7.3 oz. Remove the center column and it's 1# 4.8 oz. There's no reason at all to use the center column if you're going to pack it. With all the legs deployed and the center column up it's not going to support even the smallest of spotting scopes without quite a bit of vibration. There's just no two ways about it. However, without the column and 3 of the sections out and 6# on top (my ATX and a head) it's quite stable, suprisingly so for such a lightweight tripod. Adjusting the leg angles are easier to adjust than my Gitzo. You just press the little button down and move the leg and there seem to be endless options for adjusting the angles as well.

With the top leg section out and the angles set to their midpoint it's 12" to the top of the baseplate. Adding the head and scope it's 22" to the eyepiece on my ATX which is perfect for sitting and scoping.

This is definitely a tripod to take a look at if you want lightweight and an array of deployment options.

 

[boom]

with a spotting scope. it that ball head a tap-dance between too tight, perfect..and too damn loose?

 

[parshal]

I didn't try to use the ball head that came on the tripod with my spotting scope. It seems it would be a bit too small for my tastes with an 85mm ATX Swaro.

 

[parshal]

I played around with this a bit more today. My weatherstation was showing 20 - 25 MPH winds so I took the ATX and Sirui out to test in the yard. I had the scope and a 17 oz. Gitzo 2180 head on the tripod with the center column removed. That's a total of 5 lbs. 11 oz. on the top of this little tripod. With the legs fully extended on my kitchen floor I can sit on a bar stool and comfortably look through the angled objective but vibration takes 5 seconds or so to completely settle when you touch anything. That's to be expected with such a light tripod. I retracted all but the first two sections and took it outside. I put it on a firepit and looked at various distances with the wind blowing. There was vibration but it settled fairly quickly without the last two sections out. For comparison, I moved the scope to a fully extended Gitzo 2541 tripod and then to a Really Right Stuff 24 tripod. They were definitely more stable but they weigh 2 lbs. 14 oz. and 3 lbs. 5.2 oz. respectively. Those are substantially heavier tripods and 2x and 4x the price, respectively. I'd say the Sirui had 70 - 80% the stability of the other two tripods in 25 MPH winds without the center column and only the first section out. That's darned impressive given it's size and cost.

 

[grizzly]

My wife used her T-025x last week hunting Barbary's. It is a great scope for binoculars (hers are SLC 10x50, so they are heavy). I tried an 80mm spotter on it and it isn't built for that type of weight, IMO.

The T-025x with a bino adapter is the ultimate lightweight backpacking setup I believe (for those that don't carry a spotter). I don't have a 50mm spotter, so I can't comment on using one of those, but it may work.

 

[snowcamoman]

I have the aluminum Sirui and it worked awesome last year with a Swarovski 65mm spotter. I have the carbon fiber on the way and will likely use the Sirui head or possibly jump up to the Outdoorsman's head. There is definitely a game of overcompensate for the lift with the ball heads.

 

[snowcamoman]

I just put in the order for a Outdoorsman's Pan Head. They're backordered and expected to arrive in about 12 weeks they said. Very informative guys there and great to deal with.

 

[Sundodger]

I have one, love it for it's weight and range of height. The ballhead isn't ideal, but much better than most in it's price range. The pan feature on a ballhead is nice as well.

I use it on my reasonably light Nikon Prostaff 16-48x 65mm spotter.

If I broke it, I would buy it again.