The CT-3301 is from Feisol’s older Classic line, but the simplicity of the design and quality materials make for a high performing tripod. The CT-3301 represents one of the best values in tripods out there. The overall length prevents it from being categorized for travel, but the weight is low enough to compete in that category. Like many Feisol tripods, the leg angle is on the narrow side at 22 degrees.
| Name | Feisol Classic CT-3301 |
| Class | Travel |
| Yaw Stiffness | 635 +/- 2 Nm/rad |
| Yaw Damping | 0.224 +/- 0.022 Js/rad |
| Pitch Stiffness | 2057 +/- 6 Nm/rad |
| Pitch Damping | 0.511 +/- 0.051 Js/rad |
| Retail Price | $295 |
| Weight | 2.91 lbs (1.318 kgs) |
| Manufacturer weight rating | 40 lbs |
| Maximum Height | 53.4 in (135.6 cm) |
| Minimum Height | 6.9 in (17.5 cm) |
| Center Column | No |
| Base Diameter | 2.4 in (6.1 cm) |
| Folded Length | 23.5 in (59.7 cm) |
| Folded Circumference | 12.4 in (31.5 cm) |
| Folded Volume | 288.0 cu. in. (4.7 liters) |
| Leg Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Leg Sections | 3 |
| Primary Leg Angle | 22 deg |
| Leg Locks | Twist |
| Top Tube Diameter | 28.0 mm |
| Second Tube Diameter | 24.0 mm |
| Third Tube Diameter | 20.0 mm |
| Exchangeable Feet | Yes |
| Foot Type | Rubber |
| Bottom Hook | Yes |
The stiffness and damping data are the averages of 10 trials for each measurement. The reported error is the standard error, except in the case of the damping data. I have set the error in the damping at 10% as the standard error metric does not appropriately capture the error in fitting to the data. All of the reported specifications are measured, with the exception of the weight rating. The tripod is measured at full height, with the center column down.
Example data for oscillations about the yaw axis of the tripod:
Beautiful data here, showing decent stiffness and mediocre damping.
Example data for oscillations about the pitch axis of the tripod:
What a mess. Clearly from the time domain data we are hitting the correct resonance, but it is clear we have some more frequency components than we are used to.