Gitzo GT1532 Test Results

The Gitzo GT1532 is a tripod in Gitzo’s Mountaineer line.  The GT1532 is the smallest of this general purpose line.  The weight is low enough to qualify it as a travel tripod, but the folded length is too long to fit in a carry-on.  This, in addition to Gitzo’s marketing for the tripod, make me place it as all-purpose.  The GT1532 performs well, in line with what we expect from the modern Gitzo tripods.

NameGitzo GT1532 Mountaineer
ClassAll Purpose
Yaw Stiffness661 +/- 2 Nm/rad
Yaw Damping0.147 +/- 0.015 Js/rad
Pitch Stiffness1705 +/- 9 Nm/rad
Pitch Damping0.68 +/- 0.068 Js/rad
Retail Price$700
Weight2.93 lbs (1.33 kgs)
Manufacturer weight rating22 lbs
Maximum Height51.7 in (131.3 cm)
Minimum Height15.2 in (38.6 cm)
Max Height with Center Column61.4 in (156.0 cm)
Center ColumnYes
Base Diameter2.0 in (5.1 cm)
Folded Length24.5 in (62.2 cm)
Folded Circumference9.5 in (24.1 cm)
Folded Volume176.0 cu. in. (2.9 liters)
Leg MaterialCarbon Fiber
Leg Sections3
Primary Leg Angle25.5 deg
Leg LocksTwist
Top Tube Diameter25.3 mm
Second Tube Diameter21.7 mm
Third Tube Diameter18.0 mm
Exchangeable FeetYes
Foot TypeRubber
Bottom HookYes

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 vertical axis of the tripod:

That’s just sexy.

Example data for oscillations about the radial axis of the tripod:

As pretty as the yaw data is, the pitch data is a mess.  It was reasonably stiff, but something weird was going on.  You can see the sharpest peak, the second highest, is the correct line.  The fit at least is good.