Oben CT-2331 Test Results

The Oben CT-2331 is the smallest and lightest of the tripods in this line from Oben.  It is incredibly tall for its weight.  In fact, this is one of the lightest tripods available that is not billed as a table top model.  The bad news is that it performs spectacularly poorly in the stiffness test.  This is a tripod that should only be used in ideal conditions when weight is absolutely the highest priority.

NameOben CT-2331
ClassTravel
Stiffness About Vertical Axis166 +/- 2 Nm/rad
Damping About Vertical Axis0.124 +/- 0.012 Js/rad
Stiffness About Radial Axis690 +/- 4 Nm/rad
Damping About Radial Axis0.231 +/- 0.023 Js/rad
Retail Price$200
Weight1.59 lbs (0.72 kgs)
Manufacturer weight rating8.8 lbs
Maximum Height44.7 in (113.5 cm)
Minimum Height12.3 in (31.2 cm)
Max Height with Center Column55.3 in (140.5 cm)
Center ColumnYes
Base Diameter2.0 in (5.1 cm)
Folded Length21.3 in (54.1 cm)
Folded Circumference8.3 in (21.1 cm)
Folded Volume117.0 cu. in. (1.9 liters)
Leg MaterialCarbon Fiber
Leg Sections3
Primary Leg Angle23.6 deg
Leg LocksTwist
Top Tube Diameter18.9 mm
Second Tube Diameter15.9 mm
Third Tube Diameter13.0 mm
Exchangeable FeetNo
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 tested at full height, with the center column down.

 

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

This is very well behaved.  But the performance is pretty spectacularly poor.

Not the cleanest Fourier line, but it shows we are clearly getting the right line.

 

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

The tripod is as usual much stiffer about the radial axis, and there is somewhat better damping.  This made for a tripod that was much harder to test, but eventually got the resonance correct.