Oben CT-2491 Test Results

The CT-2491 is the largest tripod that Oben makes.  The CT line tripods are incredibly lightweight for their size.  This is largely due to trimming mass off of the spider.  They do not, however, perform particularly well in the stiffness tests.  All together though, their combined stiffness x height / weight metric is pretty decent given the price point.

NameOben CT-2491
ClassAll Around
Stiffness About Vertical Axis472 +/- 3 Nm/rad
Damping About Vertical Axis0.146 +/- 0.015 Js/rad
Stiffness About Radial Axis1397 +/- 7 Nm/rad
Damping About Radial Axis0.265 +/- 0.026 Js/rad
Retail Price$300
Weight3.6 lbs (1.635 kgs)
Manufacturer weight rating39.6 lbs
Maximum Height61.0 in (154.9 cm)
Minimum Height14.5 in (36.8 cm)
Max Height with Center Column71.4 in (181.4 cm)
Center ColumnYes
Base Diameter2.4 in (6.1 cm)
Folded Length22.7 in (57.7 cm)
Folded Circumference11 in (27.9 cm)
Folded Volume219.0 cu. in. (3.6 liters)
Leg MaterialCarbon Fiber
Leg Sections4
Primary Leg Angle26 deg
Leg LocksTwist
Top Tube Diameter31.3 mm
Second Tube Diameter27.9 mm
Third Tube Diameter24.9 mm
Fourth Tube Diameter22.0 mm
Exchangeable FeetNo
Foot TypeRetractable Spike
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.

Bonus Content:

Stiffness vs Height:

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

Very good fit, but rather poor stiffness and damping.

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

Not the prettiest data out there, but it gets the job done.