If you are serious about photography then a good quality tripod is probably the single most important accessory. Ideally, it’s always worth investing as much as you can on one, thereby making it a long-term investment that can grow with you as your skills improve and your camera bag fills up with ever-more exotic lenses.
Traditionally, Gitzo has always catered for the premium and professional ends of the market, while other quality manufactures such as Manfrotto and Giottos have catered more for enthusiasts. As such Gitzo tripods tend to come with the kind of premium price tag you might expect of a luxury or professional-grade product, and the GT2540F is no exception.
Gitzo has a long history of producing carbon-fibre tripods, having been the first company to do so, in 1984, with the launch of its Mountaineer range. The GT2540F here is from the company’s recently launched ‘Safari’ range of outdoors tripods, which are specifically designed with birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts in mind.
The main talking point with the GT2540F is undoubtedly its carbon fibre
legs. They’re made from a unique 6x carbon fibre weave design that’s
intended to maximise strength and rigidity while dampening vibrations
and keeping weight to a minimum. The crown and hinges, meanwhile, are
made from machined aluminium alloy that has been finished in a
camouflage green coating of hard-wearing paint.
Each leg contains
four sections, each of which uses Gitzo’s own twist-operated
G-lock/Ocean-lock locking mechanism. This means they are fully sealed
against dirt, grime and sand, allowing the GT2540F to be used almost
anywhere – in rivers and on beaches, and in muddy field and forests. A
small amount of water can get in, but is ejected when you close the legs
up afterwards. As there’s no exposed metal, there’s no chance of
anything rusting either.
