Sirui T-1204x or T-1205x

I'd like a new small light sturdy tripod for my E-M5 and the Sirui T-1204x and T-1205x, each with the G-10 ball head, seem the most likely candidates.

They seem rather close in size and weight.  The main difference seems to be that the 1204 has four sections while the 1205 has five. All things being equal, I'd prefer four sections, as that should make the tripod easier to set up.

For those with one of these:

1) Why did you choose it over the other model? Does the 60mm (2.3") in folded size or about 100mm (3.7") at full extension make a real difference?

2) Can you setup quickly and easily? I'm a bit hesitant about a tripod with twist lock collars, as other tripods I've owned with locking collars required much twisting. Does four v. five sections make a real difference?

3) Are you happy with the ball head? Does it lock into place and stay locked, with no slipping? Can you move it slowly and smoothly and make small adjustments?

4) How do you carry it - in a bag, over your shoulder, other?  When i carry lenses in a hip pouch and my camera over my shoulder, I'm wondering how I'd carry the tripod.

5) Are you otherwise happy with the tripod?

Any other comments or recommendations?

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http://fruminousbandersnatch.blogspot.com/

I chose the T-1205X to minimize bulk/weight.

Yes, I can setup quickly and easily. The locking collars require very little twisting. I grab them all, twist a bit, pull out the legs, and then of course lock each collar individually. Obviously, the last phase would require slightly less time with four sections than with five, but the difference is truly marginal.

As far as I can tell, the G-10 is a good ballhead. However, I am used since way back when to a three-way head and I still have some trouble getting comfortable with a ball-head when I need to do fine adjustments. In this case, I'd still prefer a solution where I can adjust one dimension at the time. Possibly, I'll get a three-way head later on and use that at least sometimes. The G-10 has the advantage of being small.

I haven't carried it around a whole lot yet. I bought it only half a year ago. But when I have, as I did for example when shooting for our joint waterfall experiments, I carried it in the bag that comes with it. It's a nice bag and it felt very comfortable. If I'd go for a long hike with a back-pack, I might try to find a way to tie it to the pack though.

Yes. It's a very nice tripod and I am happy with my decision.

I guess you have already seen this hard-to-beat deal. That's how I bought mine.

FWIW, the 1204 and 1205 weigh the same (800g).

That's much better than my old twisting collar tripod which required much twisting

If the difference in setup time between the two versions is marginal, and the size and weight differences are marginal to nothing, and one is no steadier than the other with the E-M5 and native lenses, then it seem a coin toss to decide between them.

Does the head have a separate panning ability, in addition to the normal all way movement of the ball?

I prefer shooting with a tripod if possible and something the same weight and not much bigger than a liter bottle of water increases the chances I'll have one with me.

That's the plan. That seller sells both models at the same price.

thank you

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http://fruminousbandersnatch.blogspot.com/

Yes I noticed that after posting. So let's just say bulk then.

Yes, something like that. I think you are very likely to be happy with both. But when I thought about carrying options (both of the ones I mentioned), I thought that the shorter it can be when folded the better. The equally marginal differences in unfolded height, setup time, and (possibly) stability are less important to me I think. I wanted as small and light a tripod as I could possibly get, yet without giving up the idea that it would be an all-purpose and pretty serious tripod. And I think I found what I wanted.

Yes, there is a separate knob to allow panning without unlocking the ball.

Yes, I saw that too. Makes it even harder to decide, doesn't it.

You are welcome.

One thing I forgot to mention in my previous replies: The specs for the two tripods you are considering give their folded length without the head mounted. What really matters to me, however, is the folded length with the head mounted (I'd rather keep the head on all the time). In that regard, note that the T-1205X with the G-10 head is merely two cm longer than without head: 36 as opposed to 34 cm (since the center column is not as long as a folded leg). You might want to check how this figure compares to the with-head figure you would get for the T-1204X. Not sure how easy that might be but as a last resort you can always ask kghobbie (the ebay seller) about it.

Good point

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http://fruminousbandersnatch.blogspot.com/

I looked at the pictures provided by kghobbie after posting and noted that the T-1204X is at least as intelligently designed as the T-1205X in this regard. With the T-1205X, the head adds about two cm but with the T-1204X it adds just about nothing. So with the head on, the difference in length is down from six to four cm. I still think I would go for the T-1205X if I were to decide anew today but the differences between these two options are truly marginal. So as you said, flip a coin.

I do not have either of these, but would like to one day.  The reviews I have read about these from searching the the dpreview seems to indicate the 1204 is the one to get because the 4 leg section tripod is more stable than the 5 leg section.  The fifth leg gets a little thin.  So say the people that have gone through this same decision tree.  Let's see if actual owners pipe up!

I am an actual owner of the T-1205X and have gone through the same decision tree but ended up with a different conclusion.

Do you have a link to anyone having tested both tripods and then concluded that the T-1205X is significantly less stable?

I don't doubt that the T-1204X has the edge when it comes to stability. What I do doubt is that this is of any practical significance to speak of, especially with a light MFT camera-lens combo on top.

I did the research over 6 months ago, and did not keep the links.  I just googled reviews on these two tripods for a couple of hours before coming to the conclusion.  the reviews were not limited to dpreview, but there were some good nuggets here.

Yeah, but did anyone actually undertake a directly comparable test of the two tripods or did they just reason based on general principles about what might be expected? The latter seems far more likely than the former. Furthermore, as I indicated, I'd come to the same conclusion (higher stability for the T-1204X) if I just reasoned in the abstract.

The point, however, is if the difference is such as to matter in practice. This I seriously doubt after having tested the presumably less stable of the two alternatives in practice. The T-1205X is about as stable as I could ever imagine such a light tripod to be.

I have the same general prejudice that a tripod with four segments will be more stable than one with five and have seen reviews that share this view. I have not seen any comparative tests of these two tripods. I'd be very interested in seeing such a test, as it could be the deciding factor for me.

Anders, you say it is "about as stable as I could ever imagine such a light tripod to be." The light tripod qualifier troubles me.  Do you notice movement that you would not expect with a heavier tripod?

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http://fruminousbandersnatch.blogspot.com/

Like Anders W I own the T-1205X.  I bought it to replace the Sirui T-025 which due to the fixed vertical column wasn't particularly stable in windy conditions.  I can't speak about a comparision with the T-1204X through personal experience as I haven't had one, but I can give you my thoughts on some of your questions anyway.

Yes, certainly.  One twist with a wide hand covering all of the twist locks will undo them all.  Occasionally I wish for a bigger hand for this approach - the four-leg version would be slightly better.

I actually kept the ballhead from the T-025, the Sirui C-10.  It's rather lighter than the G-10 bundled with the tripod and shorter too.  It does away with the friction knob, using the main locking knob to fulfil that role.  It has a huge amount of grip, no slipping at all, and is very smooth in its action.

The Sirui heads are excellent.  A recent German test of ballheads ranked the Feisol CB-30C top (88 out of 100), the Sirui G-10 second (82), the G-20 third (81) and the C-10 fourth (75) in the "under 100 Euros" category.  The test, in German, of the under 100 Euros category can be read here: 
http://www.traumflieger.de/desktop/ballhead/ballheads2.php

It comes with a decent quality bag with a good strap.  I do know the problem though - when I've taken the tripod on a shoot I've ended up carrying it over my shoulder as well as the camera bag.  I might get a slightly larger bag with tripod straps underneath.

Yes indeed.  It is stable, and as light and small as to be expected for the degree of stability on offer.  I don't have it with me all the time though - the T-025 was better for portability due mainly to the thinner leg sections.  The T-1205X comes in a surprisingly big box and the carrying bag is a fair size too, at least compared to the T-025.

Michael

Hello,

I have the T 1204 tripod with C10.

If I Ihad to buy it again I would take another Sirui tripod , here is why.

the 1204  is more stable than the 1205 because the last section of the 12o5   is thinner and more flexible.  So the four section i   the  best choice.

the C10 is OK . Not as good as the big Markins M20 but it is quite good for the weight.

However, in practice when using the tripod I  realized that with the column down the 1204 is really stable. When column is up stability is going down very seriously. If I had to do it again, I would buy a   higher tripod in order to use it without the column. The 1204 without column is a little low for my taste.

Concerning the stability I tested the sirui with column up and down with the OMD EM5 with the magnified viex at 14X... and hitted lightly the  body with my finger. The vibration is qreally visible with column up , much less with column down. After this  test you do not want to use the column at all.

However this is a very well made tripod better that my Big and strudy Gitzo that I use for full frame.

Another remark is the bag the Sirui bag is well made but very heavy (  425 r 450 gr) which is half the weight of the tripod !! The s trap does not hold well on my shoulder and I replaced the strap by the OP/ Tech USA Strap which holds very well on shoulder.

Best regards

Bernard

As Anders said, that certainly should be true in theory, but are there any comparative tests that demonstrate increased stability of the 1204 over the 1205?

How much height does the center column add?  I've gotten the same result with every tripod I've tested - center columns meaningfully decrease stability.

Have you tried a test of the 1204 against the Gitzo with the E-M5?

That is very heavy.   A good strap does seem a better solution.

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http://fruminousbandersnatch.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

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http://fruminousbandersnatch.blogspot.com/

No, I haven't noticed anything that makes me think this tripod is less stable than the roughly twice as heavy aluminum tripod I used until recently. My mention of how light it is was meant to underscore its stability rather than the other way around. By definition, a lighter tripod will have a harder time resisting impact, e.g., from the wind, than a heavier one. That's pure physics. But the construction and material seem unusually well suited to counteract that effect.

When I think more about it, I am also less and less certain whether the four versus five sections actually makes any difference at all when it comes to stability. The joints between the segments are very tight when locked with no play at all. And the relative thinness of the final segment can be compensated for by using thicker material. As you pointed out, the two versions have the same weight.



This is interesting. I own a small Gitzo aluminum tripod, the G106 which weight only 1.2 kg. it has four sections legs and the lower ones are very thin. I wouldn't want five sections of this material, but new material may be better. Anyway, that wasn't my point. While I like this light tripod, the way you collapse and extend the legs bother me. It can take hours to wind and unwind the legs sections when adjustfold the height.

Is there any difference between the locking mecanism of the Sirui compared to the Gitzo ?  Is your Sirui tripod easier to lock and unlock ? Or are they approximately the same ?

If the Sirui is as noyous as the Gitzo to extend and collapse, then it would be a more important reason to get a four legs section rather than a five legs section Tripod.

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rrr_hhh

From earlier posts in this thread, the Sirui collars require only  a bit of twisting (much less than a full rotation if I understand correctly), which is much better than the extensive twisting required by the Gitzos I've owned.

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http://fruminousbandersnatch.blogspot.com/

This is good

One can always hang something heavy to increase weight and stability, although in practice I've almost never done so.

Extending that thought, the four section version is a bit taller at the same weight, so it has to be thinner somewhere.

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http://fruminousbandersnatch.blogspot.com/