Sirui N2204

Reviews	Views	Date of last review
1	13,161	Thu August 25, 2011

Recommended By	Average Price	Average User Rating
100% of reviewers	$420.00	10.00

supersize

Description:

The N-2204 is ideal for use with 35mm and medium-format photographic cameras, DSLRs, and digital or conventional type video camcorders. The recommended ball heads are SIRUI G-20, K-20, K-20X, K-30, and K-30X.

• Light-weight 4-section 8X carbon fiber tripod
• Detachable regular-sized monopod with separate mounting plate and hand strap
• Max loading capacity: 33 lb; weight: 2.86 lb
• Folded length: 18.1 in; min height (80° Leg Angle): 6.7 in
• Max height (23° Leg Angle): with column extended 64.9 in; with column retracted: 54.7 in
• Max leg diameter: 1.10 in; min leg diameter: 0.76 in
• Head mount thread: 1/4"-20; base mount thread: 3/8"-16
• Short center column allows the tripod to reach extremely low positions
• Silicon twist locks
• Leg warmer on the monopod leg which facilitates handling in extreme weather conditions and help to protect the legs
• Three leg-angle settings (23, 52 & 80°)
• Minimized diameter difference between each section for greater stability
• Retractable stainless steel spikes at the bottom of each leg
• Center column hook
• Sturdy shoulder strap for carrying
• Well-designed padded traveling bag
• 6-year warranty against manufacturing defects

http://siruicanada.com/tripods/n2204.htm

Author:

Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 1-1 of 1

ManuH

Site Supporter

Registered: December, 2007

Location: Montreal

Posts: 1,249

2 users found this helpful

Review Date: August 25, 2011

Recommended | Price: $420.00 | Rating: 10

Pros:	Inexpensive, well built, full of features
Cons:	no horizontal bar available

I bought this for 420$ (cad) with the K20x ballhead included (reviewed separately)

When looking for a light but tall and sturdy enough tripod Gitzo and Feisol came up constantly. I was pretty much set on the Feisol but the lack of a real presence in Canada or in store was a bit of a concern. Then I saw an ad in Montreal about a Sirui tripod. Never heard of that brand before. They are supposed to be well known in Asia and they have good reviews. I was surprised but they have a presence in Canada and so I was able to try it in the store before buying it.

My first impressions were more than good. My last CF tripod was a big Dynatran AT-A102 which was working reasonably well but I broke it stupidly. The Sirui tripod combo is not as cheap but it feels of much much better quality. I tried a few Gitzo at the store before and while they are nice I didn't get the impression that the Sirui was not as good. This is of course only an impression as I don't have any extensive experience comparing them.

The tripod is packed with all the features you can think of, except a fancy horizontal column bar.
- Integrated spikes (just have to rotate the feet)
- a carrying compact bag, very well made.
- shoulder strap included which fits the bag or can be used to carry the tripod without the bag (nice touch).
- can be folded in reverse (necessary to fit the small included bag)
- a shorter center column is included for low-angle shooting
- column can be reversed
- 3 angles for the legs
- anti rotating twist legs (a standard now)
- center column hook
- One of the leg can be removed and used as a monopod (unique to Sirui as far as I can tell). I'm not sure it's that a great feature in practice as the leg maybe too small but it sure helps to reduce your gear footprint.

All these features mean that Sirui took a lot of attention to small details. An example of this is the spring for the center column hook: it avoids it to be hooked by mistake. Allen keys are included if you ever need to stiffen the legs. All the accessories, even the bag give a feeling of good quality.

I was surprised by the small size and weight at first and was a bit skeptical about the stability. But tested with a 55-300mm @300mm it did very well, vibration damping seems to be very good (and much better than the Dynatran I had despite the 3 sections and bigger legs). It won't beat a big sturdy tripod but for the size it's close to perfect for me.

I like how the center column work, it's fixed exactly like the other tripod legs. I hated the Gitzo-style fixing on the Dynatran: it seemed that you had to twist it with maximum force to make sure it didn't move. And sure enough there was always a little bit of play. Not with this Sirui, it's smooth to lock it in a small turn, no play.

It's also so light that I often leave the camera on it and walk holding it by the center column (that I try to never extend for max stability) with only one hand. It's light but strong (8X Carbon Fiber).

There seem to be small variations of this tripod. Mine came with 2 leg warmers. Other reviews talk about a warmer removable by zipper. My N2204 leg warmers are not removable. Also the store I bought from was a direct Taiwan import so I won't benefit from the 6 years Canadian warranty (only 6 months by the seller itself).

The only feature I may miss is the lack of center column customization. Only the long and short columns are available (and included which is already much better than most competitors). No complete removal of the column, no horizontal column (although I'm not sure it's that great).

With the excellent ballhead included this is a great bargain. The whole setup feel so good that I want to use my tripod all the time. I feel like I got a Gitzo with more features at more than half the price.

Highly recommended.