Oben CT-2491 Tripod, GH-30 Gimbal and MFR4-5 Macro Focus Rail Review

Tripod

Aluminum and carbon fiber are the two materials of choice for a photography tripod, being used in the overwhelming majority of products. Aluminum is cheaper to manufacture and is generally used on entry-level products for which cost is an issue. On the other hand, carbon fiber has higher load-bearing capabilities by weight, a lighter material to carry, is less sensitive to vibrations, and less prone to thermal effects. This makes it an ideal material for tripods. It is thus no surprise that almost all high-end tripods use this material. The flip side, as can be expected, is that it's more expensive than aluminum.

The Oben CT-2491 tripod is one of the company's higher-end products. As such, it is no surprise that it uses carbon fiber. Specifically, the legs are made of 6-layers of carbon fiber. Some manufacturers use up to 8 or 10 layers, however the number of layers does not tell the whole story. Their thickness, orientation, as well as the diameter of the legs play an important role in general stiffness.

Tripod Legs

The legs on the CT-2491 are made of four sections, the larger having a wide 33mm diameter.

This large diameter (shown above compared to the Sirui T-025X travel tripod) gives an impression of strength and heft, which makes picking up the tripod a pleasant surprise as it is much lighter than expected. The legs do not feature the foam coating sometimes found on outdoors or travel tripods. Luckily, carbon fiber is not as cold to the touch as aluminum.

The carbon fiber's finish is elegant and subjectively good-looking.

The legs are extended by using twist locks. The debate rages on as to which is better, flip or twist locks. On one hand, flip locks are generally faster. On the other end, they protrude from the shaft and they only offer binary control: either open or closed. For their part, twist locks offer a slimmer profile and can be tightened more or less strongly to offer better control over the legs' extension. What's more, over time flip locks can become loose, while twist locks can always be turned a bit more to offer a stronger grip.

The twist locks on the Oben CT-2491 are solid and easy to rotate. Gripping them by one hand allows them to be released in one single movement. However, this is mitigated by the long throw: the locks need to be twisted by about a half-turn before releasing the legs. We prefer quarter-turn releases, which are faster and more fluid. We can only assume that the longer throw is required to ensure a strong lock when heavy equipment is mounted.

When fully extended, the legs are taller than most people, even without using the center column (on the picture above, the CT-2491 dwarfs the Sirui T-025X). This allows the user to place the tripod below them, for instance on a hillside. It can also be useful to shoot over obstacles and crowds, to properly frame a subject positioned higher than the photographer (think a stage) or to be able to orient the camera upwards without forcing the user to bend down to see in the viewfinder. In many cases, this extra height is probably overkill and adds to the size and weight of the tripod.

The leg position, or angle, is adjusted via a pretty common push-pull metal tab. With the tab pushed down, the legs naturally lock at their standard, tallest position.

Pulling on the tab and rotating the legs locks them at the widest, shortest setting. This is a nice touch as it makes adjustments faster. To use the third, middle position, the tab needs to be pulled up, the legs rotated, then the tab pushed back down so it engages.

One nice touch is that the tabs can be either pulled by grabbing them from the front, or simply pushed out from behind, as shown above.

The feet are rubber but also offer retractable metal spikes. These are accessed by rotating the external rubber. Sand and dust can enter the mechanism and make operation more difficult. While we didn't encounter problems during our tests, it's always a good idea to clean the mechanism after exposing it to harsh environments.

In a rare move, the tripod is supplied with three Hex keys and a plastic holder which simply snaps over any of the legs. Carrying the tools this way might cause scratches to the finish, so care must be applied, but having the Hex keys under hand at all times certainly is useful.

Center Column

While fairly classical in its basic functions, the CT-2491's center column packs a few interesting elements.

The main shaft is made of carbon fiber, just like the tripod legs. It passes through a cast aluminum alloy spider. Thanks to a groove on one side, the column will not rotate when used.

A large handle with two wings locks the column in place. The handle needs to be turned significantly to release the column; the user will feel the difference in friction when it is loosened.

The spider features a multi-purpose hook.

The top plate where the tripod head is attached is wide and thick.

It features three screws under the plate, which can be tightened when a head is in place, to prevent it from rotating or disassembling. The screws apply simple friction to the base of the head. Thanks to the supplied Hex keys, adjusting the screws is easy.

Underneath the top plate is a red silicone bumper. It serves as an added precaution, should the center column fall down along its shaft (for instance, if poorly tightened). The ring isn't very large but it's certainly better than nothing, and a good idea.

At the bottom of the column is the fairly common hook. This can be used to hang something heavy, such as a camera bag, to improve stability of the tripod in harsh conditions (a windy day, for instance). Some companies elect to use a rubber-coated carabineer instead of a metal hook, to lower the chances of scratching the finish. Here the hook is metal, and could scratch the legs, although it's unlikely. The hook is spring-loaded and retracts into the column.

The hook can be removed by unscrewing the bottom of the column. This allows the user to reverse the column to reach ground level.

The main shaft can be separated in two sections, again by use of one of the Hex keys.

Doing so, the photographer can completely remove the center column, and use only the top plate.

This makes the tripod marginally lighter, and allows use at much lower heights. The hook cannot be attached when using the center column this way.

Verdict

The Oben CT-2491 is a nicely made tripod. Without breaking the mold, it includes a few interesting elements (center column bumper, Hex keys holder) that improve usability. The tripod is well assembled and gives an impression of quality. There are no cut corners in this design and the tripod should be very durable.

We like the large legs, twist locks, removable non-rotating center column with bumper, and the straightforward, familiar design. We didn't care about the central hook and the long throw of the twist locks.