Gitzo GT5541LS tripod
June 12, 2009
Whether you’re a medium/large format photographer, a big lens shooter using lenses like a 600mm f4, 800 f5.6, Sigma 300-800 zoom or just after a solid base for landscapes and macro, one thing is certain – you need very sturdy support. Enter Gitzos mighty GT5541LS, or as they like to call it ‘The strongest and most accurate tripod in the world”…
Gitzo 5541 tripod
Overview
Weight: 2.8kg (6.3lbs)
Max load support: 25kg (55.1lbs)
Min height: 5 inches (12.7cm)
Max height: 59 inches (149.9 cm)
Storage height: 23.5 inches (59.7cm)
Width at widest end: 6 inches (15.2cm)
Leg sections: 4 (3 of which are retractable)
Official GITZO website
This and the full Gitzo range is available to buy from Warehouse Express in the UK and B&H Photo and Adorama in the U.S.
Lets begin…
I had been shooting with an aging (and borrowed) Manfrotto tripod for years. It had always served its purpose well and despite its quirks I had no real reason to complain. That was, until I started shooting with a 600mm – then, the stability of the Manfrotto stopped being up to the task and I began to appreciate the need for something more substantial. Like most photographers, I already knew about the quality and attention to detail associated with Gitzo. So, after seeing many long lens shooters out in the field use them I decided one of their tripods was the obvious choice, and given the weight I was looking to support the carbon fibre GT5541 LS from the Systematic range made the most sense.
A quick warning
Before we get underway with the review I just want to bring something to your attention. When I first got my Gitzo, I noticed after the first day or two of use that the base plate was slightly loose. Easily fixed by tightening it up with the supplied allen key and after that I didn’t think anymore of it. However I have read on a few forums recently that some owners of other tripods from the Gitzo ‘Systematic’ range have had this same issue. So it seems they may, at times, ship with a screw that isn’t fully tightened. So please make sure when yours arrives that the base plate screw is tight before you start using it…! If you are worried about this, Naturescapes.net have come up with THIS safety plate.
Naturescapes Gitzo Safety Plate
Accessories
The GT5541 comes in the usual matte black box with silver Gitzo lettering. You also get a supplied ‘bag’ which is more like a pillow case than a bag, so of no real use other than to keep dust off the unit when in storage! Also supplied are 3 allen keys allowing you to tighten and loosen everything from the leg hinges and base plate to the safety lock to keep your chosen head securely attached to the tripod.
Supplied Allen Keys
Operation
When out in the field shooting unpredictable wildlife (or chasing the ever changing light of landscapes) there is one thing that is essential…the ability to get yourself in position or change position fast. One of the great things about the Gitzo is the quick operation of the leg adjustment because if you need to lengthen, shorten or alter the angle of them you can – very quickly. And as I said, that speed is important when you’re out in the field as sometimes you don’t have long to react to the changes that are happening in front of you. If you need to reposition your camera in a hurry you don’t want to be fiddling about with awkward or slow release mechanisms. What is even better is all the locks and joints are designed to be chunky and easy enough to use even when wearing gloves, very handy for the colder climates!
The legs are lengthened and shorted using the ‘G-Lock’ twist locks which are very quick to operate. A simple short twist will loosen the lock allowing you to pull the leg down, another small twist the other way locks it very tightly in place. When the legs are fully retracted, it is possible to lock and unlock all the sections with one hand…also, thanks to the way they are designed, the locks actually get stronger the more weight is applied to them.
Quick operation leg locks
The leg angle is also just as simple to operate. At the top of each leg there is a small Gitzo badge which doubles as the lock for the legs hinge. Simple push it out, move the leg to the angle required and push the lock back in. Below is a small animation to show the adjuster in action and the 3 positions you can have the leg in. Simple!
Click for hinge adjustment animation
The lack of a centre column makes the tripod even more adjustable in terms of how you can position the legs. Rather than having all 3 legs spread out and away from the unit, one can be bent underneath so that the base plate sits at a pretty steep angle. This makes the unit very flexible in terms of being able to set it up in awkward or cramped spaces when combined with the other leg adjustments available – plus, the footprint with the leg bent under is much smaller than tilting the base plate with the legs in the traditional way, which may or may not be useful in some situations. Please be aware that care must be taken that the leg crossed over is not pushing against the hook on the underside of the base plate, if it does either twist the hook slightly to adjust it’s angle or remove it completely to avoid contact – it has been said the leg pushing against the hook can make the hook can, in rare situations, make the base plate pop out. But by simply adjusting the hook or removing it you will eliminate this problem.
Flexible leg positioning
Another possible use for this feature is, if for any reason you ever needed to get your big glass facing straight up in the air, you can – although a right angle viewfinder might be needed!
Vertical shooting
Weight, size and portability
Whilst the GT5541 is made from carbon fibre, it’s not as light as it might sound coming in at 2.8kg. But then you don’t really want something too light as the lighter your support the less effective it will be at its job. I find the Gitzo’s weight is reassuringly heavy without being too heavy to manage – but most importantly, and what really impresses me, is just how sturdy the Gitzo feels even when all the legs are fully extended. It never feels anything less than rock solid with not a single bit of movement in the joints. And the flexibility of the legs mean you should easily be able to get a solid platform to shoot from in the most uneven and awkward of situations.
When fully extended the unit should be tall enough for most with the base plate max height coming in at 59 inches – pictured here next to my friend who is 5 feet 11 inches tall. For those that need extra height, Gitzo produce a GT5561SGT that is even taller.
Max height against 5'11" man
At the other extreme the 5541 can get as low as 5 inches from the ground…
Lowest setting
At the time of writing I haven’t taken the GT 5541 on a plane, although I already know it will take up slightly more room in my case due to the width at the base plate end (6 inches from leg hinge to hinge). As far as travelling around the country go in a car, it’s obviously a none issue as it will fit in pretty much any car out there.
Other design features
A few extra additions to the 5541’s arsenal include removable rubber spiked feet:
Removable rubber spikes
A hook on the underside of the base plate to allow you to hang your camera bag or a beanbag from to help dampen even more vibration:
Hook under the base plate
Beanbag used for more stability
A spirit level to let you see at a glance when you have the tripod level and, finally, an extra lock (tightened via the supplied allen key) to make sure your head is really tight to the base and can’t be accidentally loosened or unscrewed.
Built in spirit level
Conclusion
So does the Gitzo deserve the title of The strongest and most accurate tripod in the world? Well I haven’t used every other tripod in the world but what I can say is this…out in the field the Gitzo is a joy to use! It’s quick operation and solidity when you set it down really are very impressive. I’ve used mine in driving wind and rain on slippery seaweed covered rocks and never once felt anything other than total confidence in it’s ability to help keep my gear stable enough to get the shot – especially when paired up with a head like the Wimberley MKII. It’s not the cheapest tripod out there but when you need to support big, heavy and expensive equipment you don’t want to cut corners! As the saying goes…you get what you pay for!
Thinking of buying?
If you live in the UK the entire Gitzo range, along with the GT5541 can be purchased from Warehouse Express.
And if you live in America the entire Gitzo range, along with the GT5541 can be purchased from B&H PHOTO, HERE and Adorama, here.
Extra images
Height fully retracted
Min height: 5 inches (12.7cm)
Great review, very useful information. Thanks for taking the time.
Incidentally, at the time I purchased my 3540LS, the 3541 had not been released. I believe that this was in response to the observation that there was no failsafe method for attaching the top platform to the ring other than a compression/tension arrangement. The thought of 20lb and $15k worth of camera gear falling off due to a “slip” of that connection was enough to send Gitzo’s design team back to the drawing board to come up with the more secure screw-locked arrangement. That was another big negative for me, and what drove me to the Feisol – it has a machined groove with three hardened steel set screws securing the plate to the ring. With only one in place, that plate does not move. The other two are insurance.
Thanks Guys. Gene, you’re right that there being no fail safe is a potentially worrying thought! Although I do know of several users of Gitzo that have never had any problems at all but it is something that could have been slightly better designed to start with, just for piece of mind!
Nice review, I have a unit of the older version 1548, I was having difficulty shooting something quite vertically overhead. But, now I know what to do if a situation like this arise, thanks.
Great review Richard. Just a note of caution with regards the ‘cross-leg’ position – it is possible for the single leg to push out the middle plate if not careful i.e. if the angle is too severe. This was one of the legs position I used to carry my Gitzo over the shoulder. It does this by pressing/pushing against the hook at the bottom of the plate – your above photo shows that it’s almost touching. Please be careful.
Thank you for the tip Des, I hope this is just a warning as you’ve heard of it happening and not because it actually happened to you!! I’ve adjusted the main review to warn others to keep an eye out for this and either twist the hook or remove it to avoid contact.
What do you think about the Gitzo G1500 ? it’s an aluminum tripod with a max. load of 20kg. I would buy it for a Sigma 800mm with Wimberley head. Or should i go for a carbon like the GT3531 (better damping) ?
Hi Van, I have no experience of either of the tripods you mention but here are my thoughts…the GT3531 weights just 2.1kg compared to 4.4kg for the G1500. That is a pretty big difference being less than half the weight! A quick look shows the Sigma 800 weighs in at just under 5kg, so that plus a head and camera should fall well below the 18kg max load of the GT3531. So, due to the weight of the actual tripods themselves, it’s the much lighter carbon fibre 3531 that would be my choice. Although, if you were planning on ever buying any heavier lenses though I’d jump straight to the GT5541LS as the max load is greater and the weight still quite low at only 2.8kg. I hope that gives you some help in making a choice…
Nice photos, thank you for the review. The hand next to the leg locks shows how huge these tubes are.
In response to Gene Lugo’s comment above, I have been using a GT3540LS with a 200-400mm + TC & Sidekick that I carried over my shoulder for more 16 months & never had a problem with the plate.
Regular tripod maintenance is a good thing and checking that bolt is part of a routine that also includes the rubber ends, ballhead mount, etc. So far I had to tighten slightly that bolt only once.
The three little screws used on the Feisol spiders also need to be checked once in a while as I saw some reports of users
having the plate come off in the field as well as loosing their rubber ends or having the leg hinges becoming loose.
A comment by David Fisher, Product Manager, Gitzo Brand, Bogen Imaging USA: “…to suggest drilling holes in a solid, gravity poured aluminum casting, will WEAKEN the integrity of the casting, while providing minimal security. That’s not a trade-off Gitzo is willing to make”.
I TOO noticed after the first day or two of use that the GT5541 base plate was not slightly loose but about to fall completely off with my $10,000 lens/camera attached!
I still routinely carry my entire rig deployed, over the shoulder, and ready to shoot, what else can a guy do?, but I do shudder at the thought of the approximate dozen points of failure inherent to the tripod, gimbal, and lens setups.
Just as an aside, several months later my 500VR lens foot-ring completely snapped although thankfully did not give completely away, so it still held the lens, albeit in a dangly/loose manner.
Tell you what – now when I carry equipment over water, steep drops, or sharp rocks, you might forgive me for gripping the lens and tripod together in an ungainly manner!
Very well done. Thank you for taking the time to do this, it is very informative.
You did an excellent job with this Richard. Thanks for all the effort you put in!
George
HI,good review.
I’m just planing to buy this tripod, but I want to know, what do you think about the 1.5″ long spike set for Gitzo tripods?
Hi Rafael, glad you enjoyed the review. As yet I haven’t found a situation where the spiked feet would have helped in my opinion…but that’s not to say they would never come in handy. I don’t know what type of terrain you shoot on but if you think they might be of use to you then maybe pick a set up and keep them in your camera bag.
Thanks Richard, a really good, informative review – as usual!
My friends think I’m mad – lusting after a 600 quid tripod !?
Hi,
Nice review, great to see actual pictures in context. They convinced me it was the tripod I wanted, and it arrived today. I cannot wait to try it out with the gimple head and 600mm lens.
I have been trying to use a set of 055 legs with the gimble head and 600mm, but i’m getting better results with a monopod, which I know should not be right. This new set of legs should help sharpen things up!
Merv.
Nice review. However you need to get your grammar right. In your very first sentence you say, “Whether your a medium/large format photographer ……”.
It’s not your, it’s you’re which is an abbreviation for you are.
Well aware which way it should be, just over looked it! Well spotted, thanks for pointing it out! Appreciated
Yes, of course, I do things like that all the time myself and I know it’s annoying when someone points it out. Based on your review I’m going to purchase a GT5541LS instead of the GT3541LS I was going to get. The largest lens I use is only a 70-200 VR11 but as weight is not an issue for me I may as well use the most sturdy tripod I can get without going to a Sachtler. Thanks again.
No worries
Good choice, worth buying for the future as you never know what lenses will be in your bag further down the line 
Richard,
I agonized long and hard choosing between the 5541 and the 3541. I went with the 5541LS ’cause I tend to “oversize” with consideration of future needs. I was not disappointed. It is a large tripod but once you get over the initial “wow, did I over do it?” moment, you get used to it pretty quick.
For as big as it is, it’s light and with a large lens “sail”, in a hard wind, it will blow over. Mine did; with a 400 2.8. Lucky for me, it had a T shirt over it to protect from the sun (which enhanced the sail effect) and it fell into loose sand. No damage at all, except for my wife lunging for it and getting cactus in her shin for her effort.
My advice, point one leg opposite the wind direction and use some (lots of) sand in a bag suspended from that hook.