Manfrotto 190XPRO Aluminium 3 Section Tripod with Horizontal Column

Product Information

The big feature that many other tripods don't have is the ability to move the centre leg to the horizontal or to clear it out of the way completely, to get lower - some other tripods don't allow this and so you are limited to the height of the centre leg and can't get any lower. This could be important for macro photography in the field - when looking at small creatures or plants. The handles are very chunky and plastic, so they shouldn't be too much trouble to operate in the freezing cold. Once the center column is locked in a horizontal position, your camera will be approximately one foot (30. In addition, the center column of this Manfrotto tripod allows you to tilt the camera up and down, thereby providing flexibility in positioning the camera.

So ultimately the four-legged 190CXPRO4 and 055CXPRO4 are only recommended for those who demand the features of the three-legged versions but simply can’t accommodate their length when folded-down. Manfrotto is one of the most respected names in the business and these tripods represent a significant step-up from budget options. To address this, Manfrotto has considerately fitted fabric leg warmers to the upper portions of two of the 190XPROB’s legs (pictured), which counteract the chills quite effectively, but for carbon fiber it’s simply not a problem as the material just doesn’t get that cold. One-Finger Action: the mechanism lifts out of the casting and allows the centre column to swing to the horizontal position, with no disassembly and without removing the head or camera.Not least because this clever 4-section stand is made from carbon fibre, making it light and strong. Also changing the central column from vertical to horizontal position and back to the vertical is easy. Full Disclosure: The tripod reviewed here was received as a gift from Manfrotto during a sponsored factory tour in May 2007. To switch the column orientation on the 190XPROB and other PRO models, first untighten the column wing-nut, before extending the column to its maximum height.

The bottom line is there may be a number of compelling reasons to choose the 055 range over the 190, but few should honestly reject the latter for inadequate load handling alone. The choice of head obviously also plays a significant role in the stability of the system as a whole.The 055 range is the bigger of the two, extending to taller heights and handling heavier camera systems, although this in turn also makes them bigger, heavier and more expensive.