Manfrotto 190PROB MINI PRO Tripod

The Manfrotto 190PRO is a great tripod. Straight out of the box you can tell your holding a quality product. The legs, made form Aluminium feel solid and have a very fine polished finish to them. Folded up and without a tripod head it's not too heavy, weighing in at 4.19lbs its no lightweight but it's more of a reassuring quality weight than a burdening weight. Now then the thing that really stands out to me about this tripod is its versatility. ...
...at (thanks to a small quick release clip at the top of each leg), including flat on the floor. This is great as the mini tripod I was using before wasn't really strong enough to support my SLR and this makes low angle shot very easy indeed.

The removable centre column allows for even more versatility. Not only does its removal allow for ground level shooting as described above but the column also slots into a horizontal groove that ... more

The Manfrotto 190PRO is a great tripod. Straight out of the box you can tell your holding a quality product. The legs, made form Aluminium feel solid and have a very fine polished finish to them. Folded up and without a tripod head it's not too heavy, weighing in at 4.19lbs its no lightweight but it's more of a reassuring quality weight than a burdening weight. Now then the thing that really stands out to me about this tripod is its versatility. The legs have three different angles you can set them at (thanks to a small quick release clip at the top of each leg), including flat on the floor. This is great as the mini tripod I was using before wasn't really strong enough to support my SLR and this makes low angle shot very easy indeed.

The removable centre column allows for even more versatility. Not only does its removal allow for ground level shooting as described above but the column also slots into a horizontal groove that allows for offset shooting. This is idea if you want to get directly above your subject without having the tripod in the way. The removal of this column is a little fiddly but quite simple and doesn't take a great deal of time. I would suggest some practice with it at home before you go out with it though, because if you are like me and have only used budget tripods up till now then this new level of tripod is a foreign thing and will require a bit of getting used to.

The legs work on a quick release lever system that locks solid and is very easy to adjust and open the tripod to its full height in a hurry. The legs slide out smoothly and go to full extension easily. Carrying the tripod is very comfortable thanks to two of the legs being padded. This is also helpful for the winter and during cold shoots where the aluminium legs can get very cold and not feel comfortable to hold at all. The padded legs stop this, you'll still want gloves at the height of a bitter winter but the legs won't be numbing your fingers in a hurry. There is a spirit level located at the top centre of the tripod. I think it's a little superfluous but does come in handy a couple of times when your really trying to get that level shot.

Out in the field the tripod works very well and feels very sturdy and solid. I've been out in a gentle gale with this thing, and although I was being blown around (along with the rest of my kit :D) this tripod stayed strong and didn't wobble or move at all. It also has a handy little hook where you can hang your photo bag, which not only means its in your site but also doubles up as extra support for the tripod. Using it with the biggest lens I own (a 55-200mm sigma telephoto) doesn't make it struggle at all. In fact with the head I'm using (804RC2) it feels as easy and manoeuvrable as my other smaller lenses. I compare this of course to the last tripod I was using, a cheap Velbon Model, which struggled to support my telephoto lens.

The price I paid for this tripod was 79.99GBP, perhaps a bit pricey when you consider it doesn't come with its own head, but than you have to take into account that it is a pro model and most pro models don't come with their own attached heads. I guess this doesn't pigeon-hole you to keeping the head you got when you brought the tripod, and offer you more versatility in the long run, since you can choose to buy the head that best fits your needs. But when buying this tripod you have to consider the extra expense of buying a separate head.

In conclusion this tripod is great and won't let you down. Even in the most extreme conditions you can rely on it for support and coupled with a decent head you won't be upgrading anytime soon. Its fairly lightweight and easy to hold meaning it won't be breaking your back as your trekking up a mountain. All in all a great tripod and for what your getting it also has a great price, but bare in mind the extra expense of buying a tripod head to come with it.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Lee Billinghurst
www.leebillinghurst.co.uk
 

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