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I'm contemplating upgrading my tripod and have narrowed my choices down to two (for now 
), the Red Snapper RS-324 Carbon Fibre and the Manfrotto 055CXPRO4/PRO3 (Carbon fibre). They both have pros and cons for me as follows:-
Red Snapper Pros
1) Nearly £100 cheaper
2) Should be just about tall enough for me without the centre column
3) Has short centre column for low level shooting, which I would probably leave on all the time due to the tripod being tall enough.
4) Has foam padding on the legs for more comfortable carrying.
Red Snapper Cons
1) Heavier. I trek across the Derbyshire countryside so don't want too much weight and this is 300g heavier than the Manfrotto, and 650g heavier than my current tripod
2) I've seen quite a number of people saying that the locks have broken
3) I can't get to see one in the flesh to see the quality and have a play to see how smooth the mechanisms etc are.
Manfrotto Pros
1) Lighter without being too light.
2) Have seen one in the flesh and generally like the quality and feel, although the clips are the wrong way around for me as it's more natural for me to flick them open with my thumb rather than pull them with my fingers. Sure I'd get used to this pretty quick though.
3) If I went for the Pro 3 is has less sections.
Manfrotto Cons
1) More expensive
2) Due to the length of the centre column it doesn't go that low without turning the centre column horizontal which is not ideal having the ball head in the 90 degree position for landscape shooting as often the ground is uneven and with the legs in the flat position it's not so easy to make sure the tripod isn't slanting forward making it impossible to get the camera level as the ball head would already be at it's maximum 90 degrees.
3) Whilst the shot column is still available from a few places (difficult to come by as has been discontinued) I'm not sure I'd want to leave this on permanently as, without trying it, I'm not sure it would be tall enough.
So on face value I'd say the RS is the better tripod for me, but it's the number of breakages I've seen that's really concerning me. Add to that the weight and not being able to see one for myself and I keep swaying towards the Manfrotto.
Has anyone had, or at least tried both and can offer an unbiased opinion on these tripods in terms of quality and ease of use such as how easy the clips work, how well the legs and centre columns slide, how easy it is to change the leg angle etc please?
TIA
), the Red Snapper RS-324 Carbon Fibre and the Manfrotto 055CXPRO4/PRO3 (Carbon fibre). They both have pros and cons for me as follows:-Red Snapper Pros
1) Nearly £100 cheaper
2) Should be just about tall enough for me without the centre column
3) Has short centre column for low level shooting, which I would probably leave on all the time due to the tripod being tall enough.
4) Has foam padding on the legs for more comfortable carrying.
Red Snapper Cons
1) Heavier. I trek across the Derbyshire countryside so don't want too much weight and this is 300g heavier than the Manfrotto, and 650g heavier than my current tripod
2) I've seen quite a number of people saying that the locks have broken
3) I can't get to see one in the flesh to see the quality and have a play to see how smooth the mechanisms etc are.
Manfrotto Pros
1) Lighter without being too light.
2) Have seen one in the flesh and generally like the quality and feel, although the clips are the wrong way around for me as it's more natural for me to flick them open with my thumb rather than pull them with my fingers. Sure I'd get used to this pretty quick though.
3) If I went for the Pro 3 is has less sections.
Manfrotto Cons
1) More expensive
2) Due to the length of the centre column it doesn't go that low without turning the centre column horizontal which is not ideal having the ball head in the 90 degree position for landscape shooting as often the ground is uneven and with the legs in the flat position it's not so easy to make sure the tripod isn't slanting forward making it impossible to get the camera level as the ball head would already be at it's maximum 90 degrees.
3) Whilst the shot column is still available from a few places (difficult to come by as has been discontinued) I'm not sure I'd want to leave this on permanently as, without trying it, I'm not sure it would be tall enough.
So on face value I'd say the RS is the better tripod for me, but it's the number of breakages I've seen that's really concerning me. Add to that the weight and not being able to see one for myself and I keep swaying towards the Manfrotto.
Has anyone had, or at least tried both and can offer an unbiased opinion on these tripods in terms of quality and ease of use such as how easy the clips work, how well the legs and centre columns slide, how easy it is to change the leg angle etc please?
TIA
