Planning a tripod and head upgrade

alan72

alan72

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Alan
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When I first started getting interested in photography as a hobby a few years ago, I bought a Jessops own brand carbon tripod, and it has lasted me reasonably well and kept me satisfied over the last 4 years. However it finally gave up the ghost on an outing a couple of weeks ago, so as I'm now definitely more serious about my hobby I'm planning to upgrade as I replace it.

Based on reviews / pricing / budget, it looks like the Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 Carbon Fibre is the front runner, to be combined with a 498 RC2 midi ball head.

However a last minute bit of searching has shown up the Giottos Silk Road YTL series which look quite interesting. They do a "3D" version, which is similar to the Manfrotto in terms of flexibility of the column, and a more standard vertical model without the flexible column. The Giottos also seem to have particularly good height, 140-150cm without the column extension, vs the Manfrotto's, 120-135cm.

I'm about to upgrade my body to a Canon 70D and typically use the EFS 15-85 for landscapes, long exposures and occasionally my Sigma 120-400.

I've seen good comments on here about the Manfrotto tripod and heads, just wondering on any particular views / comments on the 055 vs the 190 series Manfrotto's and this head for this type of work and if anyone has particular experience of the Giottos.

I had the pleasure of using a Gitzo tripod with an Arca swiss ball head on a landscape workshop last year with Ian Cameron, would love the same setup!!! Unfortunately way out of my price range!!!

Any thoughts welcome!!

Thanks

Alan
 
I have the 055CXPRO4, I bought the PRO4 so it would be slightly smaller to carry. The Midi ball head is also nice to use, I bought both in October and have had no reason to regret my purchase, I did a lot of research and visiting shops, also comparing weights before I made up my mind. I am 6 foot 2 inches tall and find the Manfrotto of sufficient height, and rarely use it t its fullest reach. The tiltable centre column was also a must have for me, and I have found it brilliant for macro photography. All in all a very stable platform, and I assume the PRO3 to be even better.
 
Just to throw a spanner in the works, I've just read that Manfrotto have just upgraded the 055 range. Might be worth looking at these rather than the older ones.
Those Silk Road YTL tripods look pretty good, probably easier to transport due to the way the legs are designed. I'm 6ft 2 and have a Manfrotto 055XPRO and it's plenty high enough, and my mate has the carbon version and that to is fine for me.
I'm not a fan of their ball heads though, I found too much play in the 496RC head I had. I now have a Feisol ball head and it's much more stable and secure.
 
Nothing beats 410 head for landscapes. I couldn't get on with a ball. Considering the head can weigh more than tripod - CF starts to look like a waste of money. 190 or 055xprob is probably the most cost effective solution. The leg locks are a bit cheap, but if you are careful with seawater it should be fine.
 
If you're thinking of a new tripod and head have a think about going for a Gimbal head instead of a ball head. I've been using the ball head that came on my tripod for over two years but just got a Gimbal head and it seems so much more natural to use and far more stable than the ball head ever did. Worth considering.
 
Thanks for the feedback all.

dave_bass5 said:
Just to throw a spanner in the works, I've just read that Manfrotto have just upgraded the 055 range. Might be worth looking at these rather than the older ones.
Those Silk Road YTL tripods look pretty good, probably easier to transport due to the way the legs are designed. I'm 6ft 2 and have a Manfrotto 055XPRO and it's plenty high enough, and my mate has the carbon version and that to is fine for me.
I'm not a fan of their ball heads though, I found too much play in the 496RC head I had. I now have a Feisol ball head and it's much more stable and secure.
Click to expand...

Dave, I've never come across Feisol, but a quick search and they look like an impressive piece of kit, and not excessively priced. Which model do you use? Can you get the head right over to shoot in portrait orientation? I assume so but worth checking!

Yes, the Manfrotto home page does show a new 055 series, but it doesn't seem to be on their UK site yet. Will have to do some digging, thanks for the heads up!
 
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