Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber 3 Section Tripod with Q90 Column and Magnesium Castings (Black)
by Manfrotto
Our Price: $349.00
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: ManfrottoModel: 055CXPRO3
Color: Black
Product features:
- Ultra light carbon fiber and magnesium construction
- 3 section legs for compactness.
- Quick center column system.
- 3 layered 100% full carbon tubes for improved rigidity and lightness.
- New ergonomic leg locking levers.
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber 3 Section Tripod with Q90 Column and Magnesium Castings (Black)
Customer Review: Niche tripod. How critical is 1 pound and sketchy horizontal extension to you?
Summary: 3 Stars
I got this tripod with a Manfrotto 327RC2 head to replace my old faithful Bogen 3021 tripod with Bogen 3038 (big ball) head mainly to reduce weight. I realized that I was getting lazy and relying on electronic image stabilization (i.e. IS or VR) for my landscape shots (all my shots, really) because, quite frankly, VR works very well and I didn't want to lug my 9-pound (without extension tube's extension tube. It's a 2-part extension tube and I'm only using 1 of those tubes) tripod. VR is not as good as a tripod and I really SHOULD be carrying a tripod. I checked the stats and according to Manfrotto, my new 055CXPRO3 with 327RC2 should weigh 5.0 pounds. That's exactly what my digital scale confirms. The new rig weighs 4.0 POUNDS less! Therefore, I'm far more inclined to ACTUALLY TAKE MY TRIPOD WITH ME WHERE I NEED IT. However, approximately 3.1 of those shed pounds is attributed to the difference in head weight. Therefore, the legs only weigh about 1 pound less.
With legs extended fully and no tube extension it is 1 inch taller at the head mount than my 3021.
It is built impeccably well. It's a piece of photographic art. Very pleasing to look at and the leg locks are very comfortable to use and also of clean design.
Now, with the glowing part out of the way, let me get to the guts of this review. ;)
This tripod (legs only) only saved me about 0.9 to 1.0 pounds. And to be honest, it is NOT that stable. Particularly when you put the extension tube in its weird horizontal position. Make SURE you don't extend much in this position or you'll have a diving board! I don't care what sponsored reviewers like Scott Kelby say. I have this tripod and my 3021 set up right next to each other in my living room and the 055CXPRO3 is more flexy than my 3021. I don't know if this is leg stiffness or base stiffness (as the 3021's base is meaty and the 055CDPRO3's is spartan). But it doesn't matter what or why. All that matters is that you can actually FEEL the steadiness difference. The 3021 is a superior tripod regarding stability. PERIOD. I never used to worry about gentle breezes with my 3021. Yesterday, the first day in the field with my new 055CXPRO3, and I found I was pressing down on the base when shooting to prevent slight breezes from vibrating the rig! VERY disappointing. It seems like this tripod could use another pound of material to give it more stability. But then, it would weigh exactly as much as the 3021 which is half the price (with a standard head included) and 4x as expensive as a used 3021 without a head.
So, who is this tripod FOR??? People who MUST pinch every gram. And I'm not saying this sarcastically. There is DEFINITELY a niche for this tripod. If you're a hiker/backpacker/nature photographer and you must lug a tripod for miles on your back or over your shoulder on trails or raw land as I am, you WILL appreciate EVERY GRAM of reduced weight! If this is your style of shooting, I would definitely recommend this tripod as the 1-pound savings (over a 3021) WILL be greatly welcomed and the funky horizontal extension could also help get you that macro shot in the middle of nowhere that you otherwise wouldn't be able to get. Just understand that you will have to hang weight on this tripod or press down on it with your hand to provide necessary stability with even the gentlest breeze.
FOR PEOPLE IN THIS RUGGED CATEGORY, THIS TRIPOD IS 5-STAR *****.
As I see many people buying this tripod on the word of Scott Kelby or simply because they have money to burn when far less expensive alternatives would give them better results, I have to give this product an overall 3-star *** rating. It is too expensive and unstable for probably 95% of the people who wind up buying it.
SERIOUSLY, unless 1 pound REALLY matters, buy a Bogen 3021 for WAY less money. It's a more stable tripod. Without question!
More Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber 3 Section Tripod with Q90 Column and Magnesium Castings (Black) reviews:
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1 2 3 4
Description of Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber 3 Section Tripod with Q90 Column and Magnesium Castings (Black)
Developed to meet the needs of the most demanding professionals and photography enthusiasts who want the best in terms of performance and quality, the new 055CX PRO3 carbon tripods are extremely versatile and feature an eye-catching, ergonomic design. This tripod presents outstanding qualities in terms of height, rigidity, payload and setup, offering incredible lightness thanks to the carbon fiber structure. Equipped with a tri-faceted carbon fiber central column, magnesium top spider die casting and leveling bubble integrated on the magnesium top plate the renowned patented Q90° center column system (Quick Center Column System), which allows positioning the central column horizontally without having to remove the head or the column itself. One of the core pillars for Manfrotto is design. With the 055CXPRO3, all the locking collars, levers and main castings have been redesigned to allow for reliable, ergonomic and lighter tripods. By using 100% carbon fiber tubes, and not mixing any other types of fiber, the quality and performance is uncompromised. High-quality ?Pull-Winding? production technology has been used in order to guarantee constant high quality tube construction. The structure combines a perfect harmony between the number of layers and angle of the fiber directions to achieve an optimum balance between rigidity and compression resistance. The new angle selector levers have been designed to improve ergonomics. The new magnesium top plate now features a bubble to help in leveling the tripod and camera. It has also been highly refined to create a very appealing design that also reduces weight. The new ergonomic leg locking levers have been completely redesigned to improve functionality. They are much easier to operate and have become a seamless element of the tripod.Complete Tripod Units
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