Manfrotto 055XPROB

OK so after a few issues back the Landscape ussue DVD recommended the 190XPro, which after reading here is a bit flimsy compared to its bigger brother, the 055xProB... It IS a tad heavy, but a heavy that assures build quality and sturdyness, and in the Manfrotto 80cm padded pack, it is more than comfortable to trek round all day. Taken a few hikes and its no more inconvenient than any other tripod. the leg release to nearly 180° is actually really useful, not just for getting the minimum height out of it, but also for propping it against walls and rocks etc on irregular terrain. I have this item with the 804-RC2 3-way head and the stability it offers is unsurpassable. a final note is that you can indeed invert the central column if you so wanted to get under the 10 cms all in all, a great piece of kit, and i agree with "wjames" that you'll probably never need another tripod. there are various kit offers on at the moment for this product with the 804RC2 head, for as little as £146 +p&p

Following numerous magazine and online reviews (and the failure of the plastic collar on my old Velbon), I divied into the market for a new tripod, intent on getting one of these manfrotto 'devices'. Shopping around online and on ebay, resulted in a new one for £119, and an MN322RC2 grip/ball head for £45! Indicvidually, these are both robust peices of kit and make a great pairing for speed and ease of use - certainly with a smaller digital SLR (Canon 350D). The tripod is awesome - simple to use, solid, easy to adjust and the ability to get the whole thing very low, and then to rotate the centre column to horizontal in a matter of seconds, makes creative use much less of an effort. I don't think I'll ever need another tripod, but I'll probably invest in a cover bag to protect it and make it easier to carry.

(Written by: wjames)

This tripod is incredibly stable, even in windy conditions when capturing landscape shots. I have this connected to the Manfrotto 808RC4 head, and it does everything i need it to do. I have not yet come across a position i need to get a shot that the 055 cannot achieve. It is very well built and i expect to get years of use from it. Highly Recommended.

(Written by: mrsparks)

If you're concerned about the weight of the 055 at 2.4kg and don't need the 055's heavy duty support for 7kg loads, then you should look at the 190xprob - it has identical design features to the 055, is just as well engineered, but £50 cheaper and 0.6kg lighter, and will still support up to a 5kg load.

(Written by: HangTen)

Solid as a rock Easy to use centre column is brilliant Superb for macro work Replaced a cheap plastic tripod with this and have never looked back. The only downside I can think of is it can be a bit heavy when trekking any distance. (Or maybe I am just pathetically weak!!!) All in all though, a great investment.

(Written by: dayun)