Another broken manfrotto :( Replacement needed

LongLensPhotography

LongLensPhotography

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My 190 leg snapped in half just 2 years since the last one did the same. I actually took pretty good care of this one. It went near the sea only a few times and only received light sea spray, and was swiftly washed with bottled water afterwards. That was still enough to corrode the clip locks on the legs and one broke in half. Luckily I didn't have the camera on at the time - that would have been spectacular (and what a great lesson to keep the strap always on your neck)
I used gaffer tape to secure the bits of the leg for the job tomorrow but was told by a repair shop to source another (6 locks cost 80% new tripod price or something like that)

So the replacement is needed.

Is the new style 190 or 055 any better? I.e. are the locks still made of the same Mg / Al perishable alloy?

Or is there something for a similar price that has all the features and stability of 190 XPROB with improved reliability?
 
I guess carbon fibre is the way to go, Manfrotto do an MT290XTC3 or an MT190CXpro4 with c/f legs, although, I don't know what the locks are made of.
 
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I would advise if you shoot by the sea regularly that you buy a sturdy but low cost tripod for beach use and keep a better tripod for other use unless you are prepred to buy a Gitzo ocean tripod which is the only one I know that uses stainless parts and seals to avoid salt damage.

http://www.gitzo.co.uk/tripods-ocean

I have a Giotto carbon fibre tripod for general use and a Slik 500 pro that is used on the beach and hosed down regularly.

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/giotto-carbon-tripod-fixing-rust.514051/#post-5964960
 
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I had a Manfrotto and it frustrated me no end... I just couldn't get the positioning I wanted, I eventually gave up, gave it away and got a Benbo with the additional centre column bracket and it's much better... it allows me to get into positions that a conventional centre column through the legs design wont allow, it's more stable than my 055 was and it looks and feels indestructible.

For outdoor use I'd suggest anyone looking for a tough tripod should take a look at Benbo and the similar Uniloc.
 
woof woof said:
I had a Manfrotto and it frustrated me no end... I just couldn't get the positioning I wanted, I eventually gave up, gave it away and got a Benbo with the additional centre column bracket and it's much better... it allows me to get into positions that a conventional centre column through the legs design wont allow, it's more stable than my 055 was and it looks and feels indestructible.

For outdoor use I'd suggest anyone looking for a tough tripod should take a look at Benbo and the similar Uniloc.
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Still have and use my original,waiting for it to wear out :D should have added it helps if you can play the bagpipes
 
mikew said:
Still have and use my original,waiting for it to wear out :D should have added it helps if you can play the bagpipes
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If its very old it might have stainless steel locks, it might be actually indestructible.... There's a good thought.

I have a very old Manfrotto monopod (FD era) and it looks as new.
 
LongLensPhotography said:
If its very old it might have stainless steel locks, it might be actually indestructible.... There's a good thought.

I have a very old Manfrotto monopod (FD era) and it looks as new.
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It doesn't have modern things like locks,it has a top leg section that goes inside the sealed bottom tube so i can stand it in anything and a screw in leg fixers.
 
I bought one of these years ago - Manfrotto 190CXPRO4

It's carbon fibre with quick lock things rather than twisty ones but I've had no issues and it's been in sea water numerous times. After a few years I dismantled it and gave it a clean out but that was more to get some of the sand out :\ Had no issues with it really.

My only complaint is that it's a bit fiddly if I want to get it down really low since the centre column gets in the way in the default position. You have to switch it into a horizontal position and then it can be a bit fiddly to get your ballhead in the right position. The one in the shops now seems to be a slightly newer model but I don't think it works any differently.
 
comments to follow - late - bed
 
I ended up buying a crappy giottos (you can't get it wet or you have to take it apart and dry it!). Then I bought that massivelly overpriced lock from Manfrotto. I soon realised all my locks are corroded so ended up sanding down everything and respraying. It will hold together for a few months then probably end up in the bin. These tripods are utter trash for outdoor use.

So to be fair I will be shopping for another different tripod soon.
 
I just got an old time Benbo at a good price 2nd hand, designed to stand in water. Bit of an odd thing, so wondering how I will get on with it. People seem to love or hate them. I hope you find something that works for you. As an observer it is quite interesting to hear your progress with different makes. Choosing a tripod seems a complex nightmare. The Benbo was my cheapest option and was there at the right price at the right moment. To be honest, I was glad to find a deal that convenient as it stopped the nightmare of trying to decide what else to buy, and price wise tripods are such a rip off for what they are.
 
MidnightUK said:
I just got an old time Benbo at a good price 2nd hand, designed to stand in water. Bit of an odd thing, so wondering how I will get on with it. People seem to love or hate them. I hope you find something that works for you. As an observer it is quite interesting to hear your progress with different makes. Choosing a tripod seems a complex nightmare. The Benbo was my cheapest option and was there at the right price at the right moment. To be honest, I was glad to find a deal that convenient as it stopped the nightmare of trying to decide what else to buy, and price wise tripods are such a rip off for what they are.
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I still use my Benbo,i can set it up in the front of the car and shoot out of the window.
 
When I researched them, I found several comments from people who had bought one of the original designs, before the company changed, and have been using the tripods for 20-25 years. I was also surprised that you can still get loads of new replacement bits for Benbos of that era, as they still make the same design. The cost of the replacement bits was very reasonable.
 
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