Apart from Manfrotto, who else makes a tripod with a 90 degree boom arm?

Naboo32

Naboo32

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The title says it all really!

I'm in the market for a sturdy, but protable tripod, for landscape and macro work, to be used with a Giottos MH1301 ball head and about 3kg worth of camera and lens. The 90 degree positioning of the central column to form a "boom arm" feature, on some of the Manfrotto range tripods, is really appealing to me (for macro, mostly) and before I narrow my choice right down to one of the Manfrottos, I wondered if any of you knew of any other manufacturers who offere a similar "boom" feature, please?

Whatever I get will need to be at least 170cm tall, as I'm 196cm tall and hate bending down all day :D.

Thanks in advance for your input :).
 
I have a giottos MTL3361b which has the "boom arm" feature your after. Not sure if it's tall enough at 144cm without center column and 165cm with, but it works great for me.
 
Benbo/ uniloc old but sweet and do the biz better than the new stuff:thumbs:
 
Thanks a lot folks, I'll go and Google those up and see what I can find :).

I must admit, I really like the design and the quality of my Giottos head and monopod, so a tripod from them would be my preferred choice - I must have missed the MTL3361b on their website :thinking:.

Benbo I only know as a manufacturer of car brakes, but then, I'm fairly new to shopping for camera eqiupment anywhere other than Dixons :exit:.

Still, if it comes to it, I'll just have to spend out on a Manfrotto, although the cheap ones are a bit too heavy and the light ones a bit too expensive :D.

Thanks again. Any other suggestions are still welcome :).
 
Uniloc (also search for Uni-Loc) are a breakaway from Benbo and make larger tripods.

There's also the Gitzo Explorer, on p24 of their lovely catalogue.
 
Kit Marshall said:
I have a giottos MTL3361b which has the "boom arm" feature your after. Not sure if it's tall enough at 144cm without center column and 165cm with, but it works great for me.
Click to expand...

So, Kit, I checked again on the Giottos website and you're absolutley right - the MTL3361B has the boom arm feature and at 165cm, should be just about the right height for me :). What's more, it's only around £100, compared to the £240 of the Manfrotto 055CXPRO4, which I was looking at previously.

I see too that Giottos do a carbon fibre version of your tripod for another £30. Not sure if I really trust carbon fibre though, as it's only strong in one direction (stamp on one of the legs, or shut one in your bootlid and that's the end of it ;)). Aluminium might be a safer and stronger bet.

As for the Gitzo models, they're all too expensive and I didn't really like the awkward looking Uni-Loc ones much :|.

Must do some more research now ;). Cheers!
 
OK, research done :D.

I had a good look at all of the Giottos and Manfrotto ranges and decided that the Giottos MTL3361B, heavy though it is at 2.5kgs, would be the most stable and versatile within my budget (of £100-150). Have just ordered one form a local, German supplier.

No doubt I'll wish I'd bought the carbon fibre version, after I've lugged it around on my back for a few hours :|. Maybe I'll just start using my suitccase on wheels to carry all of my kit around in :D.

Anywho, thanks a lot for all of your helpful suggestions, folks :).
 
Just collected my new Giottos tripod from the Post Office and am very happy :).

The height is fine, with the camera mounted on it, I only have to lean forward slightly to look through the viewfinfder. The build quality is ace too - I only hope that the weight (2.5kgs) doesn't ever become a problem for me :(. Looks good with my Giottos head on it as well ;) ...

59130faf.jpg


Thanks again for all of your helpful suggestions :).
 
Naboo32 said:
Just collected my new Giottos tripod from the Post Office and am very happy :).

The height is fine, with the camera mounted on it, I only have to lean forward slightly to look through the viewfinfder. The build quality is ace too - I only hope that the weight (2.5kgs) doesn't ever become a problem for me :(. Looks good with my Giottos head on it as well ;) ...

59130faf.jpg


Thanks again for all of your helpful suggestions :).
Click to expand...

I have one of these which I bought a couple of weeks ago after some extensive research. So far.........so happy!

Enjoy!!
 
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