Slik 700dx v Manfrotto 190

dizzy

dizzy

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David Thomas
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Guys,

I'm in the process of convincing the long haired bank account attendant that I NEED a tripod and I was looking at either the Manfrotto 190 or 055. However, I've seen an add for the Slik 700dx with head for £90 which is obviously going to be a cheaper option. I'd like some advice please about whether I should go for the sale price on the Slik or save a bit more of the manfrotto.

Thanks in advance!
 
All the adverts I've seen for the Slik 8700dx, show it as a package with that three way head. Three way heads are slower in use than a good quality ball head and substantially heavier, adding to the overall weight of the tripod. Weight is a serious consideration - if you end up with a heavy pod you just wont want to take it anywhere. This package sounds convenient as a bundle like this, but tripod legs and heads should be carefully considered separate choices.

I don't know anything about this Slik pod, but they've been making tripods a long time and no doubt make some good kit. The quality of the Manfrotto 055 and 190 pods is a given though, well respected as professional gear which is solid and will stand up to years of use and abuse - you'll never need to buy another and your kids will stuggle to wear it out. Buy it right and buy it once. ;)
 
CT said:
All the adverts I've seen for the Slik 8700dx, show it as a package with that three way head. Three way heads are slower in use than a good quality ball head and substantially heavier, adding to the overall weight of the tripod. Weight is a serious consideration - if you end up with a heavy pod you just wont want to take it anywhere. This package sounds convenient as a bundle like this, but tripod legs and heads should be carefully considered separate choices.

I don't know anything about this Slik pod, but they've been making tripods a long time and no doubt make some good kit. The quality of the Manfrotto 055 and 190 pods is a given though, well respected as professional gear which is solid and will stand up to years of use and abuse - you'll never need to buy another and your kids will stuggle to wear it out. Buy it right and buy it once. ;)
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thanks! Think i'll go for the 190xprob then. What would be the best head to go for with a budget of ~50quid tops?
 
I have the 190 prob with a 486RC2 ball head and it's excellent quality, it 's not to bulky yet quite sturdy, fits on the bag nicely and not so heavy that you will want to leave it at home.

The splitable arm is fantastic and makes it easy to get the camera either very low or in to any other odd position.

The ball head is fine but look to save up for a three way in the future as it is nice to have the head locked and move it in only one plane,(panarama shots) which is difficult with the ball arrangement.

It takes a bit of practice to make minor adjustments with the ball head because it goes floppy if you loosen it to much, but overall I have found this setup to be a good solid purchase.

Mike.
 
cheers, Mike. I thought the 3way would be a better option that the ball because of reasons you've described. Is the only reason people are recommending ball over 3way the weight issue?
 
from the sounds of things you would use a 3 way for slightly different things to a ball head. A ball head is nice and quick to use so useful for tracking a moving subject such as wildlife, whereas a 3 way would be alright for doing panaromas (although you still have to ensure the pivot point is the focal point (is that right?)).

Those are just my thoughts, I'm happy to be corrected :)
 
You can of course get ball heads with separate pan function.
 
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