Tripod: Manfrotto, Vanguard, Giottos?

Sebastian

Sebastian

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Sebastian
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Hi guys,

Me again...

I was already asking for tripod advice here before - I was thinking about buying Giottos Virtuvian tripod.
Great idea, but not sturdy enough for D3 with 24-70 and 80-200.

So, after a long week of research, I have narrowed my selection to this...

1) Manfrotto 055XPROB
2) Vanguard Alta series
3) Giottos MTL 9 series

Can you help?

I would really love to hear what is you opinion about Vanguard. I had a chance to see it in the camera shop. Well constructed, lighter than 055XPROB... it was handling my camera well... but can you REALLY test the tripod in the shop?...

Let me know what you think.


Many thanks,

Seb
 
JOTC.....save yourself some brass and get a redsnapper................:thumbs:

Edit..you spunked brass on a D3 and can`t decide on a bloody tripod?
 
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Was going for the Redsnapper but took a punt in the wanted section in the classifieds and got the Manfrotto at a a very good price and arrived as new. It's a very nice piece of kit.
 
fracster said:
JOTC.....save yourself some brass and get a redsnapper................:thumbs:

Edit..you spunked brass on a D3 and can`t decide on a bloody tripod?
Click to expand...

Can't decide because I never had to use one.
I want to try landscape photography on my trip to Tuscany so.. here I am, asking for advice.
 
REDSNAPPER

Can I emphasis that any more? :)

Edit (something more useful): I use the Redsnapper with the three way head for landscapes. It gets really nice and low for shooting seascape stuff bit it's still a good height (taller than me!) when it needs to be. The interchangeable centre columns are a dream. Only bad thing I can say about is with the three-way head you need to unscrew one of the arms to get it to fit in the bag and that you need to give it a rinse down if you get it in salt water or the spikes in the feet will rust up. But even so, it's WELL worth the money.
 
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OK guys, I get it, I think you like Redsnapper!

Any particular tripod models worth looking at?

I would still love to hear from non-Redsnappers :)
 
Hmmmmmmh, something tells me that Redsnapper is worth a look :thinking:
 
johnnypanic said:
Hmmmmmmh, something tells me that Redsnapper is worth a look :thinking:
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Yes, some of them are quite nice. And the price is good!

Still waiting for some response about the ones I have mentioned in my initial thread
 
I had a Manfrotto 055XPROB and it's a decent tripod.

I wound up with a Slik Pro 700DX AMT Tripod - the Manfrotto didn't see the light of day after that.

I still use various heads including Manfrotto but it's worth mentioning that the Slik head that comes with the 700DX will hold heavy gear.
 
I have the 055xprob with 804rc2 head and couldn't recommend it enough. Very sturdy piece of kit and could probably hold 2 D3's with 70-200s on them! Not particularly lightweight but unless you're a very long distance hiker then its not a burden.

5*s from me.

Also I have a freind who has a red snapper and he loves it. I don't think its quite as sturdy as mine but I'm probably slightly biased?,
 
I have a Giottos 9361b and it is solid and the range of movement with the legs and the stem are fantastic , with a Canon 5d 70-200 f/2.8 on it .@ £119 it was a great buy
 
I really would not look at RedSnapper for your kit. They are lightweight and cheap consumer jobbies and although exceptional value they are not up to a D3 and 24-70, which is as heavy, and as front heavy, a lump as it's possible to put on a tripod. Even the bigger RS-384 is not up to that, and the RSH-12 head, though it really does punch well above its weight for a £50 ball head, does not have the clamping strength for that outfit.

Putting several grand's worth of top pro kit on a £50 tripod is not a good plan. In terms of size and strength, you should be looking at a Manfrotto 055 as minimum, with an appropriate head. At this stage, I always recommend Benro, which are Chinese copies of Gitzo, and when you buy through Ebay as opposed to the UK importer (as many of us on here have done) they are brilliant value - half the cost of Gitzo.

I have a C-257 M8 with J-2 head which is similar size to a MF 055. That would be minimum. Around £180 (delivered in a few days) for the legs here, DC's Store v good supplier http://cgi.ebay.com/New-BENRO-C-257...-EMS-Ship-/250627932951?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0 Nothing more to pay and nobody I know has so far been hit for imported taxes. You might want to go one up on that, and get a 357 with J-3 head (the B-2 or B-3 heads are just as good, just different control knobs).

The aluminium versions are cheaper, but heavier.
 
kingbling11 said:
I have the 055xprob with 804rc2 head and couldn't recommend it enough. Very sturdy piece of kit and could probably hold 2 D3's with 70-200s on them! Not particularly lightweight but unless you're a very long distance hiker then its not a burden.

5*s from me.

Also I have a freind who has a red snapper and he loves it. I don't think its quite as sturdy as mine but I'm probably slightly biased?,
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Agreed. Get on with it...
 
dinners said:
I had a Manfrotto 055XPROB and it's a decent tripod.

I wound up with a Slik Pro 700DX AMT Tripod - the Manfrotto didn't see the light of day after that.

I still use various heads including Manfrotto but it's worth mentioning that the Slik head that comes with the 700DX will hold heavy gear.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I will have a look at Slik range

kingbling11 said:
I have the 055xprob with 804rc2 head and couldn't recommend it enough. Very sturdy piece of kit and could probably hold 2 D3's with 70-200s on them! Not particularly lightweight but unless you're a very long distance hiker then its not a burden.

5*s from me.

Also I have a freind who has a red snapper and he loves it. I don't think its quite as sturdy as mine but I'm probably slightly biased?,
Click to expand...

I would buy this exact set if I would go with 055. Thanks for letting me know!

janbokev said:
I have a Giottos 9361b and it is solid and the range of movement with the legs and the stem are fantastic , with a Canon 5d 70-200 f/2.8 on it .@ £119 it was a great buy
Click to expand...

I will have a look at this one, thanks!

HoppyUK said:
I really would not look at RedSnapper for your kit. They are lightweight and cheap consumer jobbies and although exceptional value they are not up to a D3 and 24-70, which is as heavy, and as front heavy, a lump as it's possible to put on a tripod. Even the bigger RS-384 is not up to that, and the RSH-12 head, though it really does punch well above its weight for a £50 ball head, does not have the clamping strength for that outfit.

Putting several grand's worth of top pro kit on a £50 tripod is not a good plan. In terms of size and strength, you should be looking at a Manfrotto 055 as minimum, with an appropriate head. At this stage, I always recommend Benro, which are Chinese copies of Gitzo, and when you buy through Ebay as opposed to the UK importer (as many of us on here have done) they are brilliant value - half the cost of Gitzo.

I have a C-257 M8 with J-2 head which is similar size to a MF 055. That would be minimum. Around £180 (delivered in a few days) for the legs here, DC's Store v good supplier http://cgi.ebay.com/New-BENRO-C-257...-EMS-Ship-/250627932951?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0 Nothing more to pay and nobody I know has so far been hit for imported taxes. You might want to go one up on that, and get a 357 with J-3 head (the B-2 or B-3 heads are just as good, just different control knobs).

The aluminium versions are cheaper, but heavier.
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Thanks for letting me know, I will have a look on eBay.
And yes, you are right about Redsnapper, I had a chance to read some reviews last night - great tripods for consumer level.


billybob99 said:
I bought a is 9361 sturdy well built and the deter colomn that goes through 180 degrees £85 without head good value
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Thank you, I will have a look at this particular Giottos.
 
Well I use the 055's little brother, the 190, for my macro and it is an excellent tripod.

I went for the 190 instead of the 055, because it fulfilled my needs for macro photography perfectly (I don't need height), and I am very glad of that when I'm carrying it around for an afternoon.

If landscapes were my thing, I might have gone for the 055 for the extra height and marginally more stability (but stability isn't a problem at low macro heights).

It's the law of diminishing returns. A redsnapper would be very good. A manfrotto is better, but is the difference worth the price difference for you? No one can answer that but you. Go try out a manfrotto somewhere, see if you think it's worth it. I can also vouch for the giottos. They're very good tripods too.
 
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I know everyone keeps on going about the red snapper but how sturdy are they compared to a Gitzo systematic? Has anyone managed to do a comparison - I've a 3531VLS/LS but looking for something a bit more flexible such as the Gitzo Mountaineer but have heard good things about the Red Snapper.

Anyone with real experience using the pair that can comment would be much appreciated!
 
For me the best tripod is Uni-Loc one it is strong and you can put it in any postion from low and the ground to high sideways to having both ends with something on such as a flash..
There is one that goes up to 94ins high



The bit I like about them is the legs you, you do not get water or dirt up inside the legs when in water or mud...

Oh and Made in England
 
HoppyUK said:
I really would not look at RedSnapper for your kit. They are lightweight and cheap consumer jobbies and although exceptional value they are not up to a D3 and 24-70, which is as heavy, and as front heavy, a lump as it's possible to put on a tripod. Even the bigger RS-384 is not up to that, and the RSH-12 head, though it really does punch well above its weight for a £50 ball head, does not have the clamping strength for that outfit.
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Good Lord Richard,regarding the legs, what nonsense, sorry bud.

My redsnapper holds a gripped D700,Sigma 300-800 on a Manfrotto 393 head, substantially more than a D3 and a 24-70. And it takes the weight very well and has done for years. By all means spend on a better head, though mine holds a gripped D200 with 17-55 with ease, but the legs are more than up to holding a diddy outfit like a D3 and a 24-70.........:)
 
I'd always had velbon sherpa's and slik tripods, until the thread snapped on my Slik 88 for the umpteenth time, I then tried a manfrotto and haven't looked back.

I use the 190PROB at present along with an RC324 head and am quite happy with it.

If I was going out in the field a lot I would probably spend a little more and get the carbon version of the O55PROB, just for the weight saving, I know its a lot of money but your putting your D3 on it along with quality lenses, no sense in scrimping on the support for it, and travelling you want something thats light, rigid and rugged.

Oh I should add that the PROB's are as versatile as it gets without going for benbo or Uni-loc, but without the hassle they can be until you aquire the nack.
 
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fracster said:
Good Lord Richard,regarding the legs, what nonsense, sorry bud.

My redsnapper holds a gripped D700,Sigma 300-800 on a Manfrotto 393 head, substantially more than a D3 and a 24-70. And it takes the weight very well and has done for years. By all means spend on a better head, though mine holds a gripped D200 with 17-55 with ease, but the legs are more than up to holding a diddy outfit like a D3 and a 24-70.........:)
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When you say RedSnapper, you need to qualify what model, which nobody except me has done so far. The 283 and 284 are most popular and that is not a very rigid tripod relatively speaking. Great value for sure, but it's a £50 tripod and it seems to be being compared to others costing several times that much.

The OP has a very heavy outfit - a D3 with 24-70, presumably a Nikon f/2.8 which doesn't have a tripod collar and so is very front heavy, and an 80-200 (guessing a Nikon f/2.8 again). No RedSnapper is up to that for serious use. The 324 is better (it costs twice as much at £100) but that is still not up to pro standard. For the price, it's unrealistic to expect it to be.

I don't have a downer on RedSnapper at all - recently bought a 234 plus ball head for a friend and would do so again - and there's simply nothing to touch that for £100 all in (less 10% discount for TP members). But stand it next to my Benro 257, or a MF 055, or anything else costing several times the price and it is just not in the same league. The leg collars and platform joints have loads more flex and movement in them.

My point is this - for lightweight consumer use, a Redsnapper will do the job at an extremely attractive price. As I've said numerous times, the RSH-12 ball head is really very good indeed and nice to use, but lacks the ultimate clamping stength of some other ball heads (again costing several times the price) and will simply not hold a D3/24-70.

On the other hand, the OP does not have a lightweight consumer outfit - actually about as far away from that as it's possible to get.
 
Mine is that battered and bruised that it has no labels left on it, though i`m sure it is the 283. It has served me that well that i`m still pondering on wether to spend on those lovely carbon legs we discussed.Me,indecisive?.........:naughty:

For the combo under discussion, I would buy the cheaper RS legs and spend more on a better ball head.
 
I havent had experience with a lot of tripod manufacturers, so I wont suggest which make you should buy, Sebastian.

However, what I would recommend, is considering a model with the ability to move the centre column at various angles to the legs. This gives the opportunity to get the camera offset & is very useful for getting close to macro subjects.

I bought a Giottos 9351b & have appreciated the offset column often.
 
What case would you recommend for carrying the top-mentioned tripod and ballhead? I've got the 055MF3 which I think is pretty similar along with the 488RC2.

Looking for a shoulder strap on it to make it easier to carry. Seen some but not sure what size to go for for the best fit.

Any advice?

Best

Heather
 
I had a look at some tripods on Saturday, compared Manfrotto 055XPROB with the carbon version and I felt the carbon model had less flex in the legs when extended, does anyone else have experience of this or was I just imagining it . . . ?

I have a Giottos 1301MH652 head to fit to the next tripod I get, not sure whether to get the 055 or the Giottos equivalent, I'm not the extra versatility of the centre column is worthwhile for my photography.
 
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