Manfrotto 190XDB 3 Section Aluminum Tripod

I love my Manfrotto 190XDB tripod. It's stable. It's solidly built. It's light weight (3.5 lbs). The legs easily extend or retract after loosening the wing locking knobs which are easy to use. I have another tripod with quick release brackets for the legs. I wish this tripod had that feature, too, but for the price, it's not a deal breaker. I love the fact that you can invert the stem and hang the camera below the tripod, too. With the head attached and the center column raised, it rotates smoothly with zero vibration. I've purchased lesser tripods and have experienced annoying vibrations as I pan my video camera. That doesn't happen with the Manfrotto.My students and I use this tripod for video projects, and we all love that the tripod can raise or lower the camera from 13" to almost 58" to vary the angles.Note to buyer: The price of the tripod is a bit misleading...This tripod does NOT come with a head or quick release plate. To use the tripod I had to purchase a head (I chose the Manfrotto 128LP Micro Fluid Head for its smooth action and no-frills at about $70) and the Manfrotto 323 RC2 Rapid Connect Adapter with 200PL-14 Quick Release Plate (at about $30).With all the pieces in place, this is a tripod that I'll be able to use for years with both HD video cameras and SLRs. I'm happy with the purchase and love the Manfrotto brand.

For the weight this tripod supports and its stability with a camera mounted this is a relatively lightweight and sturdy tripod. I bought the 3-section with the clip locks as this is the fastest type to setup and take down. All you need to do is open the clip lock and the leg slides down.It is a bare bones tripod with a small sort of hook integrated into the top plate that is not as useful as a hook at the bottom of the center colummn. The feet pads are not likely to wear very well. There is no bubble level on the top plate which is a serious defect.The lack of a bubble level may seem like a small thing but if you are panning for any reason the tripod's head needs to be level. With any type of pan tilt or ball head mounted on the small top plate there is no way to insure that the tripod head is level.The Oben AC-1310 tripod is a much better triopod if you can buy it without a head and add your own - like the Vanguard SBH-100 which is much better than the Oben ball heads as the Vanguard has a separate pan control knob and a more secure ball head lock.

This tripod was recommended to me from a professional photographer as a good "starter" tripod. The box it was delivered in was basically destroyed...they just don't "ship with care" anymore, do they?...but the tripod was fine, which demonstrates the sturdy construction of it. I've had it now for around a month and have used it quite a bit as I'm learning photography. So what have I learned? It's very sturdy, solid. Even though it's aluminum, it's not the lightest thing in the world so lugging it around probably wouldn't be fun...you may want a lighter, more compact one if you plan on carrying it a lot. There is no level on it so if you're using it on uneven ground you may want to have a small hand-sized level handy. Maybe the more expensive tripods or mounting balls have built in levels, but this one does not. But if you are just planning to use it in a studio or just a flat surface for portraits and such, then this tripod is perfect.

I bought this as my first step towards a Pro tripod. I like it, but I don't Love it. $109 for this is a great buy. It dose everything it advertises. I was wrong in assuming the legs were reversible for low angle or macro shooting though. I could care less that the legs go straight out as you have to extend the center pole all the way up(the most unstable thing on ANY TRIPOD) Other than that it is a Pro Tripod for just over a hundred bucks. It works It is solid and it looks good. pair this with a quality head and you have a good somewhat light Pro end Tripod. I will be looking into the Carbon Fiber Version as it will be lighter, quieter not as cold to the touch, but more costly.

My first purchase for non-cheapo tripod setup. One thing I did not realize was that it does not come with a camera mount. You need to purchase yet another mount that connects the camera with the tripod. I later purchased the ball-mount quick-release from Manfrotto, which works well. All the cheaper light-weight tripod seems to require a weight-bag if you want the tripod to remain stable. I figured that I don't want something like wind to knock over expensive lens and camera. So in that case, $150-200 for a sturdy tripod setup (the tripod and mount) won't be such a bad thing. If you have a $200 camera, not so much.Pros:-Stable-It does not need a weight bag-Peace of mindCons:-It is heavier than your normal plastic tripod-Requires additional purchase for a complete tripod setup

This is an entry level tripod for the lighter range of DSLR cameras. It works well for my Canon 60D since the 60D has a lighter body than the previous model. It is also fairly light for a metal tripod, but it seems to be sturdy enough. Of course it isn't as light as a carbon fiber tripod, but it is also a lot cheaper. It works just fine as a low end DSLR tripod, and that's all it is meant to do. It is far better than any cheap tripod found in Best Buy or some other similar store that sells the cameras that would need it. Pair this with a Manfrotto 496RC2 head, and you'll have a decently priced setup for your starting DSLR.