hyperion wrote:
the manfrotto 190s are not very tall - stick with the 055s
well, thats true. but.
iam 6ft2 and use it on my travels with no problem. the only time a problem may arrise if you need to get over the top of a wall or such. but i dont find many walls in my landscapes.
hyperion wrote:
the manfrotto 190s are not very tall - stick with the 055s
I think the height of the 190 will be enough. It's more about the stability and length that I'm concerned about. The 055XPROB is certainly more stable and the better tripod (especially considering that they will cost the same), but with the head it will be about 30" long. I don't know if that is even small enough to put into a suitcase. Plus I usually carry this tripod on my shoulder (in conditions where I need to use a tripod, i.e. city night) so I'm mainly concerned that it will be too big.
Two somewhat obvious points you may be missing. 1) It takes just a few seconds to unscrew the ballhead, if needed for a shorter package. Store it in a sock for traveling. 2) If your tripod is shorter than you may find ideal, or just to get a different perspective when shooting wide-angle landscapes, buy yourself an angle-finder. The Seagull brand, often sold on eBay, is a great buy at ~$50, and it even offers 2.5x magnification for critical manual focusing.
PhotoDim wrote:
I think the height of the 190 will be enough. It's more about the stability and length that I'm concerned about. The 055XPROB is certainly more stable and the better tripod (especially considering that they will cost the same), but with the head it will be about 30" long. I don't know if that is even small enough to put into a suitcase. Plus I usually carry this tripod on my shoulder (in conditions where I need to use a tripod, i.e. city night) so I'm mainly concerned that it will be too big.
as noted above, remove your head (so to speak ) and pack it seperatly. my 190 mf4 packs easily in to my `carry on ` 25ltr rucksack.
parsons wrote:
as noted above, remove your head (so to speak ) and pack it seperatly. my 190 mf4 packs easily in to my `carry on ` 25ltr rucksack.
simon
It's a good idea, but the folded length of your 190MF4 is 18" while the 055XPROB I am considering is 25.8", almost an entire 8 inches longer. That's a noticeable difference.
It also depends what one considers a 'travel' tripod - of course you can travel with a 055 series, but carrying it around all day is a different matter.
I have one old alu 055, which is very versatile and undestructable , and also a Gitzo 1550 Traveller.
Both I love for what they are, and hate for what they are not, it's horses-for-courses and all that.
With the camera/lens combo you mentioned, I'd look into the Feisol offerings, as mentioned above, and maybe spend a little more, or get a MA 190 used from ebay and see how it works for you.
I think after hours of reading/research, I feel that the Manfrotto 190XPROB + 488RC2 best fit my needs. Thanks to everyone for their advice and suggestions!
MSC wrote:
Can't comment on the one show but will say that center cols are not very steady if that is important to you. I take them out and replace with a Markins tripod base. Also have to say that tripods that are too short a def not something I want, been there and not ever again. Leaning over all the time, eye to the camera, composing, etc. is really a pain.
Flip locks, yuck. However that brand seems to be popular in monopods anyway. I have some of thier higher end light stands, they are good stuff. No flip lock on those tho.
I'm actually wondering if you find that the Markins tripod base provides a significant improvement over just using a non extended center column or simply removing the center column. I have a 2 series and have tried both and gotten some noticeable vibration in some of my longer exposure photo illustrations (15-30 second shots) and would love to find a way to reduce it without buying a completely new tripod as I already spent about 900 on my Gitzo 2 series and ballhead.
) and pack it seperatly. my 190 mf4 packs easily in to my `carry on ` 25ltr rucksack.