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jbirdfl
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Registered: Jan 25, 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 27
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Review Date: Apr 24, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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quick set-up, sturdy, reasonable price, versatile height adjustment
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Cons:
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locking levers not the sturdiest
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This is my second one of these (first one left in a divorce  . Best bang for the buck. My longest lens is a 500/f4 and it handles it just fine. The locking levers on the legs are plastic and feel like they need to be handled with care. (I understand that there are metal levers you can buy on the aftermarket, but I don' thave these). That said, though, I've never had mine break up to this point.
The center post can be shortened easily, so getting ground level shots is fairly easy. This is a big plus over my Gitzo (which must have the entire center post inverted for such things... very awkward and slow in getting set up).
This tripod is very quick to set up. I use both ball and pan heads (Cullman) and have been very happy with this set-up.
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 Apr 24, 2010
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halse
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Registered: Oct 29, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 191
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Review Date: Mar 15, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $170.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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stable, easy to use, weight is ok
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as near as I can tell the 3021 is now the 055XPROB and the 3001 is now the 190XPROB
use the 055X with a Canon 5D2 and the largest lens I use is a 70-200; it is fine- nice and stable; the weight, now 5 lb, is ok and it fits snugly in the Manfrotto MBAG80 bag, use it with the 488RC2 ball head
not as nifty or as light as the Gitzo but fine for my purposes, have had this combo for about a year and it all looks as good as new
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Mar 15, 2010
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JPurple
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Registered: Mar 27, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 9
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Review Date: Jun 22, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Stable and well built.
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Cons:
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None because it could not be stable and lightweight at same time.
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It holds very well a 70-200 IS lens with no shaking and trembling.
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Jun 22, 2009
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poodlelvr
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Registered: Aug 25, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 516
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Review Date: May 30, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Rock solid, easy to adjust, very inexpensive.
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Cons:
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Heavy....but sturdy!
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This is the first good tripod I bought, and it remains my husband's favorite. This is the tripod that stays in the car, getting knocked around, always available. It is heavy but we don't hike with it, just take it out of the car and shoot. Well built, easy to adjust, never a problem. I highly recommend it, particularly considering the bargain price for a quality tripod. I doubt if we will ever wear it out.
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May 30, 2009
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Gary Lee 44
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Registered: Jan 1, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 7077
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Review Date: Jan 18, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $140.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Rock solid-latral arm good for macro shots-easy and fast to set up-foam wrap on legs help when cold or hot weather.
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Cons:
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A little heavy
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I have two tripods a small carbon fiber for times when I don't need a large lens or for indoor use. But I find the 3021B PRO to be my favorite and most desirable. Yes it is a little heavy, but that is what I like about it. Hang the camera bag on it and even on a windy day it want move. I can't imagine using anything else when taking macro shots. Add a Foba Super Ball and you have a wining combo!
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Jan 18, 2009
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matthewm
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Mar 6, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 3457
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Review Date: Mar 15, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sturdy, versatile
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Cons:
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A tad heavy.
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I bought this tripod as a replacement for a much cheaper tripod that I had after a near-tragic experience with the Bogen's less than sturdy Wal-Mart counterpart.
I can't remember for the life of me which head I have on this tripod and I'd look, but it's out in the car.
This tripod is very sturdy, strong as an ox and holds my 5D with any of my lenses quite well. I bought the Pro BN Model as I thought I would appreciate the boom feature of the center column. I use it a lot less than I thought I would.
The tripod is a bit heavy, but worth its weight in gold. The more expensive carbon fiber tripods only save a couple of pounds and I don't carry it long distances, so the extra weight doesn't bother me much.
All in all a great value.
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Mar 15, 2008
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netminder0
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Registered: Apr 1, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 814
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Review Date: Feb 13, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $125.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sturdy, solid, cheap (relatively), and magnificent.
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Cons:
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Little bit heavy maybe?
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This is a great tripod for landscapes and shots with smaller lenses. I can't vouch for long glass since I haven't tried any with this tripod. I think it would be able to support them fine, but I'm not sure.
This tripod is great for the price, and I would definitely recommend it if you want something a little* cheaper than a Gitzo. I bought this used from a guy who was upgrading to a Gitzo. Great tripod for a great price. Some may think its a little heavy, but you get what you pay for. If this tripod was any lighter, you'd be feeling it in your wallet!
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Feb 13, 2008
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Alan Goldstein
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Registered: Aug 20, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 30
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Review Date: Nov 10, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Very quick to open and close due to the flip lock levers. I can unlock all levers and hold the tripod upside down and the legs will close instantly. Quite sturdy too.
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Cons:
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The locking mechanism for the center column.
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I like this tripod but have worn out the nut in the locking mechanism of the center column three times. (I disassembled it and replaced the myself with ones I got at a hardware store - metric thread.)
This wear is somewhat from the way I use it and somewhat from the design. With a camera such as a 1D body in vertical position on my geared head, the camera is pretty far off center. This makes the center column bind a bit and encourages me to really tighten the locking screw to make sure that is securely locked - rather than just patially stick from binding.
I have the Bpro model that allows the center column to be turned sideways. I didn't find this feature as useful as I expected and since have bought an Induro AX214 which I like much more. The method of booming the center column is better. This is the best and most versatile tripod I have found for 35mm work - especially for tight spots shooting home interiors. (Gitzo makes a similar model but the Induro is a little taller and much less expensive.)
At last count I have 13 tripods (Linhofs, Foba, Gitzo, more) so I am pretty particular. Some will be getting sold when I find the time.
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Nov 10, 2007
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Greg Farz
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Registered: Apr 4, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: May 18, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $153.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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excellent build quality, easy/fast to adjust, not too heavy
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Cons:
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none so far
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I just took up photography a few months ago so I was hesitant to spend a lot of money on a tripod my original budget was $75-100 but this got so many good reviews I decided to splurge and I don't regret doing it for a second. This is well worth its weight in gold, don't skimp on a tripod even if you're just starting out. I love this thing, paired up with a bogen 486RC2 ball head was the perfect combo for me. Its not really that heavy, I bought a strap for it so its a little easier to carry on my back. I highly recommend this.
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May 18, 2007
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firewireguy
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Registered: Feb 20, 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1436
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Review Date: May 5, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Very sturdy, will go very low and very tall (I'm 6'5" and can use it comfortably stood up), reasonably priced, center column will go horizontal, ideal for low down macro shooting.
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Cons:
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A bit heavy but I'm not complaining.
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I was always loath to spend a reasonable amount of money on a tripod that I could put towards another lens, but I needed a new tripod to shoot a friends wedding so I thought I'd go all out and get a good one. But having stumped up the cash I am very happy that I did. I have paired it with a 486RC2 ball head which holds my 70-200f/2.8 very nicely. It's very well built and even with the center column extended to full hight is still reasonably stable and more than high enough even for me.
The weight isn't that bad really, but I don't carry it on my back.
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May 5, 2007
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Penia Mon
Offline
[ X ]
Registered: Feb 17, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 9
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Review Date: Apr 18, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $119.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Very sturdy, cheap, quality
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Cons:
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a little heavy for longer trips, can't go super low... but i don't need that :)
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I was very surprised that this tripod was so cheap. It is very sturdy and I feel at ease even when attaching 70-200 2.8 L to it. It seems like something very crazy would have to happen to knock this sucka over.
I am very pleasured by this product, if you're looking for something cheap and amazing, purchase this thang
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Apr 18, 2007
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niecia Dunn
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Registered: Feb 12, 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 46
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Review Date: Feb 21, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Light enough to carry, stable, easy to use.
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Cons:
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None really.
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I find this tripod great for a quick trip out. Definately worth the money.
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Feb 21, 2007
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Blythe Dresser
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Registered: Dec 16, 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 17
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Review Date: Jan 8, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Solid quality build, macro ability with horizontal bar, price (relatively speaking!), height.
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Cons:
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A bit heavy.
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I'm very pleased with this purchase. I don't have the cash to drop on a spiffy carbon fibre tripod, so I did my research and shopped around for a while before scooping up one of these tripods on sale! I bought the silver color because it was slightly less expensive and I'm not concerned about the reflectiveness for macro photography (which I do very little of). Not to mention that I'd read some stories about how the black paint finish just ended up being scratched up before too long, anyhow.
This is a wonderfully solid tripod for a great price. It is relatively inexpensive (approx. $200 CAD), but is more pricey than many of the competitors. In my opinion, you get what you pay for and there is a LOT of junk out there for -$100. I haven't had any problems with camera shake and I've paired it with the Manfrotto/Bogen 488RC4 ball head. An awesome combination!
I haven't had any trouble with the "pinching" extendable legs that other people have complained of, but perhaps Manfrotto has addressed that particular problem. The weight isn't perfectly ideal, but I'm not going to fork out an extra $200+ or sacrifice the solid performance over this issue. I could see this being a concern for someone going on a long hike to take photos, however.
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Jan 8, 2007
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phyrpowr
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Registered: Aug 31, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 165
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Review Date: Nov 12, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $110.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Stable, secure, adjustable, great bang-for-buck
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Cons:
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none
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A carbon fiber would cost me over $250 more, and I'd only save about 1 1/2-2 lbs., can't see it
I'm 6' even, can run the center post up just little, no real loss of stability, and not have to bend to sight
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Nov 12, 2006
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Thomas Lam
Offline
[ X ]
Registered: Oct 26, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Oct 26, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $80.00
| Rating: 9
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I found something close to that brand, but much cheaper on ebay. http://stores.ebay.com/amvona-com.
Heavy and very sturdy, plus much cheaper. It cost me only $80 total
The only different is the brand name.
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Oct 26, 2006
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Rhys
Offline
[ X ]
Registered: May 5, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 3578
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Review Date: Aug 28, 2006
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $200.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Good and sturdy. Great to be able to open the legs further than those cheaper tripods with cross-braced legs as it adds to stability.
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Cons:
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Slightly heavy but on the other hand it'd cost a ton more to use carbon fibre and you'd save only a small amount of weight.
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It's priced fairly. I'd recommend starting with this tripod rather than anything cheaper because as the old saying goes, you buy cheap, you spend twice as much. I tried several cheaper tripods and found all to be flimsy. This is steady as a rock. I regret the money I wasted on cheap tripods because it surely equals the cost of this tripod - spent twice the price to get to the 3021!
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Aug 28, 2006
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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47
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117207
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Apr 24, 2010
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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100% of reviewers
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$145.79
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.58
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9.16
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9.5
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