grease spot
Feet under the table
Registered: January 2011
Location: Westmalle, Belgium
Posts: 1656
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Review Date: Thu June 21, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £230.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Light weight, compact and versatile. Generally fast and easy to use.
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Cons:
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Hard rubber feet do not really hold the tripod steady on smooth floors.
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I bought this tripod mainly for its outdoor portability when walking, not for studio work. Size and weight were important in my decision. Larger objects are more cumbersome, and weight naturally plays a role.
The 055CXPRO4 comes without a head, leaving you to choose your own. I use a Manfrotto 496RC2 ball head which is strong enough to take and hold 6Kg in position, while being compact enough to pack away with the tripod. Adjusting handles on a head have their advantage but just get in the way for portability.
The tripod legs and centre column are made from carbon fibre, the leg-locks are die-cast aluminium, and the head mounting plate attached to the centre column is is magnesium alloy. The 4 section legs, plus centre column with ball-head, and a mounted SLR it will just reach a comfortable height for 6 footers.
Around the top of the legs there is a carrying loop for attaching a strap. A slotted projection about 2cm (3/4") allows weights to be hung, or a bungy tied to a ground screw, for stability.
The legs:
- have 4 sections locked in place by plastic over-centre clamps. Quick and easy to use.
- can be locked in one of 3 fixed angle positions, to allow for uneven ground in confined spaces or to get closer to a subject.
- have rounded rubber feet. Alternatives such as spikes are not provided.
When the tripod is used in the 1st angle, with the legs fully extended, the legs perform well, but when the legs are splayed in other angles the lower sections begin to flex. There is nothing to prevent the legs from flexing when fully extended, as they will do on slippery surfaces such as tiles or parquet. Although the rubber feet will not damage beautiful parquet flooring, the rubber is just too hard.
If the legs are not extended then any angle can be used and the tripod sits as solid as a rock. This would be the expected configuration for ground level macro work.
The column:
- has a head mounting plate with a spirit-level built in. This has the normal tripod screw - 3/8", and 3 retaining screws to lock any head in place. The spirit level is practically useless as it is usually the camera that needs levelling.
- can be manually raised to give the maximum height. A plastic wing-nut secures the column in place.
- can be inverted where the camera can be used in the 'cartography' position.
- can be raised and, using the inbuilt gimbal at the top of the legs, swung horizontal - only. Useful for close-ups, but limiting as further angles must be achieved by adjusting the leg length or leg angle. "Why would you want this?" I asked myself before I bought the tripod. The centre column slides very nicely through the retaining gimbal which allows you to move in and out on your subject. Although this is not as fine as a macro-rack/slider, it works quite well with a bit of practice, but I'm not sure it is useful for focus stacking. The ability to tilt the column away from horizontal would be very useful in these circumstances.
Case:
(Not supplied). Having read about the disappointment of Manfrotto tripod cases by 'Simpbow', I chose to buy a (very well made) Calumet tripod bag for around £17. Unfortunately Calumet only make 3 sizes and the middle size was far too large for the tripod. The smallest allowed the tripod to be inserted without the head fitted - a very snug fit. Challenged by the salesman to make the tripod fit, I removed the centre column with head fitted, and packed it alongside the tripod. 5 seconds extra work  that gave me an easily carried compact bag with a very snug fit for the gear, and a handy pocket on the side for the remote, and a few other tripod related odds and ends.
Pros:
Light weight, compact and versatile. Generally fast and easy to use. Easily cleaned, non-corrosive material, useful for outdoors. Centre column can be easily removed for alternative positioning.
Cons:
Hard rubber feet do not really hold the tripod steady on smooth floors.
Manfrotto recommend that there is a best position to lock the centre column - wing-nut in line with the logo. In practice any position can be used but there is definitely a best position. The number of turns to fasten the wing-nut dependps upon the position of the centre column. The procedure to fasten the column can be slightly frustrating if you must re-orientate the tripod to guarantee a best locked state.
The spirit level gets in the way of the ball head tightening locks in some positions. e.g. ball head at 90 degrees.
Summary:
A carbon fibre tripod is not cheap, but is light weight for its size. The 055CXPRO4 is a sturdy tripod in most circumstances, especially macro work, but I would be wary about using it for interiors with very smooth floors. For landscapes and as a support for anything up to around 400mm it works fine when the feet can be firmly planted.
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