Posted by Paul DeCesare on February 18, 2014 at 8:53 PM
B&H Photo has the popular Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 CF tripod on sale for $249.88 delivered. GREAT price for a strong CF pod.
I owned this pod for a couple years, it's lightweight and can easily handle up to a 5D Mark III and 70-200mm, certainly any camera body with a WA lens. It also has a center post that slides up then goes horizontal if needed, super for Macro photography. Because I owned it I wanted to share the deal and mini-review, because I have never seen it for this low of a price. If you want to go CF this is a great deal. However, it's not for the big guns. I mounted a borrowed 400mm/2.8 with the 5D3 and it didn't fare too well. I was able to use the amazing IS in that lens to pull of the shot I wanted, but on its own with no sandbags it was underpowered. But for the WA landscape shooter who hikes, it's lightweight and awesome. It's rated at just under 18 lbs which means it will solidly hold about 6 lbs of gear (using 33% of the weight limit rating seems to be accurate for tripod selection).
I'll second Paul's thoughts on this tripod. I've used mine with my Chamonix 4x5 for quite some time and it works nicely. I know it will work with my upcoming new D7100 and 18-140 lens, as well. The legs operate very smoothly and the lever-style leg locks work very well. If you're taller than 6 feet, it may be too short for you.
At this price, you can't go wrong for a nicely built, and light, CF tripod.
--P
Posted by Paul DeCesare on February 18, 2014 at 10:07 PM
Good point on the height, Preston. I'm a stocky Italian at only 5'10" (with a Brooklyn accent) and the tallest one in my family. I forget people are over 6 foot, lol. I was taller than my grandmother when I was in 4th grade.
Posted by Luke Ormand on February 18, 2014 at 10:10 PM
Must be nice to be 5'10 AND italian... I unfortunately grew up in Minnesota and was surpassed in height by virtually all females come high school, but I digress...
Posted by Paul DeCesare on February 18, 2014 at 10:15 PM
LOL! I noticed that on a few of my visits there! Common in the PNW too, when we lived in Oregon. Females at 6'2" and taller were not that rare. Some of 'em could probably beat the stuffing out me to boot.
Discussion
4 repliesI owned this pod for a couple years, it's lightweight and can easily handle up to a 5D Mark III and 70-200mm, certainly any camera body with a WA lens. It also has a center post that slides up then goes horizontal if needed, super for Macro photography. Because I owned it I wanted to share the deal and mini-review, because I have never seen it for this low of a price. If you want to go CF this is a great deal. However, it's not for the big guns. I mounted a borrowed 400mm/2.8 with the 5D3 and it didn't fare too well. I was able to use the amazing IS in that lens to pull of the shot I wanted, but on its own with no sandbags it was underpowered. But for the WA landscape shooter who hikes, it's lightweight and awesome. It's rated at just under 18 lbs which means it will solidly hold about 6 lbs of gear (using 33% of the weight limit rating seems to be accurate for tripod selection).
At this price, you can't go wrong for a nicely built, and light, CF tripod.
--P