Manfrotto 055 kit - alu 3-section tripod + XPRO 3 way Head

This is my review of the Manfrotto MK 055. I love that this tripod only has two (solid) clamps per leg instead of four per leg like my older Manfrotto MK C3 lightweight version. There is a very cool feature to expand the legs in an outwards position to accommodate different tripod positions in relation to different surfaces and angles The MK 055 has extremely well built construction to the tripod head, I absolutely love it! There is one knob (on the lowest level) to shift the head left to right, the second knob (on the middle level) to shift the head forward and backward and finally, there is third knob (at the first front and highest level) that shifts the pan-tilt part. The construction is so sturdy that you do not have to worry about your DSLR camera, Battery Grip, Flash and Telephoto Lens outweighing that camera setup because this tripod can handle the weight. Another amazing feature is the ability to elevate the center stem vertically to the top and the stem can be lowered in a horizontal position for ground shots. All pieces are connected extremely well. Practicing shots and learning how to maneuver the MK 055 takes some getting used to because of the various components but it becomes very enjoyable because you know that you have a high quality tripod. Another cool feature is the ability to hang of hook straps or bags to connector plastic piece on the tripod. In addition, you can connect a Manfrotto Arm to a 3/8 screw attachment on the tripod which is sold separately The weight of the tripod over 7lbs, (but can carry over 17lbs, most tripods don't close to this carry capacity) but it does not seem to bother me at the moment. Having a lightweight tripod such as the MK C3 still serves its purpose for certain situations. However, the impressive build quality and user friendly functions makes the MK 055 an absolute winner in my book.

This tripod is simply fantastic. I got myself a Nikon D7000 on December 26th, 2014, and I had previously purchased a $75 tripod here on Amazon, thinking that I was going to be able to save a few bucks. Well, I was wrong. That tripod was not at all sturdy enough for my DSLR. My photography instructor told the class on the first night that we should not "cheap out" on a quality tripod, and he was 100% correct. I decided to put up the money for this tripod, and I could not be happier. It is pretty heavy; about 8#, and it is very sturdy. The leg locks are very strong, and there's no question that they are engaged. The tripod is very tall, too; before extending the center, the height from the ground to the camera plate on the head is 60.25". The head that it comes with can pan and tilt very smoothly without noise. When you pull the center stalk out and use it in a horizontal position, it is very sturdy as well. There's simply nothing that I don't like about this tripod; it is worth ever penny. I am including two pictures of the moon that I took with my D7000, using my 55-300mm lens. The first picture is with the cheap tripod, and the second is this Manfrotto. The difference is night and day; the image with the Manfrotto is cropped closer and much sharper, whereas the image with the cheap tripod is blurry from camera shake. The proof is in the pudding (or images, in this case).

This tripod meets and exceeds expectations. I have owned a few tripods along the years, from cheap to super expensive. While being a mid-range tripod, it does cover every detail I could possibly need at my studio, when shooting. It's tall, it's sturdy, it's great looking and with all that, some weight is introduced. Not a problem since it is not meant for traveling with but it won't break your back if you absolutely need to carry it with you. The 90 degree feature works really well, just make sure to open up the tripod legs enough so that the head+camera+distance from center won't make your tripod fall. My version has the 3 way head. My only grip is that the bubble levels are somewhat hard to see but since my Sony a7rii has digital tilt/rotation levels built in, it doesn't bother me much. The head is lightweight and can "retract" the handles making it easier to store/carry in a bag. At first, I was baffled by the quick release mechanism but after 3 minutes of fiddling with it, it does make changing equipment a matter of seconds, just make sure to buy enough plates for your needs. In conclusion you get what you pay for and that's a well built, durable, versatile tripod. I use this tripod regularly with a fluid head from Manfrotto and a slider from Konova. So many possibilities!

It's very sturdy and worth every penny, but it's not made for traveling as it is quite heavy. Great tripod if it fits your type of usage.

This tripod is super sturdy and the 3-way head gives very precise control over the camera positioning. My previous tripod would slowly drift with anything but the lightest setup. It was especially difficult positioning my D750+Sigma 150-500 setup (>6 lbs). With that setup, this tripod is rock solid. The friction in the head can be adjusted for controlling the movement. The legs can all be positioned independently to get to the desired configuration. They can be opened wide to get very close to the ground (found this useful while taking photos of snowflakes). The 90-degree center column in also useful for taking macro shots and photographing art projects/documents from above. I did pinch my finger a couple of times when locking the legs, but that's just a me issue. The tripod itself is a little on the heavier side, but I knew that while ordering this. With over 17 lbs capacity, it's all worth it, and for when I need a lighter tripod, I still have my old flimsy one. Overall, definitely worth the price!

This thing is solid, and just feels like quality in every moving part. The legs go flat quite readily, and I find the 90 degree sideways position of the center post to be easy and sturdy - I use it a lot when I'm trying to get in really close for macro shots. It's not *light* but I can carry it on my shoulder, roughly like a shovel maybe? The carbon fiber model I'm sure is lighter, but I wouldn't bother unless you're planning on packing this a significant distance. The head is nice and smooth, and locks tight. The collapsing handles aren't a huge deal but they really do help when you're fitting this in a car trunk with luggage.

Very nice tripod. A little heavy but very stable. But the screwdriver provided with the tripod is a joke. It is made from super light plastic and does not work at all. If ever one leg is loose rather get yourself a proper tool to fix it.

I wrote this review before and Amazon deleted it! Totally unacceptable. I am now totally a disbeliever in the level of trustworthiness of the reviews on Amazon. I will post this review again to see what happen! My review: This tripod really doesn't worth the price. You can add more $100 to get a better longlasting one. Many times I was about to lose my cameras on this one. ((((I TOOK THESE PHOTOS AFTER ONLY 6 TIMES OF USE)))) First problem: After my almost the fourth use, the tripod starts to fall apart. When I open the legs they fall. Like almost always now ( I have for almost a year now and use it occasionally). It's like a party down there. They just fly away. No matter how gentle I deal with them, I have to open them gradually one by one until they touch the floor then try to adjust the length again. Totally annoying. Imagine you have to do they three times for each leg. Second problem: I bought this mainly for the 90 Degree feature. Well, it's not 90 degrees unless they have their own math. (SEE PHOTOS INFRONT OF WINDOW). My camera is not heavy, yet this tripod can't hold it at 90 degrees. Actually, even if there's no camera on there, it won't be 90 degrees. I am really disappointed spending $288 on such product that I fight to use each time. I will definitely buy another one since this is so difficult to deal with and scares me each time when a leg fall and I try to catch the camera. Let me see what are you going to do with this review now Amazon?

Ótimo tripé...superou as minhas expectativas...bem robusto e versátil...achei um pouco pesado para transportar em uma mochila...tenho um modelo Befree de 1,5 ks...esse modelo pesa 3,0 kg mas nada que comprometa...ótima compra...

Simply, Perfect product and fast delivery.

Cela fait 8 ans que j'ai ce trépied et je ne regrette pas une seconde mon achat. À l'époque, j'ai longtemps hésité avec d'autres marques comme Benro ou Sirui, mais j'ai fini par choisir cette valeur sûre. Quand je vois des collègues qui ont dû changer de matos deux fois sur la même période, je me dis que j'ai bien fait. C'est du solide, on sent tout de suite le sérieux de la fabrication. C'est un beau bébé qui pèse environ 2,5 kg avec la tête. Ce n'est clairement pas le plus léger, mais c'est justement ce qui me rassure quand je monte des caméras ou des boîtiers avec des gros cailloux. C'est hyper stable, l'ensemble ne bouge pas. La tête est assez imposante et lourde ; ce n'est pas une tête fluide purement vidéo, mais pour mon usage perso, je préfère largement ça à une rotule ball. C'est beaucoup plus précis pour cadrer proprement sans que l'appareil ne bascule dès qu'on desserre. Le plateau rapide est top avec ses deux sécurités, je fixe et je retire mon matériel en un clin d'œil sans jamais avoir peur qu'il tombe. Le petit plus, c'est le mécanisme de la colonne centrale : je peux l'étirer et surtout la basculer à l'horizontale à 90°. Ça crée un effet girafe génial pour mes photos ou vidéos culinaires. Je peux faire mes "top shots" au-dessus des plats très facilement sans rien démonter du trépied. En hauteur, il monte jusqu'à 183 cm, ce qui est super important en vidéo pour être à hauteur d'yeux quand je fais des interviews. Concernant l'entretien, si vous commencez à sentir un petit relâchement au niveau des pieds, n'hésitez pas à les resserrer avec une clé en étoile. Je n'ai d'ailleurs jamais eu de soucis avec le système d'extension, les clapets fonctionnent comme au premier jour. Je trouve ça infiniment mieux que les pieds twist-lock ; quand on est sur le terrain, la vitesse ça prime et là, c'est instantané. Seules les poignées ont fini par fatiguer à cause de mon inattention et je vais devoir les changer, mais le reste est increvable. Il n'est pas livré avec une housse, et je déconseille les housses fines qui ne protègent pas vraiment la tête. Après plusieurs essais, j'ai opté pour le sac rembourré Manfrotto (réf. MB MBAG75PN) : les parois sont épaisses, la tête est bien calée, et la poignée est solide. Pour ce type de trépied, c'est le minimum si vous voulez le garder en bon état longtemps. Le prix du trépied peut paraître élevé au début, mais vu la longévité, c'est un investissement qu'on ne fait qu'une fois.

I was looking to invest in a good tripod and did a lot of research on what I wanted to purchase. I was initially thinking about Dolica or Ravelli with a budget of around 10,000 INR. Both these brands had plenty of good options in that price range. But somehow I wasn't completely convinced that I wanted to invest in a medium level Tripod. So I finalized on the Manfrotto MT055XPRO3. I knew Manfrotto is known for quality in their tripods and I wasn't let down. Here are my thoughts and feedback. The sturdiness you can achieve while taking photos is insane!! It's rock solid even when you are taking night photography with the largest lens you could use. I used my Canon T3i with 75-250mm lens at shutter speeds of 30 secs and the picture was always flawless!! I initially thought this was a bit heavy especially when I was trekking some mountains that ranged 1200 m. But the number of amazing photos I got while using the tripod at the top and along the trek was worth the extra weight. It doesn't come with a carry bag so I ended up getting the MBAG80N which fit the tripod and the X-PRO 3-Way Head perfectly. I am a fitness crazy guy so I was able to carry this along the trek. For someone that doesn't workout much, carrying this tripod along long treks might be tedious. The tripod has tons of customization possible. It can extend to over 6 ft with the center column extended. I am 5'10 and I found the height options very useful for various angles. The three legs are super sturdy even when fully extended. The center column can also be setup horizontally for photos over fences, water bodies etc. Through the entire time, I didn't feel even once that the tripod was unstable. I guess the extra tripod weight helps :) The latches on the legs are very easy to use and very quick to open and close. The legs slide out without any friction when you open the latches and when you lock the latches in, they are super solid. You can lower the tripod all the way down to the ground if you want to take Macro photos. This can be done easily by adjusting the legs and bringing the center column into a horizontal position. The center column can easily be setup in the horizontal position. The small button at the bottom of the center column makes it easy for the user to push the column up and into the horizontal position. In all, I felt very comfortable with the tripod and was able to play around with the various angles achievable with this tripod. The X-PRO 3-Way Head which I got along with this tripod was a welcome addition giving me 3 ways of additional customization. It holds the camera with ease and I didn't experience any shake in any of my pictures in any angle. This is a solid tripod for a very good price(I got it for around 19,000 Rs on Amazon.In). I would definitely recommend it for medium to pro level photographers. It is worth the investment and the quality of your pictures will definitely make you realize that you made the right choice.

Now I'm a camera newbie-ish, so I've never had a proper tripod, but I am SO glad I picked this as my first one. Sturdiness: This thing will not budge in wind, I had it on the beach, and it was really windy, and even on sand, I was never afraid of my camera falling over or anything! Rock solid! Size: It is kinda heavy for lugging around, and it was too big for me to fit in a normal gym bag, but if you take the attached head off, it fits into a bag with a small extendable bit, and once you have a comfy bag it really won't be an issue! It has taken a couple of bangs and all, no damage, this is a proper piece of equipment. The attachment as well is super easy to use, very smooth for moving the camera, and once it's locked it's locked. Very happy with it! :)