Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 Carbon Fiber 4 Section Tripod with Q90 Column and Magnesium Castings (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Aside from being a carbon fiber tripod from a reputable manufacturer the design of this tripod can be a real problem for photographers who need stability. Not too long ago I stopped by my local photography store to buy a new tripod for a mjor interior photography project. The store only had this carbon fiber tripod in stock.
In principle I was open to buying it, but testing it revealed two problems that were compromising stability. First, the fourth, and last from the ground up, telescopic legs were too slim and flimsy to hold the tripod firmly. Any slight bump and the tripod would shift position. If you do commercial photography that can be a nightmare. Second, the pro head while very convenient in its function introduced too much vibration to the center columns which is prone by nature to be a weak point. The pro system made it weaker.
Given I was happy with my previous aluminum (still own it) tripod design I was happy to buy the carbon fiber version of that tripod which is the 055CX3. That tripod closed length is 61cm, the 055CXPRO4 closed length on the other hand is 54cm. That is a 7cm difference only. The 055CXPRO4 was designed with 4 section instead of 3 to make it close shorter, thus the 7cm difference seems just too small. Given the loss of stability and generally higher price of this tripod I found this to be unacceptable and placed a special order for 055CX3 and just continued to use my older aluminum tripod in the mean time.
Based on my experience I can't recommend this tripod for photographers looking for very stable tripod. That being said if you are still very intrigued by its features you might want to check it out in person first before ordering it. Or if you don't mind the shorter maximum height and the lower maximum weight carrying capacity the 190CXPRO3 is very compact closed and lighter in general.


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