The MT190CXPRO3 and MT190XPRO3 are the carbon fiber and aluminum versions of Manfrotto’s mid-level line of 190 tripods. As is typical with manfrotto tripods, the damping on the aluminum version was poor, and the stiffness acceptable. The carbon fiber version tested quite well, and in terms of stiffness/weight, it is the best tripod I have […]
Read MoreMonth: February 2018
Center Column vs Bottom Leg
The bottom leg of tripods with four or five sections tends to be quite thin, with predictably detrimental affects on the stiffness of the tripod. So could extending the bottom leg section partway, and making up the height difference with the center column result in better overall stiffness? Here we are going to take a […]
Read MoreTest Results up for Various Tripods
I have added test results for three tripods. Gitzo GT1545T – Brilliant performance for such a small travel tripod. This could well be the ultimate travel tripod, competing for the spot with the RRS 14 series. Oben CT-2491 – Somewhat disappointing stiffness from Oben’s largest tripod. However, the results are very decent when considering the low weight […]
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Reviews up for MeFoto GlobeTrotter Tripods
I have just published the reviews for the MeFoto GlobeTrotter Carbon Fiber and Aluminum models. These are mid grade tripods, and they perform and handle as such. Their best feature is a very compact folded length, enabling travel with these tripods. They are still quite bulky, but if overall length and budget are your constraining […]
Read MoreStiffness and Damping vs Hanging Weight for Radial Motions
In the previous post I looked at the stiffness and damping of a tripod versus that amount of weight suspended beneath it. I was only looking at axial (side to side) rotations and found that hanging weight made no difference. I only looked at this direction of motion since it is where tripods are weakest, […]
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Stiffness and Damping vs. Hanging Weight
It is generally accepted knowledge in the photographic community that hanging weight from the bottom hook on a tripod increases the stability of the system. I have even seen claims that a cheap tripod can exhibit the performance of one several times its price when weight is hung underneath it. Here we are going to […]
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Manfrotto 190go! Test Results Up
The test results for the Manfrotto 190go! carbon fiber and aluminum versions are up. The results are not particularly inspiring. They are in line with what we expect from tripods at this price point. The carbon fiber version performs slightly better than the aluminum, but I’m not sure its enough to justify the cost difference.
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MeFoto GlobeTrotter Test Results Up
I have just posted the test results for both the carbon fiber and aluminum versions of the MeFoto GlobeTrotter Tripods. The results are not particularly impressive, but this is predictable given their design with five leg sections. The bottom leg end up so small, and there are so many leg locks that the stiffness suffers. […]
Read MoreCalculating the Necessary Stiffness of a Tripod
Stiffer tripods tend to be larger, heavier and more expensive than their smaller, lighter, and more affordable less stiff counterparts. We therefore don’t want a high end systematic tripod just to support a mirror-less camera and wide angle lens on a hiking trip. Neither though do we want the photos from that trip to come […]
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Feisol CT-3442 Review Posted
The review for the Feisol CT-3442 is up and can be found here. The test results can be found here.
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