Manfrotto 190go! Carbon Fiber Test Results

The Manfrotto 190go! tripods are slightly smaller, lighter, more portable, and cheaper versions of Manfrotto’s MT190 series.  Unusual for Manfrotto is the inclusion of twist locks, but as usual, the tripod carries over the full gamut of bells and whistles found on the higher end models.  The performance however is uninspiring.  The stiffness numbers are in line with what we typically expect in low end tripods.

NameManfrotto 190go! Carbon
ClassTravel
Stiffness About Vertical Axis353 +/- 2 Nm/rad
Damping About Vertical Axis0.118 +/- 0.012 Js/rad
Stiffness About Radial Axis1227 +/- 5 Nm/rad
Damping About Radial Axis0.202 +/- 0.02 Js/rad
Retail Price$280
Weight2.98 lbs (1.351 kgs)
Manufacturer weight rating15.4 lbs
Maximum Height48.3 in (122.7 cm)
Minimum Height9.5 in (24.1 cm)
Max Height with Center Column57.9 in (147.1 cm)
Center ColumnYes
Base Diameter2.3 in (5.8 cm)
Folded Length18.3 in (46.5 cm)
Folded Circumference11.5 in (29.2 cm)
Folded Volume193.0 cu. in. (3.2 liters)
Leg MaterialCarbon Fiber
Leg Sections4
Primary Leg Angle24.5 deg
Leg LocksTwist
Top Tube Diameter25.0 mm
Second Tube Diameter22.0 mm
Third Tube Diameter19.0 mm
Fourth Tube Diameter16.0 mm
Exchangeable FeetNo
Foot TypeRubber
Bottom HookNo

The stiffness and damping data are the averages of 10 trials for each measurement.  The reported error is the standard error, except in the case of the damping data.  I have set the error in the damping at 10% as the standard error metric does not appropriately capture the error in fitting to the data.  All of the reported specifications are measured, with the exception of the weight rating.  The tripod is measured at full height, with the center column down.

 

Example data for oscillations about the vertical axis of the tripod:

Excellent fit, which is what we usually expect from tripods with poor damping.

Example data for oscillations about the radial axis of the tripod:

There is some funkiness on the radial measurement, which is not unusual.  The measurement is good though, and we are getting the right resonance.  Again, not inspiring performance.