The MT055CXPRO4 is the four leg section version of Manfrotto’s top of the line still photography tripod. It is built more like an all purpose tripod than the modular systematic lines, but includes a number of unique features such as the horizontal center column. As we can see below, the MT055CXPRO4 performs well for its price. However, it is less stiff, more expensive, and heavier than its 3 section counterpart, making it less of a value proposition.
| Name | Manfrotto MT055XPRO4 |
| Class | All Purpose |
| Yaw Stiffness | 609 +/- 2 Nm/rad |
| Yaw Damping | 0.365 +/- 0.037 Js/rad |
| Pitch Stiffness | 2270 +/- 9 Nm/rad |
| Pitch Damping | 0.346 +/- 0.035 Js/rad |
| Retail Price | $380 |
| Weight | 4.45 lbs (2.019 kgs) |
| Manufacturer weight rating | 19.8 lbs |
| Maximum Height | 55.2 in (140.2 cm) |
| Minimum Height | 11.5 in (29.2 cm) |
| Max Height with Center Column | 66.4 in (168.7 cm) |
| Center Column | Yes |
| Base Diameter | 2.3 in (5.8 cm) |
| Folded Length | 21.0 in (53.3 cm) |
| Folded Circumference | 12.0 in (30.5 cm) |
| Folded Volume | 241.0 cu. in. (3.9 liters) |
| Leg Material | Carbon Fiber |
| Leg Sections | 4 |
| Primary Leg Angle | 25.0 deg |
| Leg Locks | Flip |
| Top Tube Diameter | 29.2 mm |
| Second Tube Diameter | 24.8 mm |
| Third Tube Diameter | 20.5 mm |
| Fourth Tube Diameter | 16.1 mm |
| Exchangeable Feet | No |
| Foot Type | Rubber |
| Bottom Hook | No |
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.
Bonus Content:
Stiffness vs Height:
Example data for oscillations about the yaw axis of the tripod:
The fit is not great for the first several oscillations, but this is coming right after the tripod is given the initial impulse. It quickly settles into well behaved oscillatory behavior.
Example data for oscillations about the pitch axis of the tripod:
There is some strange aliasing going on with the creation of the plot image here, but the fit is quite good.
