2013-01-19T19:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
Sturdy travel tripod!
This is a wonderful tripod for a great price. I was deciding between this Manfrotto's MKC3 and 393 series. Ultimately, I'm glad I chose this as a nice balance between the 5-section ultracompact MKC3 and the larger 3-section 393.
It comes with a quick release (QR) plate, which is basically a little piece that you screw into your camera's tripod socket so that you can attach your camera to the tripod instantly. This is a very important feature for serious shooters. It has 4 sections and 3 latches per leg, as well as a center latch to lock the center column. The tripod head is a standard ball head design that can be rotated 360 degrees. The only downside I can find about this tripod is that it only has one knob for tightening the ball head; more sophisticated heads will have two knobs, one for locking the camera in place and the other for locking the head from rotation, allowing for easier panning for panorama shots. But I guess I can't complain given that this is a sub-$100 tripod.
Now let's talk about weight. It's quite light, and you can easily sling the provided bag over your shoulder. However, it feels very sturdy, and should hold anything short of a 400 mm lens mounted on a D4 or 1DX. I've used it with my D5100, even with telephoto lenses, and there doesn't seem to be any instability.
Regarding length, it's not the most compact, but it can still fit in a backpack (though it won't be very comfortable). If you're biking, you can tie it to your rack with bungee cords, or even to the underside of the top bar of the bike frame. (Note: I have a medium men's frame. This may not work with small or female frames.) When fully extended, it reaches a height just short of eye level for the average adult man.
TONY J.
