Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber 3 Section Tripod with Q90 Column and Magnesium Castings (Black)

For those who are on the fence about Carbon Fiber versus Aluminum, look no further, I have complied a compassion between the two to help you decide.I'm 6'-1", so I needed a tripod that was going to provide me a comfortable shooting height so all of the other models were out of the question the 055 was the only choice. I also love having that extra height not the tripod to be able to shoot over people's heads in a crowed situation. With my ball head and quick disconnect that adds about another 8 inches more of height making it over 7 feet tall to the lens. There are not too many people that can get in that shot. Plus the platform on the 055 version is 55" tall without the head extended making it super stable for low angle shots.Secondly, I needed to decide on the Carbon Fiber (CF) versus Alumium (AL). I couldn't make up my mind so I bought both so I could evaluate them against each other side by out in the field. Here's my summary of conclusions for those who are on the fence around which tripod will be the best choice for you.Stability:Both the CF and AL versions of this tripod offer awesome stability. The AL is heavier so it feels more stable but in my tests the CF version actually damped vibrations better and was able to hold more weight before I saw the legs flexing. Yes, in a windy situation the extra weight of the AL version could come in handy but 9/10 you are going to have a camera bag with you as well and you can hang your camera bag from the tripod to give it more weight. I actually have the carrying strap and it works great just for that purpose. I swing my camera bag thru the strap and click the loose end of the strap around the base of the Q90 adjuster and instantly you have a 10 pound tripod more than enough weight to hold your tripod steady in most windy situations.Winner: TieFeatures:Both the CF and AL versions are almost identical. Two differences are the locking leg angle adjusters have grip on them in the CF version and the AL version does not. Secondly the tripod leveling bubble is on the head plate on the CF and on the Q90 locking column on the AL version. I like the AL version in this respect because my ball head is so big it partially covers the leveling bubble on the CF version making it unusable. Additionally if you have the head up in the air above your line of sight you can't check to see if its level. Finally when moving the head to the 90° position the bubble is now useless on the CF version. I guess they figured that most people would be using a head with a level in it and it wasn't an important feature to keep consistent on both models. Considering that the CF version has the hole right there ready for the bubble level and its not installed speaks to me that Manfrotto was just lazy.Winner: AluminumTravel Worthiness:After two weeks of use both tripods held up well to numerous tossings in the car, bangs, drops, I even tripped over the CF version once or twice. They both held up well. The AL version started to see a few scratches on the paint but nothing serious. As for the CF it looks band new. Both tripods perform and for a 69" tripod they both are light in comparison to my old 1990 steel tripod that I had been using in the studio. The clear advantage in this situation is the weight. The CF version is over a pound lighter. I can hardley feel the CF version on my back, but the AL version is an entirely diffrent animal. You can feel it pulling you down as you are walking thru trails after a little while. In comparison its not as heavy as my camera bag, but after loading my bag up and starting out for the day, one pound does make a HUGE difference. In this case since all other things are equal between the two choices there is a clear winner.Winner: Carbon FiberValue:No this truly depends on how much discrecinary income you really have for this hobby. For under $200 bucks you can have an excellent and stable platform to shoot from with the Aluminum version of this device. If you are not going to be moving around a lot then the aluminum tripod is the exact one that you need to be looking at.If you are going to be out on the field working on projects and moving the tripod around quite a bit, the Carbon Fiber version is the one that you want to get your hands on. Its well worth the extra $100 bucks for this technology. It's stiffer, dampens vibrations better if hit, and has the same ability to add ballast to the unit in order to make it even more stable.For my needs in the end I decided to stay with the CF one and I returned the aluminum version. I do shoots all over town and the light weight was a major selling point for me.Now only if they sold the Q90 shaft separately, I would get a second shaft and mount a fluid head on it for video work, and I wouldn't need to switch them back and forth on the same platform, just press the button and swap out the shafts DONE. Thats something they need to consider for those who may be shooting both video and photos with our DSLR's

This tripod is everything I had hoped it would be. It has a durable build quality, and manipulation of the features is efficient and simple.The Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 securely holds my cameras steady with the  Manfrotto 498RC2 Ball Head  that I paired with it. The tripod's carbon fiber legs have a substantial diameter with fat, convex rubber feet, which firmly sit upon a surface. To configure the center column horizontally, just press the button underneath it while lifting it up past the top of the legs, then fold it down and slide inward. The legs utilize flip-out levers to allow for extension and retraction. At the top of each leg, are tabs which, when pressed, allow each leg to extend outward to any of three additional stops.I can work with my camera comfortably at eye level. When fully extended, the 055CXPRO3 stands at 68.9" tall. With legs outward, the mount sits as low as 4.53" from the ground. It stores at 25.59" when collapsed.Prior to placing my order, I read a review from a customer who lost the leg-lock tension adjustment key, which comes as a plastic clip mounted on the tripod leg; I was appreciative of the warning, but just figured I would be more careful not to lose mine. I came home after my first photography shoot using this tripod to notice that, despite my diligence, the key had fallen off - I went back the next morning to retrace my steps and fortunately, I spotted the key in the weeds along the trail. To avoid the same dilemma, I highly advise anyone else to place the key in a camera bag or leave it at home - leave it anywhere but on the leg, because it is likely to fall off unnoticed.The 055CXPRO3 package includes the tripod, adjustment key and instruction manual. There is a flat, circular bubble level built into the head mount. There is a notched clip to hang weight for added stability; however, I have not contorted a precarious enough setup to elicit the use of it yet. Though a carry strap is not included, there is a clip on the tripod to attach one, if desired. I use a bag from a fold-up chair which fits the tripod nicely while the head remains attached; however, there are a variety of carry bags both padded and unpadded available separately from the manufacturer.I absolutely love this tripod. The main reasons I chose the 055CXPRO3 are its lighter weight and the weather resistant materials from which it is constructed. When put to use, I find the height and stability are just as relevant. This tripod fulfills all my photography needs. It adjusts easily and folds up beautifully. Though not necessarily important, this thing looks very nice. Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase.

Great tripod for field work (although probably not as compact and light as dedicated hikers might like). Light, easy to set up and very stiff. Dampens vibrations more quickly and completely than my old aluminium 190. The single bullseye level helps with levelling, although it should be paired with a head with multiple levels for critical levelling work. The leg sections can 'grab' slightly when extending the legs. The cam-locks are very quick to operate, time will tell if they are as durable as screw-clamps. The ability to horizontally orient the centre-column makes it possible to achieve low camera positions with the camera in the correct orientation. Although only in use during an Australian summer so far, I think I will find carbon-fibre more pleasant to use than aluminium during the colder months.

Very disappointed. After2.5 years of light use, one leg will not lock in the first position. Upon inspection, the pawl used as a stop for the leg had worn down to nothing! I could not imagine buying this tripod to use on a daily basis. I was led to believe that Manfrotto made high quality products. I will never purchase another Manfrotto product again.

I purchased this tripod for my husband. The quality is excellent and it is very functional in every way. You get what you pay for and this tripod beats many others that we looked at.

This tripod is totally amazing. If you are ok with its expensive price, then go for it, it is perfect !