Having used the excellent Manfrotto 055PROB tripod for over 5 years for my landscape photography, I decided to look for something more manageable as the weight and height increase with my Manfrotto 300n panoramic head attached made it a little cumbersome for landscape outings that required walking a long distance. I wanted something that was as sturdy as the 055PROB but with reduced weight and height, I soon found my requirements in the Manfrotto 190XPRO3, (the new series). The height is 7 cm shorter and 0.4kg lighter than the 055PROB tripod, and when the legs are fully extended with my 300n and 410 attached, the camera is at my eye level now without me having to tip-toe or  adjust the legs as with the 055.

New features I like about the 190xpro3 are the easy to use quick lock system, which enable you to extend each leg fully with one hand without having to unlock each leg section individually, which is also very easy to use especially if wearing gloves in cold environments. The tripod also has a bubble level which can be rotated around the center column when required, making leveling much easier.  The 190XPRO3 has an Easy Link connector for attaching accessories such as LED lights, flash and reflector.  I have not had the need to use this easy link connector for the photography I do, and doubt I will, but I can see its potential use for macro photography and studio photography.

Overall the Manfrotto 190XPRO3 is a worthy replacement for my aging, but otherwise excellent and trusty 055prob tripod.

 

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