It is quite small, yet surprisingly stable and rigid. Ideal for outdoor, low-level macro photography. It can hold a complete medium-format macro-focussing bellows plus camera with a surprisingly small amount of mirror or shutter vibration when you don't use the mirror-lockup of your camera. (do tighten the leg-fixing screws well though)! The manufacturer is not kidding with their 10kg support capability, I have tried (well, almost)! It is extremely flexible, the legs can swing both up and down in 3 vey strong fixed or slighty less strong continuous positions and rotate sideways over 360 degrees. The platform can be positioned as low as about 2 inch from the ground. It can also be used for wall-bracing the camera. The legs are removable and the whole lot is very easy to clean when it has got a bit muddy. Being this small it hasn't got the security guard attracting properties of a normal tripod (no, I don't work for MI5).

An extra head must be fitted for portrait format 35mm photography. It is quite heavy and expensive, but you do really get what you pay for here, and the weight means less vibrations.

If you are looking for a very flexible, heavy and small (not light or flimsy) quality tripod for low level macro photography or City photography without the experience of setting up your full-size tripod in the middle of a narrow pavement during rush hour (very social, you shoud try!), then look no further. It holds very heavy equipment, but I would suggest supplementing it with a high quality ball head (I used the Manfrotto 308RC) for portrait-format photography. For macro photography at high magnification (e.g. bellows) there is a hint of mirror vibration, but not more than with my other large tripod (Manfrotto 190). However, for macro photography you should be using mirror-lockup anyway.

Customer Service

Not needed.

Similar Products Used:

Nothing similar, but previously used Manfrotto 190 with reversed column previously low-level photography.