Opinions on this Tripod setup!

Prophet · 13 Nov 2006 at 14:46

Manfrotto 055CL Tripod + 804RC2 Head

The pair are available for around the £120 mark which is about the max I'd like to pay.

I'm seriously thinking about buying a £30-£40 high street setup as I'll only be using it for some night shots and a bit of experimenting but don't mind the above if its a good deal and a quality tripod/head.

Wyvern971 · 13 Nov 2006 at 15:17

Looks of reasonable build quality, isn't too heavy (my MF4 weighs 2Kg, this only weighs 300g more). from looking at it it also offers low level photography (which is always a plus).

As for the head I can't comment, but if I could afford it I would be getting a Hydraulic ball head for convenience.

ChroniC · 13 Nov 2006 at 18:41

Orange Peel said:
Manfrotto 055CL Tripod + 804RC2 Head

The pair are available for around the £120 mark which is about the max I'd like to pay.

I'm seriously thinking about buying a £30-£40 high street setup as I'll only be using it for some night shots and a bit of experimenting but don't mind the above if its a good deal and a quality tripod/head.

Personally i dont see the need for manfrottos, unless your using very heavy lenses.
I have 2 lightweight, cheapy tripods, and i always seem to pick those up first because they are easy to lug about, and work very well.

ElDude · 13 Nov 2006 at 19:00

ChroniC said:
Personally i dont see the need for manfrottos, unless your using very heavy lenses.
I have 2 lightweight, cheapy tripods, and i always seem to pick those up first because they are easy to lug about, and work very well.

Until you're trying to take a shot in moderate wind. Then your shots are ruined as I've found out on a few occasions

ChroniC · 13 Nov 2006 at 19:16

ElDude said:
Until you're trying to take a shot in moderate wind. Then your shots are ruined as I've found out on a few occasions

Possibly, they have hooks for weights to be added, but that would ruin my original point. I think it helps to have both.
Get the 120 is your serious about using it a lot. But i know where you can get a cheap sturdy one for 10quid.

brocksta · 13 Nov 2006 at 19:54

I wouldnt reccommend a cheapy tripod. I bought one from jessopps and its rubbish tbh. It doesnt go portrait, the head is made of plastic so the camera wobbles about when i press the shutter, and its general build quality is poor.

In terms of your setup, ive been told the 804rc2 isnt all that great. If you want a lighter and slightly cheaper setup, theres the 460mg, you might want to look at.

Sleepyd · 13 Nov 2006 at 20:14

I must admit I don't like my £30 hama tripod - last time I used it my camera nearly fell into the Thames! The plasticy controls always give way when you least expect them to, they're not very strong, don't hold their position and it's more of a hinderance than a help.

Joe T · 13 Nov 2006 at 20:58

055 is great. I have the MF4 version.

iGiDK · 14 Nov 2006 at 00:06

brocksta said:
I wouldnt reccommend a cheapy tripod. I bought one from jessopps and its rubbish tbh. It doesnt go portrait, the head is made of plastic so the camera wobbles about when i press the shutter, and its general build quality is poor.

Seconded, you get what you pay for with these cheapo tripods.

Had a Jessops one and the head wouldn't effectively support a 350D & kit lens without drooping :mad:

ChroniC · 14 Nov 2006 at 02:23

brocksta said:
I wouldnt reccommend a cheapy tripod. I bought one from jessopps and its rubbish tbh. It doesnt go portrait, the head is made of plastic so the camera wobbles about when i press the shutter, and its general build quality is poor.

In terms of your setup, ive been told the 804rc2 isnt all that great. If you want a lighter and slightly cheaper setup, theres the 460mg, you might want to look at.

Ok so you not recommending the one you bought,
I however bought a 10pound, yes 10£ tripod. It has a metal screw in adapter on a very tightly held clip. It has 2 ball levels, and the clips on the legs are very strong. The legs have ball joints at the bottom, which work well for any surface.
It has a clip for weights if necessary.
I throw mine around a lot and they never complain. ( i have a manfroto, for the big lenses.)

Really though you went to jessops, you might as well gone to pc world and bought a high end computer, you get mugged just as easily.

iGiDK said:
Seconded, you get what you pay for with these cheapo tripods.

Had a Jessops one and the head wouldn't effectively support a 350D & kit lens without drooping

jessops.

Joe T · 14 Nov 2006 at 07:25

That shop is a competitor guys....

Alex53 · 14 Nov 2006 at 08:05

I have a 055CL, though with a different head. The tripod is great. Really solid, and stays still even in windy conditions (which is what I was looking for seascapes). Warning, its very heavy. If you're going to leave it behind because you find it too heavy then you might aswell not get one.

The head I use is the 488RC4, which I am also very happy with.

Prophet · 14 Nov 2006 at 10:06

At this stage the tripod would only really be used to increase my understanding of night and long exposure shots. I'm going to look around for alternatives before I make my mind up. There are so many to choose from its quite difficult for a newbie to make a decision without feeling I've made the wrong choice!

Puffingbilly · 14 Nov 2006 at 10:21

I would recomend looking at the Velbon range of tripods. They are very well made, light but sturdy. I have been useing the Luxi F for just over a year now and think it's brilliant well worth a look, do shop around though as the price really can veary cheapest price I have seen them on the net for £69.

brocksta · 14 Nov 2006 at 11:52

ChroniC said:
Really though you went to jessops, you might as well gone to pc world and bought a high end computer, you get mugged just as easily.

I agree. Unfortunately after purchasing it, i realised it was a big mistake. I also didnt realise that there was a proper camera shop about 10 minutes away. :rolleyes:

Joe T · 14 Nov 2006 at 18:30

Guys, please watch the competitor talk.

YooEntSinMeROYT · 19 Nov 2006 at 15:33

Puffingbilly said:
I would recomend looking at the Velbon range of tripods. They are very well made, light but sturdy. I have been useing the Luxi F for just over a year now and think it's brilliant well worth a look, do shop around though as the price really can veary cheapest price I have seen them on the net for £69.

2nded. I've been using one for at least the past 6 months. Very nice.

One More Solo · 19 Nov 2006 at 21:33

I bought a full size tripod off a street seller near the Colosseum in Rome, cost me a tenner and seems stable enough for the money, it's stupidly light so was excellent for backpacking. Obviously you get what you pay for but you must decide on whether it's worth it.