Brushed and Oiled – Steel brushes are used in the direction of the grain which opens up the surface of the wood and removes splinters. The wood is then oiled. Manfrotto is one of the most respected names in the business and these tripods represent a significant step-up from budget options. Indeed after much research many photographers narrow their choices of a decent tripod down to these very four models, but then often struggle with their final decision. Ultimately which one will be best for you? I shot with the MT190XPRO3 for several weeks and found it to be a substantial and serious tripod. At 59cm in length and 2kg for the aluminium version (before you’ve fitted a head), you certainly know you’re carrying it around. By sharing many of the specs of earlier 055 models, Manfrotto has repositioned the MT190 as a heftier, higher-end tripod that’ll satisfy anyone who desires a stable platform to position their camera at or above head-height or virtually touching the ground.

By simply attaching an arm with an LED light, a reflector, or any other accessory, the new 190X goes beyond the boundaries of classic tripod functionalities. The bigger versions of the tripods may have been more stable than the smaller ones, but given an average load, the difference was actually very small. Raising the centre column unsurprisingly compromises stability, but probably by a lot more than you originally feared. And the difference between vibration dissipation on carbon fiber and aluminium models may be a lot more than you thought. In this leg configuration, the central column needs to be raised to its maximum height, or more sensibly switched to the horizontal orientation (see below) to clear the ground, although you can also replace it for an optional shorter column if desired. Alternatively you could go for the less extreme 66 or 46 degree leg angles, reverse the column and hang the camera below the legs. There’s lots of options for low height configurations, giving the tripod a great deal of flexibility.

Each leaves a fair amount for a big lens. Basic kit lenses start at around 200g, while general-purpose or basic telephoto zooms are around 600g. A fast 70-200mm f2.8 lens may feel heavy, but will generally weigh around 1.5Kg. Even a 300mm f2.8 telephoto prime will work out about 2.5Kg. So technically speaking you could fit a 300mm f2.8 lens to a top-end pro DSLR, screw it to a half-decent head and still be within the load limit of a 190 tripod, so why would you need the extra capacity of the 055 range? Lacquered – Lacquered floors tend to be more durable and resilient to scratching, the lacquer provides a flat and smooth finish to the wood flooring. The 190XPROB is part of Manfrotto’s X family, designed for general-purpose use indoors and out. There are no fewer than 12 models in the current X family, divided equally between the 190 and 055 ranges. Fully understanding Manfrotto’s model numbers and knowing their capabilities is the key behind making the right choice; here’s a brief guide.

Our Oak floors are all carefully selected from Mills which legally harvest mature oak trees, making sure you have a seasoned oak which will last. The wide boards are a great vocal and visual point in any area as these create a vast array of effects from making the area look larger, airy and open with fixed lengths of 1900mm. The advantages of an Unfinished Oak are unlimited from being able to add textures from brushing, to hand scraping, or even distressed boards to make them look aged or worn. Plank Width As an owner of several earlier 190 and 055 models, I really noticed the increased size of the MT190. It has, in effect, become an 055, but that’s no bad thing. It means the maximum height is tall enough for most photographers to never need to raise the central column, and the maximum load has also increased from 5 to 7kg. The ability to shoot comfortably without extending the centre column is critical for the best performance as raising it on any tripod seriously impacts stability and should only be used as a last resort.

So beware if you use a two-second countdown triggered by hand – if the centre column is raised, there’ll almost certainly be some motion remaining when the sensor is exposed. Of course fast shutter speeds not to mention shorter focal lengths will avoid most fine wobbles, but those using longer exposures or longer lenses could get caught out and perhaps blame their optics or image processing for a slightly soft image when it’s in fact the tripod and operator technique at fault. Manfrotto 190XPROB Verdict

Surprisingly, there’s relatively few bundles so far, beyond variations on the official ones with Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which implies some sort of edict from Microsoft preventing others. Oiled – Oiled floors have existed for several thousand years and is the most common floor finish used globally. Oils used for floor finishing are natural drying oils of vegetable origin that are not to be confused with petroleum based oils and contain no VOCs. Pre-finished oil floors can be UV cured.When calculating which height will be best for you, remember to also take into account the height of the head and the viewfinder or screen you’ll be using for composition – a typical Manfrotto head in landscape orientation would be about 10cm tall, while the viewfinder on an average DSLR is typically about 8cm from the base. So it’d be fair to add around 15 to 20cm to the tripod plate height to reach the viewfinder level of a typical DSLR. In this review I’ll look at the latest version of the 190 series, the MT190 collection, available as before in a variety of versions with three or four leg sections, and in either aluminium or carbon fiber. All four MT190 models are built in Italy and feature Manfrotto’s innovative 90 degree column mechanism which allows the centre column to lift out of the top casting and angle down by 90 degrees in a single movement, allowing you to shoot at very low positions or pointing straight down. Like other higher-end tripods, the MT190 is designed to be sold legs-alone with a plate for mounting a head of your choice, although if preferred, Manfrotto also offers kit versions of the two aluminium models with a basic ball head.

Beyond those who use larger format cameras or the biggest lenses, it really boils down to whether you want to operate close to or well within the limits of your equipment. A 190 tripod may not collapse under the weight of the configuration described above, but it will wobble much more than you’d like. Certainly if you do have higher-end bodies and large lenses, the 055 range will be much more suitable than the 190, but the latter will be more than sufficient for most body and lens combinations in general use. Even half the maximum load will accommodate some pretty high-end gear in a stable position. The bottom line is there may be a number of compelling reasons to choose the 055 range over the 190, but few should honestly reject the latter for inadequate load handling alone. Manfrotto 190XPROB Real-life tests Rustic oak 190 another cost effective product in our range is our natural oiled finished oak. The larger sized planks with fixed lengths of 1.9 meters still advertises a high quality floor and looks the part in the majority of rooms. Plank Width By now you’ll have a pretty good idea of which model will be best for you, but there are exceptions to consider. The 055 range for example may be designed for taller people and heavier loads, but there’s good reasons for shorter photographers with lighter systems to buy them. As our tests proved, there’s a significant difference in vibration dissipation with the centre columns down, and in this configuration, the height of the 055 range roughly matches the 190 with their columns extended. So if you need the height of the 190 range with the column extended, but want greater stability, the 055 will give you it with the column down. It’s this simple reason which will see the 055 selected by many photographers of average height. The 055 range also obviously has more room for growth – if not in height, then in camera system weight.Finally, Manfrotto tripods with the 90 degree centre-column include the PRO tag in their model name. Since all current MT190 and MT055 tripods feature the 90 degree column, they all have PRO in their titles. So to decode the specific model name reviewed here, MT190XPRO3 refers to the MT190 collection with aluminium legs, a 90 degree column and three leg sections. Simple when you know how! Like most tripods, the 190XPROB’s legs can be set to different angles: in this case there’s four options at 25, 46, 66 and 88 degrees to the central column. Yes, that’s right, the fourth leg angle is virtually perpendicular to the centre column, allowing very low angles with a minimum height of just 8.5cm.