Manfrotto 190MF3 vs.190CX3 ?

[erotavlas]

Help! I'm shopping for a new lighter weight tripod for travel and narrowed my choices to the following two

Manfrotto 190MF3
Manfrotto 190CX3

Both the MF3 and CX3 say 'Mag Fiber' beside the model on the Manfrotto website but after looking at the specifications they both say that the material is carbon fiber tubing? What the heck does this mean? ...Aside from the other features like horizontal column attachment for macro shooting which I don't care about....what is the difference between the two?

I only know for sure that the CX3 is slightly lighter + more compact design.

But is there any difference in vibration damping?

(btw I saw them both in store and to me the MF3 doesn't seem to dampen the vibrations as well as the CX3 when I hit one of the legs or shake it slightly it seems to flex very slightly a bit more than the CX3 although I'm not entirely sure about this..)

 

[table1349]

Help! I'm shopping for a new lighter weight tripod for travel and narrowed my choices to the following two

Manfrotto 190MF3
Manfrotto 190CX3

Both the MF3 and CX3 say 'Mag Fiber' beside the model on the Manfrotto website but after looking at the specifications they both say that the material is carbon fiber tubing? What the heck does this mean? ...Aside from the other features like horizontal column attachment for macro shooting which I don't care about....what is the difference between the two?

I only know for sure that the CX3 is slightly lighter + more compact design.

But is there any difference in vibration damping?

(btw I saw them both in store and to me the MF3 doesn't seem to dampen the vibrations as well as the CX3 when I hit one of the legs or shake it slightly it seems to flex very slightly a bit more than the CX3 although I'm not entirely sure about this..)

Manfrotto makes some good tripods. I own a couple of them and use them contstantly. But if dampening of vibration is crucial then you might want to look at Manfrottos big brother Gitzo. More expensive, but in the CF market they excel over the Manfrottos.

 

[erotavlas]

Thanks for the reply btw.

Well vibration dampening is good but not 'extremely' crucial for me which is why I'm not considering the Gitzo....this is just a hobby for me...I would like the photos to come out sharp but can accept the occasional blur as my income doesn't depend on it. I've gotten by without using a tripod for many years and my photo's have always come out looking good. I defeinitely need it though for long exposure photography (mostly at night).... or the occasional telephoto, especially when traveling which is why I need something lightweight and portable.

Currently I can get the 190MF3 for $299
whereas the 190CX3 for about $349

I think I might go with the CX3 as it supports an extra 1kg (total 5kg) and seems to be more sturdy. I will be putting a Mamiya 6 (about 1.2Kg) on it or possibly a DSLR later on.

But that extra 50 - 70 dollars I save does sound tempting ....

 

[Steph]

I believe the CX3 is a newer design of the MF3. I own the MF3 and use it with a Bronica SQA and am very pleased with the results. I have never tried the CX3 so cannot compare.

 

[erotavlas]

I just confirmed that the 190MF3 is discontinued (which is why it was selling for cheaper price)