Tripod comparison for my purchase..

NancyMoranG · Jan 16, 2015

This Benroe is aluminum but am looking for a carbon model. It holds 22 lbs which should be more than I need. I think this has the center column that can do 180 degrees which I know is not everyone's favorite. Has 58" height and 3 angle leg positions
The Manfrotto here is the carbon model. It holds 19.8 pounds. Only 55" height..
Has the center column and 4 angle leg positions.
Is carbon REALLY a worth $300 more?! And how do these really compare.
I want to make the best choice and have saved the $ either way.
Thanks for your thoughts,
Nancy
Benro Versatile A2970F 3-Section Aluminum Tripod A2970F B&H
Amazon.com : Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3 055 Carbon Fiber 3-Section Tripod with Horizontal Column (Black) : Camera & Photo

tirediron · Jan 16, 2015

CF is nice IF you're going to do a lot of hiking, travelling, etc. I only have one set of CF legs, and they rarely get used. I prefer the rigidity of my aluminum legs for every day use (and I'm a tightwad, so I like the lower price too) The Benroe tripods that I've seen certainly look like good value for the money.

Designer · Jan 16, 2015

No hyperlinks.

1. Hiking long distances?
2. How high is your eye?
3. Tilting center column is nice if you use it.

Designer · Jan 16, 2015

FYI: I've put my weight of 160 lbs on my Gitzo legs. If my weight doesn't faze those legs, then the couple of pounds of camera certainly won't faze it. Heavy tripod equals no movement.

NancyMoranG · Jan 17, 2015

Designer said:
No hyperlinks.

1. Hiking long distances?
2. How high is your eye?
3. Tilting center column is nice if you use it.

Added links, sorry about that..
I am 65" tall but I do not see any that tall without center column being raised?
Won't hike with this tripod just looking for stability.
Nancy

Designer · Jan 17, 2015

There reason I asked how high is because bending over to look through the viewfinder is not good, especially if you have to do it every time. So I've got one cheapie short tripod that Is too short for me, and I'm not exactly tall. My Gitzo legs get the head up where I don't have to bend over. I think you can take the height of the legs and add a few inches for the head and camera to see how high the viewfinder will be.

pgriz · Jan 17, 2015

Nancy, I don't have the tripods you're considering, but my tripod is a Manfrotto 055XB (055XB ClassicTripod (Black) 055XB - Tripods | Manfrotto) which I use with two heads - either the 410 (410 Junior Geared Head 410 - Geared Heads | Manfrotto) when I need the precision, or the 222 (Joystick Head 222 - Joystick Heads | Manfrotto) when I want a quick setup. In practice, I don't use the center column, as with the head and camera attached, the viewfinder is often higher than my eye (and I'm 5'11"). The tripod has a maximum height of about 54" and that hasn't been a problem.

I use the tripod for macro (always), for close-ups (almost always), for scenics (usually), and any time I want precise framing, focus placement and DOF control. For macro and closeup work, the fact that I can open up the legs so the head is maybe 6" above the ground, is a very good and useful thing. The weight can be an issue, but I don't do long-distance hiking, so that aspect is not very important to me, and if I'm doing a half-day walk-about, I can always stick the tripod onto my backpack.

I kinda wish I had the center column be able to move horizontally, since in some case it would have made my low-down close-ups easier, but then there's the question of how much loss of stability I would have with a horizontal extension. What I can say is the use of the tripod slows me down a lot, and that's a good thing, since it makes me examine which vantage point I would have and which perspective works best. My "keeper" ratio is much higher when I use the tripod, compared to when I don't.

Sorry for the wordy comment, but I thought that my experience could be relevant to your considerations. And although I am using Manfrotto, there are lots of other manufacturers who make equally good or even better tripods. Do you have anyone around who you can borrow a tripod from to see which features are important to you?