Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod with Micro Fluid Head Review

Title: Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod with Micro Fluid Head

Editor: Tyson

Basic Description:
Manfrotto carbon fiber 4 section tripod with Q90: Model 190CXPRO4
Micro Fluid Video Head with Quick Release Camera Plate: Model 128RC

Just the Facts:
Tripod
Closed Length: 19.68 in
Leg Sections: 4
Load Capacity: 11.02 lbs
Material: carbon fiber tubing + magnesium castings
Maximum Height: 57.48 in
Maximum Height: 48.03 in
Weight: 2.95 lbs
Q90 center column

Micro Head
Load Capacity: 8.82 lbs
Material: aluminum
Plate Type: quick release – with 1/4″ screw
Quick Release: yes
Secondary Safety System: yes
Weight: 2.2 lbs

Story:
After buying a number of cheap tripods, I finally broke down and spent the money for an expensive, light weight tripod. Let me tell you, I wish I had done this a long time ago. The money I spent on cheaper tripods could have paid for the Manfrotto.
At just under 3lb. this is one of the lights tripods for its size. I choose to go with the 4 section tripod just because it will compress down to a size that I can fit inside my pack and close the zipper. This is awesome because I’ve always had tripods that stuck out and I couldn’t close my pack all the way.

I was a little nerves about the 4 section, because I thought it might not be as sturdy as the 3 section because the fourth leg being so small. But after using it for a while it actually is a lot more stable than I thought.
The Q90 has great features. It is designed for photo taking. The center column slides all the way up and then will pivot and turn horizontal. This is designed to allow a user to take vertical pictures. This is not a feature that I used very often but is a nice feature to have.
This is a very solid tripod. I would highly recommend this to someone that is looking for a study, light weight tripod.

Moving to the micro fluid head; choosing a head for my tripod wasn’t very hard. I had a couple buddies that had this head on their tripods and I had used them quite a bit. It has been a very good head.

I have used it in tempters down around 10 degrees and it still moves just like normal. This is also one of the lightest heads Manfrotto makes. It’s a great addition to this tripod to keep the weight around 5lbs. Manfrotto makes to models of this head one has the quick release plates and one does not. I personally would never buy a head that didn’t have a quick release plate.

These two items together have worked exceptionally well for me. Although the price is fairly expensive with a retail value of $525 I believe you can never go wrong by buying a quality tripod and head. If you are looking for a setup like these keep an eye on eBay and Amazon. You can find great companies selling products brand new at discounted prices.

What they could do better:
Nothing very good product