Pros: Light, build quality, flexibility, design, and did I mention it was light.
Cons: A bit expensive, you get your money's worth. The feet let water into the legs.
The Bottom Line: This is the tripod that I should have purchased in the first place. It is well built, sturdy, and full of luxuries. Highly recommended!
ncphototrekker's Full Review: Manfrotto 055MF3 Tripod
What can I say? I learn from my mistakes, sometimes it takes a few failures to realize though. Having gone through three tripods as I have progressed from a hobbyist photographer, to a semi-pro, I finally landed on one that I love. I thought that number three (the Slik PRO 780DX) was going to be the winner, but alas on its third use, it failed me.
While on the camping trip where the Slik's flip lock bushing broke and left me without a tripod I was forced to start researching a replacement...without the internet. Fortunately, I happened to have Tim Fitzharris' Guide to Landscape Photography with me for some light reading. There happens to be a section in the book dealing with tripods and heads...with his recommendations.
He had three tripods listed in his recommendations: Top of the list was the Manfrotto Mag Fiber 055MF3, followed by the Slik PRO 883 CF-D (thinking I would avoid the Slik), and the Velbon Camarque Sherpa PRO CF-631EL. Out of these choices I had the most working knowledge of the Manfrotto and the Slik. After this premature failure of the Slik, I wanted nothing more to do with their tripods. The Manfrotto captured my eye...and happened to be the one that I saw was being used throughout the book.
I did some research on the 055MF3 when I got home and decided that it had received primarily positive reviews. The negative reviews were mostly from folks that were speaking out against the brand, so I take those with a grain of salt (much like you should probably do with my opinion of the Slik). I placed the order to B&H Photo within a day or two of my return.
The Lowdown....
When the tripod arrived, my first thought was, holy cow this thing is light! It came legs only as I was planning to use the SH807E pan/tilt head that came with the Slik (still love that head). I promptly manipulated all of the locks and controls. I found them to be reassuringly stiff and solid. I extended the complete tripod and checked it for sturdiness since it was so light. I tell you, that carbon fiber is wonderful...there was no movement in the legs at all when trying to rock things by placing my hand over the mounting foot at the top. Still, feeling like a paper weight, I wasn't convinced that I had made a good choice with the Manfrotto.
Another thing that gave me pause was the way the center column worked. With my previous Slik PRO 780DX, the center column broke down into two sections which allowed me to drop the tripod to the ground very quickly to get a nice low perspective. The Manfrotto, on the other hand, required me to remove the center column and reinsert it horizontally, with the legs completely collapsed to get that low perspective.
In the Field...
The only thing that matters about photography equipment is how it performs its assigned duties. I was anxious to get this thing out and see how it worked in the real world. I got that chance with a trip to a nearby park to photograph a rustic homestead. I found the Manfrotto to be very easy to set up which allowed me to spend more time composing the images that I wanted to capture.
I found out just how beneficial the center column design was on this first trip. While still a bit cumbersome (it will take a couple of minutes to remove the column and mount it in a horizontal fashion), the design allows for a down in the weeds position of the camera. My pan/tilt head was still usable for all aspects of camera movement, and landscape as well as portrait orientations were still possible. The distance above the ground will vary depending on the height of your tripod head, but with my combination I think I was about six to nine inches above the ground in landscape orientation. Had I flipped it to portrait, I would have been closer yet.
I have since been on several photo treks with this tripod, and in its short life, it has seen some fairly inhospitable conditions. Photographing waterfalls primarily in this time of the year, the Manfrotto has been on slick rocky surfaces, rushing water, and the muck at the bottom of the creek beds. There have been no malfunctions at all in my use.
My only issue with this tripod is that the rubber feet seem to allow a good amount of water into the legs. I've found that I need to remove the feet after a water shoot and allow the water to drain out. I think this will be a quick fix with some silicone caulk, but I've been too lazy to seal the feet just yet.
Observations...
The 055MF3 has three section legs, while the closely related brother, the 055MF4 has four sections. The benefit with the extra leg section is in total collapsed height, the tradeoff is more chance for instability with all sections extended. I've found the collapsed height of this tripod to be very user friendly at 25.2 inches (smaller than the Slik it replaced). The maximum extended height is listed at 66.5 inches, but this is without a head attached. I've found that while a couple of inches shorter than the Slik, it is still plenty tall enough for my 6 foot height, even when the tripod is set up below my position.
As I have said many times already, this thing is light at about four and half pounds. Honestly, to feel this tripod is to think it is not strong, nor sturdy. I've found it to be both of those things in the field. It is rock solid when I have my Canon 40D mounted to the relatively heavy SH-807E pan-tilt head. Even with one...or all of the legs in rushing water, there are no vibrations in this thing at all.
Strength...well, I tested that accidentally while photographing a waterfall. My foot slipped out from under me a little and I got very much off balance. I reached out to the first thing I could reach to steady myself...the Manfrotto. I shouldn't have, but it was instinct that led my hand to the leg of the tripod. I felt the leg bow just a little as the foot slipped on the rock, but it held me back from falling. No damage to the tripod and it stayed in position the entire time with the legs completely extended. I can offer no more evidence to support the strength of this tripod...I'm convinced.
There are some very nice features with this tripod that warrant mentioning. First is the carry strap that is integrated into the center column. While I usually carry the tripod with the camera attached, I've found it a pleasure to be able to carry the empty tripod to the location with this strap. There is a nice rubberized handle in the middle that just makes it a breeze to carry.
Below the carry strap is a retainer strap for the legs. Have you ever been carrying a tripod when the legs started to spread? I have, and it is a minor inconvenience. Manfrotto thought of this in their design and incorporated a simple strap that wraps around the base of the legs to keep that from happening. The mounting point for this feature can also be used to hang some weight on the tripod if needed to steady things (I assume in a hurricane, cause this thing is already steady).
The final luxury with this tripod is a tool that is attached to one of the legs by the manufacturer. When I first saw it, I was confused as to its purpose in life. It is clipped to a leg and has what appears to be a thick plastic socket on the outer edge. A quick look at the instructions revealed that this was actually a tool used to tighten the flip locks on the legs. After the failure of the Slik, I was very concerned with the flip locks on the Manfrotto. These appear to be all metal and are friction mounted with no plastic visible. Manfrotto advises that the leg joints could become loose after extended use, and supplied this tool to fix it in the field. All you have to do is tighten the flip lock collars...genius!
Final Thoughts...
There is not much to say about a tripod...it is what it is, but I have now seemed to find a bunch to say about two different products. I am totally impressed with the Manfrotto from design, to build quality. This is the tripod that I should have gotten to start with. It was just the $300 price tag that had me a bit nervous. It took me $170 to realize that I Should have gone with the Manfrotto...live and learn. I have found the Slik SH-807E pan/tilt head to be a great match with the tripod, although a bit heavy in comparison.
This tripod is a must have for the landscape photographer. If you don't want to listen to me, how about Tim Fitzharris..."Choosing the right tripod is just as important as choosing the right camera. Take your time deciding on each. It will make you shooting more enjoyable and productive." He chose the Manfrotto 055MF3.
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