Introducing the Manfrotto MT190XPRO4: My New Photographic Best Friend

-

After five years of hard service my Slik Pro400DX tripod was starting to show its age and so on a recent trip to London I decided to invest in a new 'best friend', a Manfrotto MT190XPRO4 tripod and X-Pro 3 Way Head from Park Cameras. 

 The reason I describe a tripod as a best friend because to a landscape photographer a good tripod is just that; it allows slower shutter speeds to be used when using small apertures and also allows precise adjustments during composition.  It also slows you down, making you think about what you are shooting.

 This weekend on our trip to the Outer Hebrides I was able to give the Manfrotto a good workout, being brought into use for long exposure images and also when I wanted to have that extra bit of support. The Manfrotto MT190XPRO4 tripod certainly did not disappoint.
The Manfrotto 190 tripod keeps everything steady during long exposures
The Manfrotto MT190XPRO4 is an aluminium tripod with four leg sections, which means it is more compact when folded up than the three leg section version (just 49cm when closed). More leg sections usually mean the tripod isn't as study when opened up but this version of the Manfrotto 190 was rock solid, even at its maximum extension of 160cm.  

 The Manfrotto 190 is also available in Carbon Fibre for those who are more weight conscious than I am, but is nearly double to price, and is also available with three leg sections for better stability but it is longer when folded.
Manfrotto 190 Series
The legs have the new Quick Power Lock (QPL) levers, which were as good in operation as was indicated in the brochure, and allowed me to set up the tripod a lot faster than my old Slik tripod.
Quick Power Lock levers
X-Pro 3 Way Head
The other feature that has proven to be a huge asset is the new 90° centre column mechanism which transforms the tripod when working at a low level, which the 190 is capable of doing. The new vertical-horizontal column mechanism is hidden inside the tripod’s top casting until it’s needed and reduces the overall length of the folded tripod, making it more compact for traveling with.
90 degree column allows the tripod to be used at ground level

 CLICK HERE for the 190 Series Tripod on the Manfrotto website
Spirit Levels

 The X-Pro 3 Way Head that I bought to go with the MT190XPRO4 is a superbly engineered item with fold away handles and friction controls on the tilt and portrait movements that allow delicate framing adjustments to be made with the locking knob open. The built in spirit levels, one for each axis also help keep everything straight and level, especially those watery horizons that I am so fond of capturing.
Friction Adjustments

 CLICK HERE for the X-Pro 3 Way Head on the Manfrotto website.

 All in all I am very pleased with this purchase and I will be taking it on further trips this year.  I can highly recommend this tripod.
90 degree column allows the tripod to be used at ground level
90 degree column allows the tripod to be used at ground level
Handle closed
Handle extended

Primary materialAluminium
ColourBlack
Weight (g)2100
Max load (g)7000
Min height (cm)8.0
Max height (cm)160.0
Closed length (cm)49.0
Leg sections4
With HeadNo
Horizontal centre columnYes

The price? The MT190XPRO4 retails at £199.95 but Park Cameras have it for £179.  The X-Pro 3 Way Head retails at £114.95 but PC have it for £99.00.

CLICK HERE to see the Manfrotto MT190XPRO4 on the Park Cameras Website.

 CLICK HERE to see the Manfrotto X-Pro 3 Way Head on the Park Cameras Website

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BLOG BY VISITING THE ADVERTISERS ON THIS PAGE
By clicking on the adverts you are helping support this blog - thank you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION


If you like what you see on this blog please visit our Facebook page and click 'like'

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

REVIEW: The New Fujinon 2x Converter

-
Image
Yesterday Fujifilm launched the latest edition to the Fujinon XF lens line up, the XF 2X TC WR teleconverter for use with the XF50-140mm f2.8 and XF100-400mm f4.5/5.6 zoom lenses.  In April I was invited by Fujifilm to test the new converter and here are my thoughts on this new lens. Before I go into details I need to be upfront about something.  I've never been a fan of 2x converters because the optical quality of the lens is usually affected to a large degree.   I did have a 1.4x and 2x converter for my lenses when I was shooting with Nikon. While the 1.4x converter was regularly attached to my long f2.8 lenses, the 2x converter was probably used about three times in the 18 years I used Nikkor lenses.  I didn't like the results when using the converter so tended to not use it. Anyway back to the X-Series!  The 1.4x Fujinon converter was launched in 2015 and I have been a fan of this diminutive lens attachment on both the 50-140mm and 100-400mm.  The optical qu
Read more

REVIEW: Using Nikon Lenses on a Fuji X Camera

-
Image
I've been using the Fujifilm X-Pro1 for the past month and I haven't enjoyed my photography so much since I bought the Fuji X100 12 months earlier.  The only issue I have with the X-Pro1 is the lack of a long telephoto lens.  The longest lens I have is the 60mm f2.4, which is the equivalent of a 90mm telephoto; it's a great lens but I sometimes wish my Fuji system had a bit more pulling power.   Fuji have provided the X system with a telephoto zoom, the 55-200mm f3.5 / f4.8 R LM OIS and I will be testing this lens next week for three days. I will be showing the results on this blog. However my Nikon kit has one of the best short telephoto zooms in the world, the Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8 AF-D.  I bought this lens brand new in 1996 for £1600.00 and it has been a faithful companion ever since. I've bought and sold plenty of SLRs / DSLRs in the past 18 years but I've never felt the need to upgrade the 80-200mm because it is still optically the best lens I own and it ha
Read more

Comparison: Fujinon 16mm f1.4 v Fujinon 18mm f2

-
Image
The small but perfectly formed Fujinon XF18mm f2R has been the lens I have used the most since I bought it in 2013.  The fast f2 aperture along with the small size and 27mm equivalent angle of view makes the 18mm f2 my 'go to' lens.   However has the new 16mm f1.4 usurped this position?  The slightly wider 24mm equivalent focal length is one that I used to have when I used film cameras and for landscapes it is a great lens to have in the bag.  But how different is the 18mm and 16mm?  Is that 2mm going to make a huge amount of difference?  and will that extra stop on the aperture compensate for the difference in the physical size of the 16mm compared to the 18mm?  I went for a walk along the coastal path in Dunbar down to the harbour and took there shots with the X-T10 fitted with the 18mm f2 and my X-T1 fitted with the 16mm f1.4.  As usual for this blog I need to point out that this is NOT a technical test, I don't do that, I just report on my findings in using th
Read more