Manfrotto Neotec 048B

[Simon.b]

I was wondering if anyone has had any dealings with this particular tripod? I have just treated myself to a new macro lens for my d90 and my other half bless her, said she would treat me to a new crimbo tripod result! my old jessops one is not the best of rocks and has a couple of cracks in its plasticy legs now. I was virtually sold on a manfrotto 055xpro, think thats what it was, when the rep in the shop showed me the Neotec....he must have realised I had a newbie/gullible face! even so I was impressed at the quick release leg system. I have googled some reviews which seemed in favour, but was hoping that some one on here that has got one, can testify to its long term use? as an after thought, the neotec may not have been out that long to warrant long term?
Opinions anyone?

[postcardcv]

The Neotec is quick and easy to set up, but it's more expensive, heavier (I think) and less stable than the 055 pro. The Neotec was a neat idea but it didn't work as well as it should and was not very popular, you'll probably find that the dealer had old stock he'd be glad to be rid of. Where I used to work we got an initial stock of 4 Neotecs and it took almost two years to shift them, but we'd sell 055s and 190s every day.

[nirofo]

Originally Posted by Simon.b

I was wondering if anyone has had any dealings with this particular tripod? I have just treated myself to a new macro lens for my d90 and my other half bless her, said she would treat me to a new crimbo tripod result! my old jessops one is not the best of rocks and has a couple of cracks in its plasticy legs now. I was virtually sold on a manfrotto 055xpro, think thats what it was, when the rep in the shop showed me the Neotec....he must have realised I had a newbie/gullible face! even so I was impressed at the quick release leg system. I have googled some reviews which seemed in favour, but was hoping that some one on here that has got one, can testify to its long term use? as an after thought, the neotec may not have been out that long to warrant long term?
Opinions anyone?

If you're shooting macro you'd be better off with a Benbo or a Uniloc, (Uniloc is slighly better made than Benbo), they're more versatile and can be adjusted to just about any position you can think of. Great for macro and long lens work, especially in a hide, I use the Uniloc 1600 Major, very solid. It's heavy so not for carrying great distances, although in the past I've lugged it to the top of Ben Hope in Sutherland.

Here's a web link to Uniloc. http://www.uniloctripod.com/

nirofo.

[Gidders]

I have a neotec monopod and while it is a great bit of kit, and very quick to use, as Postacrd says - it is heavy.

For a tripod I have a Velbon carbon fibre - I looked at the Manfrotto 055 range and concluded that their carbon offering was over priced compared to the Velbon - the Velbon CF was about the same price as the Manfrotto standard and sooooo much lighter. A tripod that stays at home because its too heavy to lug around is not a good investment

[andy153]

Hi there, I use the Manfrotto 055 MF4. The magfibre gives a very sturdy platform and is easy to carry around. Mine is modified with spike feet and an Achratec head.

[Don Hoey]

As someone who checked out one of the Neotecs that postcardcv mentioned, after a good look ended up with an 055.

I think the key thing to look for is a tripod at least as stable as the Manfrotto 055 you mention, and it should have a centre column that can be set to the horizontal position. Current workshop project is to do this for my version of the 055 that does not feature this.

I have several tripods including the original Benbo that nirofo mentions. In my opinion they offer a more rugged design and greater stabilty at odd angles than the 055, but they are a quite different design having a single locking clamp, and although brilliant, some people struggle with them. So I would say you really need to see one and have a little play to see if it suits you personally.

There are also lots of tripods of dare I say it more conventional design and there you should look for leg movements at least similar to the 055 you saw, plus the ability to set the centre column to horizontal. Unless weight is an issue then there is little need to go for carbon fibre.

Next up may be the head as you are moving from the Jessops tripod, and for that you would probably be best taking your camera and lens with you to the shop and trying one out on a demo tripod. Head choice is a personal thing so my feeling is that recommendations can really only be of value if it is type specific, and weight is given to the available budget.

Ballheads are very flexible in their movements but ideally should have some degree of friction control to stop the ball with camera mounted falling when the lock is released (scary). Ball heads tend to be more expensive than pan and tilt for a given load capacity due manufacturing costs, and some have quite statospheric prices. Andys collection from a previous thread springs to mind.
Pan & tilt are cheaper to manufacture and come in a fair variety of styles so its personal choice.
Probably the best I can say for either ball or pan & tilt is to check the rated load capacity, then check out ones that faily well exceed the weight of the kit you intend to use on it.
To example that among my collection I have pan & tilt Manfrotto 460MG head rated at 3kg capacity. This is fine for my D100 and lens at 1.3kg but definately deflects under the load of my D2X and lens at 1.5kg. So although it is capable of carrying the load, I find it less than satisfactory for the D2X for which I use the bulkier Manfrotto 808RC4 rated at 8kg.

Don

[nirofo]

The choice of tripod and head is huge, but it all boils down to what you want it for and how much you are prepared to pay. The majority of tripods that come with an head already attached are usually a compromise and cater for the general clicker, some are better than others. If your main interest is macro and landscape where you don't intend to walk very far, then go for the sturdiest tripod (within reason) that you can afford. If you want a more versatile tripod that is light enough to carry on long treks but still solid enough to lock down tight, then have a look at some of the Chinese tripods and ballheads such as the Benro, they've improved tremendously and the latest versions are on a par with Giotto, Manfrotto, Gitzo etc, and in some cases exceed their quality. I purchased a Benro C-298M8, see here. http://www.benro.com/products_details_C-298M8.html and here. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Benro-Vers...item3a4ea89a16 And a Benro B-3 ballhead, see here. http://www.benro.com/products_details_B-3.html#features and here. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Benro-B-3-...item3a4ea8b34a http://www.benro.com/products_details_B-3.html#5.

The versatility and quality of this combination was just what I was looking for without breaking the bank, 1/3 of the price of Gitzo and does the same job. A friend of mine bought the Gitzo version just before I bought the Benro, to say he was dischuffed would be an understatement. I use mine regularly for macro and landscape with the ballhead, I also use it for bird photography with a Bilora fluid head and a Nikon 500 f4, it's a great tripod.

nirofo.

[Don Hoey]

Originally Posted by nirofo

.................. then have a look at some of the Chinese tripods and ballheads such as the Benro, they've improved tremendously and the latest versions are on a par with Giotto, Manfrotto, Gitzo etc, and in some cases exceed their quality.

Not that I am in the market for one, but that looks pretty impressive. Thanks for posting the info.

Don

[postcardcv]

Originally Posted by nirofo

have a look at some of the Chinese tripods and ballheads such as the Benro, they've improved tremendously and the latest versions are on a par with Giotto, Manfrotto, Gitzo etc

I don't quite get the comparison, the Gitzo I own is in a different league to the Manfrottos and in my experience the Giottos are not quite as good as the Manfrottos. I wonder what level the Benros are at, I have heard a lot about them (good and bad) but have not tried one myself.

[nirofo]

Originally Posted by postcardcv

I don't quite get the comparison, the Gitzo I own is in a different league to the Manfrottos and in my experience the Giottos are not quite as good as the Manfrottos. I wonder what level the Benros are at, I have heard a lot about them (good and bad) but have not tried one myself.

I have used mine for over a year now with no problems whatsoever, it's a great piece of kit and I would highly recommend it. As I said, a friend of mine has the Gitzo Mountaineer carbon fibre version, it's definately no better than the Benro and costs 3 times as much. As for the ballhead Benro B-3, I have had no problems with mine, (it's the latest version), I think some of the earlier versions had problems with locking, that seems to have been fixed in the later version. My friend has the Arca B1 attached to his Gitzo, (he's got money to burn), the Benro B-3 is just as well made, locks down solid, is smooth in operation and takes Arca quick release plates, costs less than a third of the Arca. IT'LL DO FOR ME !!!

nirofo.