Manfrotto Neotec 048B
 

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?

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.

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.

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

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.

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. :D :D
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

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.

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

Don

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.

By Don - "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."

Don - my 055 MF 4 Mag fiber does have the ability to use its centre column horizontally.

All my supports, 3 Manfrotto tripods - 055V; 055MF4; 058; and a Manfrotto Monopod - 679; have had their heads replaced with Arca Swiss Heads- one Acratech, one Arca Swiss B1, two Markins. And all lenses that require support have Arca Swiss plates on, I also use Kirk L Brackets on each camera body.

Andy,
I realise your 055 MF4 does.

My project relates to my 055MF3 View which does not. Column just operates in the vertical. This was bought for a spotting scope a few years ago before WPF got me back into photography mode, or I would have bought something like the 055xpro as a lighter companion to my big Slik Professional or the Benbo.

Don

Andy,

Maybe not for you, but from my perpective that collection of ballheads is pretty exotic. :) Good grief which one of the above list do you have on your monopod?? :eek: :)

Don

Benro was actually contracted to Gitzo up to about 2 years ago to manufacture their carbon fibre tripods and others. Benro pulled out of the deal and started to make it's own range of very similar tripods and actually improved on the design, the carbon fibre and the leg lock fittings. Initially the quality control wasn't as tight as Gitzo's, but now the latest models are up there with the top and easily match the Gitzo carbon range for quality and inovation. A lot of the bad reports that were going the rounds a couple of years ago were mainly sour grapes from people who were uptight about what they saw as Gitzo plagarism, the way I see it it can hardly be plagarism when Benro are selling a different but quality product at a third of the price of rip off Gitzo. Incidentally, Gitzo are now owned by Manfrotto and are manufactured in Italy.

As I said, I have been using a Benro C-298M8 regularly in all sorts of conditions for over a year now, I have had absolutely no problems with it. It's a very versatile tripod with a centre column that can be adjusted to any angle making it perfect for macro work, it locks up solid and is very rigid even at full height, (great for landscape work). I've become so used to carrying it with me that I've hardly used my Uniloc 1600 Major since I bought it.

nirofo.

I guess I was fortunate not to have got the 055 if you cant angle the vertical column? I never mentioned, but was shown loads of heads also, after using my £30 jessops I guess anything would be a rolls royce! but was impessed by the manfrotto junior geared head, not cheap, but it would stop all the issues I had with my jessops! as soon as it was set and tightened, then it would drop 5mm. Ok..so I need a tripod that is as sturdy as the 055pro, but with horizontal adjustment for macro work...more swotting up lol..price, and I guess weight is not an issue, after a long walk I may say different? I mean a good investment now will possibly be the only one I need to make regarding a tripod yes! This could open up another can of worms? along with my quest for a suitable tripod and visiting jessop/camera shops in the area, an assistant mentioned have you thought about a focussing rail? OMG!..sounds very useful, but when will it end lol, not a necessity I guess, but poss a luxury no?
Thankyou all for your links and information and mostly your time! I think i've got another w/end listening to "your not on that computer again looking at cameras are you" doh!
ATB

Depends where you hear the story as to quite what happened with the Benro/Gitzo deal... I have heard that rather than Benro pulling out of the deal, they were dropped by Gitzo as the CF legs they made were not up to the standard that Gitzo wanted. If the new Benro's really are as good as the Gitzos I'd like to try one, it woudl certainly save me a lot of money when buying my next tripod. It's a shame that there is nowhere local to me that stocks them or I'd take a look.

Simon,

Check the Warehouse Express link as that shows that the centre column of the 055XPro can be set to horizontal.
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-...ripod/p1019760

Geared head is very nice for precision work but not absolutely necessary as some of the other pan heads like the 804RC2 will be a major step up from your old one.
Link to WHE page on the 804RC2 so you can have a look
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-...-head/p1012868

Focusing rail ........ This is not necessary until you get into really high magnifications, so I would not worry about that at this stage.

Don

There were loads of stories going around a couple of years ago, mostly sour grapes, but I can only go on my own experience with Benro which I have to say has been very good. The tripod is well built, well designed and easily useable and it comes complete with an accessory kit and a tripod bag. I have used it with several different heads from a Benro ball and socket to a beautifully made Linhof 3D Head, it works well with them all. I usually have it paired with a Benro B-3 Ball Head, this has great adjustment, locks up solid and costs less than a third of Arca heads. Like I said, IT'LL DO FOR ME !!!

I don't know how local this is to you, but it is UK based, check out this web address. http://www.photopal.co.uk/

nirofo.