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 enlarge | Brand: Bogen
Category: Photography
List Price: $178.00
Buy New: $144.00
You Save: $34.00 (19%)
New (10)
Avg. Customer Rating:  28 reviews
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4
Dimensions (in): 22.4 x 5 x 5
MPN: 190XPROB
Model: 190XPROB
UPC: 719821271062
EAN: 0719821271062
ASIN: B000N7VPRW
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Just a Lightweight April 20, 2008
5 out of 13 found this review helpful
The price was right but little else proved right once the tripod arrived.
The design quality of the unique horizontal, articulating center column was what drove me to purchase the unit but once unboxed; the overall build quality is far too lightweight for professional use.
 Great Product, late delivery April 15, 2008
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
I love the product. However, I paid for 2 day shipping because I needed two day shipping, not 4 or 5, which is what I ended up getting.
Simply Amazing! April 7, 2008
Wow. I did some research on this tripod before purchasing it, but I hadn't realized just how amazing this thing is. It basically puts the camera on the ground. Works great for portraits, and I hadn't really used a tripod for anything besides long exposures before getting this tripod. I previously had a bulky tripod that was made of metal and cold to touch. This tripod is metal as well, but has foam for my hands when carrying it in the cold. It also is very compact and easy to store. Overall, this tripod is excellent, and very helpful for my photography. I actually want to bring it to photo shoot! :)
great tripod March 18, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I purchased the 190XPROB Tripod together with the 486RC2 Compact Ball Head. I'm very happy with the purchase. I had a cheap, lighter tripod for many years that required making multiple adjustments to orient your camera. Here the single ball/socket can be rotated and locked into place with ease and fine-tuning. This is not a lightweight tripod: it is recommended for DSLRs but not medium format. It's very sturdy. I started to slip on a leafy slope the other day in the woods and I shoved one of the extended legs into the soft ground to prevent my sliding and toppling. Didn't hurt it a bit. (I'm not saying you can use it as a lever to raise a truck, but it's well built.)
solid yet lightweight german engineering March 13, 2008
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
the manfrotto 190xprob may be the best prosumer tripod legs on the market. that is to say, if you need more tripod than this, you're either a wildlife pro or a serious amateur with some long prime lenses.
the 190xprob replaced a cheap VidPro with a plastic head that was very creaky and required overt carefulness. the difference is really astounding, and when you factor in the durability -- i expect this to last for many years-- the added expense over the cheapies is well-justified.
at first glance the 190xprob has that mercedes/bmw look: smooth, clean, symmetrical, steely, with style for days. seriously, this is a good looking pair of legs.
the design is top-notch. manfrotto didnt cut any corners in terms of ergonomics or materials. the fliplock leg extenders clamp solidly yet open fluidly. the piece de resistance is the center column, which easily slides up and extends horizontally for macro or close up work at low angles. a press of a button and the legs hyperextend for extreme low angles, and easily snap back into place.
the whole thing looks and feels solid. but it only weighs four pounds -- light enough for a hike but probably not the best choice for a long vacation (although it will fit diagonally into a 22" carry-on if you're that determined).
manfrotto has seemingly thought of everything -- there's a bubble spirit level right where you need it, foam leg warmers on 2 of the sections, and even a hook for a sandbag or similar weight for use in windy conditions. you can get all sorts of accessories too, like spiked feet, an m-bag, etc.
i tested the horizontal column with a nikon d300 w/ grip and a sigma 50-150 -- probably about a good 5-6 pounds. the key to horizontal extention i soon learned was putting the extended arm directly over the front leg to ensure balance. i wouldnt recommend this for non-level ground, though. in horizontal mode, the arm can be swung around, shortened, or tightened instantly. it feels pretty solid vertically, although you wouldn't want to raise it up all the way with a heavy camera + lens combo.
the maximum height is 57 inches or so, and the thing folds to 22". when folded it makes for a compact package that's ergonomically easy to carry, even in one hand. it also fits into the webbing of the canon deluxe photo backpack that's available on this site too.
if you need a lighter, smaller tripod for travel or hiking, check out the velbon luxi which is 12" folded and weighs 1.6 lbs, or the gorillapod slr. if you need a slightly bigger tripod, the next step up, the 055xpro, goes to 72" and can hold 15 lbs., but weighs 5.3 lbs, and has otherwise the same features.
of course you still have to buy a head, and here you have a choice between ballheads, panheads, and action grips. manfrotto makes solid heads -- i have the 488RC4 ballhead and the 3232 swivelhead -- which you can use on other tripods or monopods as well.
the 190xprob gets: one star for design, one star for features, one star for ergonomics, one star for combination of weight and load capacity (11 lbs total w/out head), and one star for price -- it's not cheap but a value compared to more expensive tripods. that's five stars, folks.
bottom line: manfrotto has done it again with an innovative, stylish, and functional unit. at 4lbs., the 190xprob is right in the middle of the support "sweet spot" -- sturdy enough to shoulder a load with confidence, yet light enough and reasonably compact for field work. the price is about right for a quality aluminum 'pod -- the cheaper ones are less well-made and/or can't hold as much, and the carbon fiber ones cost 3-5x as much, and shave only a pound/pound and a half or so off of weight. that would make a difference on a multi-day excursion or a serious hike, but for "serious casual use" this manfrotto is great. it has a 'pro' look and pro features, and for the price it's hard to beat.
recommended for a d300 and up to a 70-200 or 80-400 lens. anything bigger and you're probably looking at carbon fiber territory.
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