I can’t speak to the bags, but Manfrotto makes great quality tripods
Jeez, where was Woot! (and this deal) many years ago when I maxed out credit cards on camera gear because the sales girl was pretty? Oh, yeah, that’s right, Woot! was right o’er yonder in Texas. It was my fault, I was trying to cut down; luckily, now I don’t have any monies (or credit), so it’s only deals like this which tempt me to sell a kidney or three.
Why does the Amica bag show a full sized DSLR with a full sized lens in it, and the description says you can’t fit that in it? I’m considering that bag (for travel coming up) and well… which is it?!
Also, I wish marketing teams would think before shooting model photos of technical gear… you have these people with DSLR’s, walking around with top of the line brands that are very expensive, and they’re all holding their big expensive cameras like a camera phone to take photos with.
Sorry for the confusion but I don’t see where we say a lens won’t fit. We say “Or carry a compact DSLR with kit lens attached.”
Per the Manfrotto page: extra padded to protect a compact DSLR with kit lens and additional standard zoom lens.
Second this. I’ve used my 055XPROB for weddings, real estate, and landscapes for the last five years, and you can barely tell it’s been used. It’s also the small things: so nice to have the foam grips on really cold shoots.
Their ball heads are quite good as well.
Carbon fiber tripods are light and sturdy, but be aware that if you put a very large camera on one (as I recently saw with a $15,000 Canon video camera) you should have the heaviest part of the camera (lens?) over one of the legs and not the other way around, as it may be top-heavy.
Saw one with the $15,000 camera tip over recently because the heaviest part was between two legs!
I have two of their bags, very good quality stuff.
This same bag is selling at Amazon for 29.99
Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but DPReview (another Amazon-owned site) recently revealed that this highly regarded company has only just launched its carbon fiber tripods. They are about 25% lighter than the equivalent aluminium tripod, but stronger.
In my limited experience, carbon fiber is a bit more brittle than aluminium, so be careful storing it. That having been said, the experts at DPReview seem to think this tripod is well-designed and should last an appropriate length of time.
A few notes:
The 00series is a Gitzo, not Manfrotto. Amazon sells that for $50 more.
Most of the tripods here don’t come with heads, so you’d need to spend at least another $50+ to have a usable setup. (This is the way most quality tripods are sold.)
I have the 4 section, CF version of the 055 pod and it’s an excellent one. (055CXPRO4)
Also consider the intended purpose. 3-way heads are best suited for situations where you most value an ability to pan independently from up/down pivot, like when you’re using a video camera, or trying to catch some laterally moving sports (race track, etc). For situations where separate panning/pivoting just slows you down, a ball head is often preferred.
I’ve been using my 190 for a few years and it’s a good tripod. The main issue I have with it is it’s too large for packing in a suitcase. It also doesn’t come with a hook to hang a sand bag (there is a plastic eye at the top that looks like it might be for this purpose)and there are no changeable feet to switch to spikes. I recently purchased a MeFoto Roadtrip to fill these needs and leave the Manfrotto at home for other duties.
Manfrotto. What a name.
Is the Gitzo the GT-0531 or the GT-531?
The former is a full-size tripod (max height 51"):
http://smile.amazon.com/Gitzo-GT0531-Series-Carbon-3-Section/dp/B001C9IV5Y/
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/569082-REG/Gitzo_GT0531_GT0531_Mountaineer_6X_Carbon.html
the latter is a tabletop tripod with a max height of 26.4".
http://smile.amazon.com/Gitzo-GT-531-Series-Carbon-Section/dp/B0019R3BGI
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/548360-REG/Gitzo_GT_531_GT_531_Mountaineer_6X_Carbon.html
It looks like you’ve posted the specs from the former, but it’s the latter in the pic.
Anyone still using a Leitz Tilt-All?
I used to sell them years ago for WAY over $100 in 70’s cash and now found TWO of them at Goodwill for about$10 each. Heavy, but built like tanks.
Good catch. Our electronics setup team (aka Eric) is researching and will update the sale momentarily. Please stand by.
Errm, did the item reappear somewhere? looks like the sale ended this morning…
No but it will be fixed should we repeat it. Sorry for the confusion.