Manfrotto 290 Xtra 3-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod

Great tripod for the price. I find it to be very sturdy and compact. It's compact enough that it's not a hassle to carry with me to various events. Don't be fooled, this is not a $700 tripod made out of carbon Fiber but for the price this is a sturdy tripod that is not super heavy. So far after 3 months the Tripod has worked perfectly. If I have any complaints it's that the center post does not have a hook for supporting extra weight and there is a plastic cap for the center bolt and the cap keeps popping up when I lift the Tripod out of it's bag, so I have to keep pushing it back into place 1 out of 3 times when I take this tripod out of its included carry bag..The reality is that you do get a very sturdy aluminum tripod with a bubble level and nice easy locking legs for a very low price. Personally after hours and hours of research I could find nothing better in this price range or even for 50% more, so I am very happy with the purchase. It holds my Nikon D500 DSLR with 16-80mm zoom lens perfectly and without any vibration even on 20 second exposure Astrophotography shots.

I originally bought one of the off brand $100 carbon fiber tripods trying to save some money. I shoot with a d750 and some larger lenses occasionally but some reviews said it could handle pro gear decently. It was a decent tripod for the price but just not enough to trust pro gear on. There was waaay too much flex in the legs fully extended and didnt feel sturdy. The metals and plastic seemed cheapo too...This one however is awesome. No leg flex, light but sturdy, quality metal, the leg locks are plastic but definitely quality, and the ball head is nice too.If you are deciding between something like this and a cheaper tripod, spend the extra moneyEdit 3/24/18: I accidentally left it leaning against the back of my house for a good two weeks fml (its been very cold and windy, as well as over 1 ft of snow this past week). I just brought it in and i see nothing wrong with it! No rusted screws or metal anywhere. I will update once i use it again.

The media could not be loaded. Review of the 290 XTA 3-Way Kit:Legs:This has outstanding legs. They are very small, compact, yet they are so sturdy and can get exceptionally tall! I own several Manfrotto tripods and I have used many in the bast, and I am telling you that these are my favorite tripod legs I have ever used hands down!Head:The 3 way head is okay. Its built well and will probably last a long time, mostly metal and strong plastic. The only thing is, when you are adjusting the angles, its kinda jerky and hard to get in the right spot. Unlike my other, nice, fully metal Manfrotto tripod heads that smoothly adjust the angles. Its bearable, but I found it to me a little annoying on architectural shoots, as it was hard to get my "lines straight." Also it only has one bubble for leveling which I found made it even harder to level (vs a 2 bubble leveling system. A bubble for each plane of axes.) The plus side to the single bubble system though is that you can see it when you are in a tight situation, such as being in the corner of a room when photographing a house.Conclusion:If you are looking to buy your first tripod, buy the whole kit, its awesome and a great price! If you have a little more money, I would recommend that buy the legs on their own and then buy a tripod head of your choice to attach to them. (Its easy to do)Side note, if you want to film video with nice smooth pans, this tripod head will not do the trick. You will want to look into the Manfrotto 502 Video Head MVH502AH.I hope this helps! Thanks.

I love this Manfrotto Tripod. It was a replacement for a cheaper plastic one that was given to me, because it was so light that more than once I had concerns it would tip over with my Canon on it even in light wind.Someone I had met who was into photography had recommended the Manfrotto brand, and I decided upon this model. The Manfrotto 290 delivered exactly what I wanted, with great balance between weight and the stability that additional weight provides. The tripod is light enough to bring along on hikes, and easy to keep in the vehicle when not in use. There's enough weight to provide stability, without being too heavy itself.