20.5.2016

This was my second tripod, and it's so much better than my first that had a three way head. Being a Manfrotto branded item, you expect quality and a good design, and this tripod doesn't make an exception to the rule. The tripod comes securely in a box, ensuring it arrived here safely and all bits were present. You get a quick release head and an adaptor for some small cameras included. The tripod comes assembled so there isn't any faffing around to do once you receive it.The quality of the tripod is excellent. There are no overcasts on the plastic parts and the metal is smooth and finished in a matte silver. The plastic leg release levers are firm and strong. They have no problems keeping the tripod open,even under heavy wind and after a years use.The head is smooth in operation, I think the other reviewers are leaving the pan handles done up too tight when they try to move them. When they are released enough, panning is smooth and sturdy. Of course, they could have a dud, it's entirely possible, but a little WD40 wouldn't hurt if you are having stiffness issues. After a year of use mine is still smooth and easy to operate and my tripod is used in all sorts of conditions, I use it a lot around seawater which Manfrotto advise against but I have seen no detrimental effects to the tripod yet. I also regularly end up with sand in the mechanics of my head and it still manages to operate smoothly full of sand!The head is very good for precise movements. When I got this, I was torn between this and a ball head. I went for this in the end for how precise you can be adjusting it, and I don't regret it. It's very useful to set up the height of your camera, and then be able to pan left to right without adjusting the height. It's especially got for panoramas or following moving subjects.The feet are small, but secure and I have no issues with it sliding around on hard surfaces or soft. In sand, I tend to dig it in a bit to give it some extra stability. The tripod does suffer from some movement in strong winds, but most tripods will. I find that hanging my 16kg camera bag over the top of the tripod tends to help with that a little. It's worth mentioning that it doesn't have a proper bag hook, but I just put the straps of my bag where the head is mounted, in a sort of cross, and my bag securely hangs there and adds a bit of stability to the tripod.The legs are stiff, as another reviewer has said, but I believe that if they weren't it would make it harder to put it away. When you're finished with the tripod, you unclip all the clips on the leg, push them all back into each other and then do the clips back up. If they weren't stiff, they would simply fall back out and it would be a two handed job and would quickly become tiresome.The tripod is pretty light and it's very compact. It folds up very small and the included padded carrying bag is perfect for keeping it in. The one niggle I have with the carrying bag is that the drawstring strap is just that, a string. It's pretty painful over your shoulder on long walks if you're only wearing thin clothes, or you have your shoulders exposed in the summer. It digs in a bit and can become uncomfortable. Because of this, I have taken to keeping it on the front of my rucksack, and I only struggle with the string strap when I take out my messenger bag.Overall, I would recommend this tripod to anyone. It's pretty cheap, very good quality, has an extended warranty when you register it online with Manfrotto, it's secure and has done me well over the year I have had it. I often window shop at the more expensive tripods, and they look fantastic, but as this one works perfectly, I can't face upgrading it. That says it all.

30.5.2018

There are lots to like about this tripod.It's light, looks good, and seems to be well made. I've had it about 18mths and although I don't use it every day, or even every week, nothing's broken and it's essentially in the same state as it was when new.The head is a funky 'grip' type thing, which has a vertical wheel that's used to tighten or release...it's pretty easy to adjust without the need to look at what your fingers are doing (e.g. if you're looking through the viewfinder).I use it with a Fuji X-T2 and it feels sturdy enough; that said, the smallest set of legs DO feel a touch on the flimsy side, and I always find myself double-checking that everything's secure before I re-focus (no pun intended)

10.3.2017

This Manfrotto Compact Action Tripod gives you the freedom to roam wherever & whenever you like. With its lightweight aluminium frame, it makes a simple alternative to some of the more cumbersome and bulky tripods out there.Straight out of the box the tripod is protected in its own black cover/sack with shoulder strap which is a nice touch as it makes it even easier to throw on the back seat, saving space and time if you're ever in a hurry. The tripod itself feels very nice and well built, It has an adjustable ball head and grip with two modes video & photo which allows you to change from full 360 degrees pan, tilt & shift for video to pan & tilt for photo at the flip of a switch allowing you to accurately compose your shot.

4.7.2016

NOTE: There are multiple versions which share the same product page; this review is for the 'Compact Advanced Aluminium Tripod with 3 Way Head' version.*¨*:·.·:*¨*:·.·:*¨*:·.·:*¨*I needed a tripod for my recent journeys which unfortunately the one I already had wasn't suitable due to its close size still being far too big. It took me a couple of days searching back and fourth for which one I wanted to go for before eventually going for this one.The size when fully closed up was perfect for me (approximately 44cm) and didn't feel too heavy when carrying or when attached to my rucksack.At first I was a little baffled with one of the levers,

28.2.2017

The reviews here are mixed up, with some apparently being for other tripods in this Manfrotto range. This review is for the Compact Advanced: Great quality and well-designed. Quickly set up and packed away. Goes tall (65") and packs small (18"). The head is pretty smooth for panning and tilting and resistance can be easily adjusted by the handles that you are holding. No fiddling around anywhere else on the head. Elevating or depressing the central column is also quick and easy via a wingnut. The quick release plate shows two arrows for direction of the lens to point. One position seems to set the head up for left-hand use which some users will obviously like.

30.1.2019

For the price of this tripod you really get value for money. It's very sturdy and extremely reliable. I have used it countless times and it has never fallen over or even moved an inch once. Also the quick release plate that it uses to mount the camera is perfect. I usually leave the plate screwed on to my camera and can the mount and unmount it within seconds - no more wasting time screwing and unscrewing!The twist levers for tilt and pan control feel very solid and don't show any signs of slipping. They stay locked in place and won't budge unless unscrewed. I did have one issue where I was hiking through a forest and realised when I got to the end that one of the levers had come off (

30.8.2019

This is a great tripod. I have found it very smooth and easy to use, and although I only use it for stills I'm sure it would be great for video too. It has more than enough height (I have to stand on my tip-toes to see through the viewfinder at its full height) and is stable, especially for it's weight and size. When fully extended it can be quite shaky at longer focal lengths, even with lightweight cameras, but I find that turning on vibration reduction/image stabilisation solves this problem.It is very lightweight, compact and easy to set up/take down, so is perfect for taking out on trips. It is well made and does everything that I need it to do.

11.8.2015

I was looking for a lightweight tripod to take to Italy and I really like the build quality of monfrottosPlus:- very lightweight,easy to usecomes with a nifty bagmanaged to get it in some tight spots/cprnersPretty durable even if it does feel a bit plasticcentre column can be reveresed upside downcan get a pretty good height out of it, though my husband who is 6ft would not like itMinusus:- no good for long exposures it is not heavy duty enough even with a wireless shutter release I still got wobble. Feels unstable at timesno spirit levelthe ball head can be tricky to align without the camera flopping around, so practise, practise, practise!I was using a canon 700d with a sigma 10-20 lens.

3.2.2018

NB this review for the Manfrotto Compact Advanced 3-way Head (not Ball or any other variation - Amazon very annoyingly aggregate the reviews of all types) - a lot of the 1-star negative reviews appear to relate to the Ball head type although one clearly relates to the 3-way head but it is equally clear the problem is due to operator’s error... what can one say?So, to the point; the 3-way head tripod seems very solid / sturdy / stable. No obvious signs of inherent weakness.Would likely not use the central column extended when working outdoors in breezy conditions but seems reasonably stable for still conditions.The lock-up of the pan and tilt seem pretty firm - so far I’ve used solely with a 50mm f1.4 lens attached to a Canon DSLR but from the overall solid feel,

27.12.2018

Having picked this up on sale for £31.99 its very good for that price hence the 4 stars but at the full £65 I would have been really disappointed and would have given it 3 stars at most. The metal legs feel good quality but the clips and head feel pretty poor in comparison, they work well but I don't see them taking much abuse. The handle had the join in the middle that would have been load better and for the price should has some kind of grip or cover on it. The included bag oddly feel like its from a much more expensive tripod which is both really good and strange at the same time.I have had some tripods and mono pods that sit in between the sale price and full price of around £45 - £55 that feel better in some parts than this one,

27.10.2017

This is the second one I bought, used mine for three years and this is a present for my Gf. The tripod is light and sturdy and can hold securely a good heavy lense and camera body. It deploys quite quick and I find it easy to use. However it is not a top of rance tripod with a fast way of moving your camera to get the frame you need. I mostly use the camera hand held, so this is fine for now, but if you plan to do alot of work with slow shutter or lanscape etc. You may find the two livers that habe to be unscrewed and rescrued for every adjustment a bit of a faff. Build quality is brilliant the only thing missing, thatvwould not cost the hearth is a hook to hang a bag or weight to stabilize it in wi dy conditions.

4.1.2019

This was a present for my father who uses it with his video cam. It’s smaller and lighter than the tripod he uses for his telescope so good for carrying around and the ball head is smooth for panning. It’s small enough to carry in a large rucksack although I would find it heavy carrying it around for a whole day of walking/photography. I have used it for filming at a wedding and it was ideal. Having said that any lighter and it my not be sturdy enough so it’s a good balance. He hasn’t used it for long so I can’t speak for durability although it feels good quality to me. I like the little button attachment for the camera although the size makes it easy to lose, having said that you can buy replacements easily.

21.3.2016

I bought this tripod for when I am carrying my camera all day as my heavier and more sturdy Giottos tripod was literally a pain in the back. This little tripod is very compact and light. It is really designed for compact system cameras, but it is advertised as supporting up to 1.5kg which is heavier than my D7100 with the walk about lens that I would be using on the type of trip I will use this tripod for. Despite this I have deducted a star because the tripod will not hold the camera in vertical mode as it seems impossible to tighten the screw using the wheel enough. Even when using the camera in horizontal mode I found myself regularly having to re-tighten the screw.All in all this will do me for what I bought it for quite well,

8.4.2020

Pros:Didn't want a heavy tripod so this is good as it's fairly light as tripods go. Fairly stable except in high winds.Comes with its own bag.Cons:Bag is great but the string (strap) is quite short so it won't stay on my shoulder and there is no way it would go across body as the string is too short. This is a real shame.Beware of losing the little round quick release screw plate! I screwed it into the bottom of my camera thinking it would be safer there than floating around in my bag. Unfortunately somewhere along the line it must have come loose and fallen out so now I cant use the tripod until I source a replacement - the cost of which seems to be roughly half of what I paid for the tripod

22.5.2015

This tripod has been a great addition to my camera equipment. The quick release plate that attaches to your camera is quite small so you need to be careful not to lose it. That said, I have never experienced any problems. I always have the quick release plate attached to my camera and it never comes off. The tripod itself is of good quality. A sturdy build and it's quite high which will come in handy if you are tall. head can be easily rotated for both portrait and landscape shots using the handle. The handle is easily secured into position. This tripod does not have a spirit level, however that didn't bother me as I have bought a separate spirit level for my camera that attaches to the hot shoe.

Manfrotto Compact Action Smart - Reviews

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