A Close Call with my Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod

Manfrotto 055XPROB

I have a Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod. I did a good amount of research and chose this tripod purposefully. It met my needs at an acceptable price point. I find it to be very solid, in part because of its aluminum construction instead of carbon fiber. I was not seeking light weight for transporting but instead wanted more weight for added stability in wind. And I've had that aspect pay off already - it's been windy up on Mt. Lemmon north of Tucson, AZ, as well as yesterday out by the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, AZ.

I wanted a three section leg instead of four or more because the leg walls are thicker and therefore more robust. I wanted a tall tripod and this one is taller than a lot even though I could still use it a bit taller. I don't want to have the center column extended unless I absolutely have to. The other tripod I considered was a Gitzo Mountaineer without a center column at all, but ended up with the Manfrotto because of the center column.

I have used the center column in the horizontal position a few times, and if I didn't have it, I wouldn't have been able to do the shots the same way. Once was when shooting over the railing of a bridge over Oak Creek at Slide Rock State Park in Arizona. I wanted to shoot with a long exposure and with the center column extended over the railing of the bridge I was able to use a long exposure with the camera securely held (it was windy that day too, but since the legs of the tripod were behind the railing I didn't have problems with stability).

The biggest complaint I have about this tripod is the center column. Most of the time I don't have it extended. Most of the time I shoot I want the tripod low to the ground. You can't do that with this tripod unless you put the center column in the horizontal position and that is a pain to do with a heavy camera and lens attached. Consequently I tend to just get the tripod as low as possible without switching the center column around, and therefore settle for what I can shoot from that position. In other words, I get lazy.

Manfrotto used to sell a short center column for the tripod but they don't any longer. I've written to them about the column and received no reply, but you can't find the short column available.
A couple of weeks ago I tried a different solution from Adorama, a short column designed for a different tripod. One reviewer said it worked on the 055XPROB with reservations.

I took it out to shoot with a few weeks ago and came up with my own reservations. As one or more reviewers pointed out, it tightens down quite a bit but still feels loose.

I had my Nikon D610 and new Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G lens on it which is a fairly heavy combination. That's right at $3,000 for the camera and lens. I had shot a couple of pictures and without thinking much about it, picked the tripod up with the camera and lens mounted.

I'm not sure how or why, but I was holding the camera and tripod with one hand each. That's when the camera fell off of the tripod - the short column came right out of the legs. If I hadn't been holding on to the camera too it would have hit the ground. Bye bye to my camera and lens!

Needless to say, I re-installed the correct center column and threw the little one away. That near miss points out how important the tripod is - you don't want it falling over or collapsing or falling apart. It's probably a good idea to check it every now and then to ensure the ball head is securely fastened to the column. And, while it's very enjoyable to get this level of camera and lens, it took some convincing of both myself and my wife, and it took a bit of financial wizardry. I don't want to loose it due to a stupid move like using the wrong adapters for a tripod!