bkrodgers
19th of August 2008 (Tue), 00:32
I'm debating how badly I need a new tripod and whether the current Manfrotto rebates are a good enough reason to pull the trigger now instead of waiting. Right now Adorama has the 055MF4 for $299, and through August, if you buy it with a Manfrotto head, you get a $50 rebate. So it's basically $250. Locally it's going for over $400. At $250, it's about $100 more than the 055XPROB would be ($175 - $25 rebate on the Al pods w/head purchase). I'm still weighing the question of whether the 055MF4 is a better choice for my needs than the 055XPROB, but at $100 it's a reasonable gap to consider the upgrade. (I'm assuming the rebates are valid through Adorama. Even though Adorama isn't advertising it, it's on the Manfrotto site and doesn't list any retailer exclusions as long as it's not grey market.)
I currently have a lightweight, compact Velbon Ultra-LuxiF, which is a great compromise tripod. In other words, it's very small and light, but it also goes from a folded 15" up to 53" (including the head) without using the center column. Stability is quite good for something that small and light, and it serves my needs well as long as I don't ask too much of it. But it's certainly not a rock solid platform. I might be well served to have a larger, more solid tripod for situations where I can handle the size and weight, and use the Velbon when I need small and light.
I could certainly wait, but the 055 series looks like a nice choice to get something that may be less portable but will be more stable without breaking the bank. I'd especially appreciate anyone who can give me some insight into just how hot and unusual of a deal this is. If I'm likely to be able to get these tripods at this price in the future, I may wait and try to recover from my other recent purchases. But if this is really a good deal and one of these two is the tripod to get, I could swing it now. :D
I currently have a lightweight, compact Velbon Ultra-LuxiF, which is a great compromise tripod. In other words, it's very small and light, but it also goes from a folded 15" up to 53" (including the head) without using the center column. Stability is quite good for something that small and light, and it serves my needs well as long as I don't ask too much of it. But it's certainly not a rock solid platform. I might be well served to have a larger, more solid tripod for situations where I can handle the size and weight, and use the Velbon when I need small and light.
I could certainly wait, but the 055 series looks like a nice choice to get something that may be less portable but will be more stable without breaking the bank. I'd especially appreciate anyone who can give me some insight into just how hot and unusual of a deal this is. If I'm likely to be able to get these tripods at this price in the future, I may wait and try to recover from my other recent purchases. But if this is really a good deal and one of these two is the tripod to get, I could swing it now. :D