I recently decided it was time for a tripod upgrade, mostly out of necessity since I purchased a Nodal Ninja pano head, but I didn’t want to break the bank to terribly much.  After much research on Amazon and Adorama, I settled on the Manfrotto 190XB.  This is an aluminum legged tripod that provides excellent height range for shots that require either very low angle (a few inches) or very high angle (60 inches).  As a photographer who thrives on frugality, I like to get the biggest bang for the buck and I believe that this tripod does the trick.

The 190XB, while moderately heavy compared to some tripods, is still very portable and fits nicely in the tripod slot of my camera bag for a quick and easy setup.  My biggest issue  with the tripod is that the level bubble can be hard to balance, but with a tripod head that has it’s own balancing, it would not be a problem.  So until I get another tripod head, I’ll have to make do.

One of the biggest strengths of the 190XB is the ability to get very low to the ground by flipping the center shaft around and placing the camera upside down.  This allows for the camera to sit about 1.5″ off the ground (depending on your camera of course) for excellent macro shots of flowers or bugs or just an unique angle on a familiar subject.

One of the great things about this tripod is its versatility.  It can shoot low, it can shoot high, and everywhere in between.  I think you’d be hard pressed to find something that was this inexpensive and provided such a range of configurations.

Thoreau Rating (out of 5 total boots):

• Looses point for weight
  

Below are some photos of the different angles and positions the tripod has, Enjoy!

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