Manfrotto MT290DUA3US 290 Dual Aluminum Tripod

I bought this to carry with me on a trip to see the Northern lights in Alaska. I considered lighter, more travel-style tripods, but I decided I wanted something that would be good for more that that one trip. This unit is plenty light enough for travel.

I have been a professional photographer for over 44 years. I have owned Bogen/Manfrotto equipment for most of my career. I must say, this Dual 290 with 90 degree center column is one of their best products yet. It is extremely sturdy with very modest weight.

I use this primarily for overhead flat lay shots. It's stable enough for my Canon 6D and a 24-70mm lens so I'm very happy. I might eventually get a sand bag if I shoot outdoors, especially if I use it at maximum height. But so far, I love it.

I used this tripod on a recent trip to a family reunion. It worked great for what I used it for. The tripod is easy to fold up and move out of the way. I really liked the quick release on the ball head, it worked a lot better than other quick releases that I had in the past.

Feels very steady with my compact mirrorless camera, but is rated for and feels like it would be equally solid with something heavier. Definitely easy to open and close and to switch to horizontal.

This tripod is mediocre when it comes to taking pictures and impossible for video. Mainly because of the ball head and lack of adjustments. Manfrotto is a great brand for tripods, this one is not worth the price in my book.

Great tripod, Holds camera steady. The only minor issue which is really me, I didn't realize that there were two sets of instructions, one for the tripod and one for the head. once I figured that out, smooth sailing.

Love the fact that camera is eye level without centre column.

This tripod can do virtually anything you want- many positions and angles for shooting. When I opened the box it was longer than I had expected and maybe a little heavier. The heavier is from the very robust build quality that seems to never shake or move once it is set up, it also feels like it...

.....wow, this can go really low...I love it! It feels very well made, the ball head action is nice and smooth once you realize there's an adjustment for that. It would be nice if it had a built in level but my Canon has one of its own so not a huge deal.