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I have to ask why you have decided on a 755B which is categorised in the "video" tripod section where as the "photo" tripod equivelant is the 055B.

I guess the self levelling ball has some merit if you are considering using a pano head with it.

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I'm not familiar with the 755 as it is the video variant of the 055.

A number of members here have the 055 or a variant of it - in my case the 055ProB with a Manfrotto 323RC2 head shared with a Manfrotto 681B monopod.

I'll probably be putting an Acratech V2 or RRS BH-55 with RRS L plate on the 055PROB in the near future due to changing to a D2H. The RRS and arcatech are compared here.

It's not that there is anything wrong with the 323, I'll continue to use it with my D70, but the Manfrotto L plate seriously sucks and the RC2 type quickrelease isn't arca-swiss.

For the bubble level spirit thing... look at a hotshoe mounted one.

A dslrusers thread on the 055 here

VK4CP wrote:Like I mentioned, I'm after a solid, stable platform, something that is probably an overkill.

There is too much flimsy gear out there, and if you compromise on the legs, then that can be a recipe for dissapointment later.

No comments here so far, so I guess it will be DPR to see what is being said.

I dont understand this comment, the 755 is a variant of the 055. The only difference is that the 755 looks like the video camera equivalent of the 055.

If you want something that's solid than why don't you buy a Gitzo or go cheaper and buy a Benro. I honestly would not use the words "solid", "stable", and "overkill" when thinking about the Manfrotto 055 compared to a Gitzo or Benro.

Rooboy and I use the Manfrotto 055Pro Legs with the RC2 ball head and we've been very happy with that combo. Impressively solid.

Edit: The 'B' simply means Black and you pay $20 more for it than the silver...(Why bother?)

Adam,


My thoughts… I have a 055Nat3 amongst other better gear. Based on what you would be asking it to do, I would say “too light”. That pano head alone comes in at 2kg+. Add the weight of a body and lens and you are starting to get some serious weight happening for that tripod. Just because it is rated for 7kg or 8kg by the manufacturer does not mean that it is capable of doing it and remaining stable.
At full leg extension there can be quite a bit of movement, particularly at the skinny end of the legs… HST, if the lower leg sections are kept at about half extension or less, its performance is a whole lot better – that is how I use mine (I have been tempted to knock six inches or so off with a pipe cutter just to make setup easier). Forget the centre column – I took to mine with a hacksaw. The feet also make a big difference - the standard feet do not cut it.
Something else to consider is the recovery rate of the tripod. Set a vibration (shutter release or handling) going and see how long it takes to recover to a stable state. Mass has a lot to do with the recovery rate, but so does the stiffness of the material. The 055 is a bit slow with my moderate load (FM and primes). Double or triple the load or throw a breeze into the mix then… Recovery is not proportional to load. A slow recovery can make it hard to get through a large panorama in a timely fashion and maintain IQ - you will be spending a lot of time waiting for the recovery.

The 055 (assume that it is the same as the 755) is a good little tripod, providing that it is used within its limits. I know that it is not suitable for what you will be asking it to do. It can be used for panos, just not with the weight that you are proposing. Single row panos on a decent ball head (with a pan base) are a reasonable proposition.

The Manfrotto levelling systems are nothing to write home about… They are usable, but that is about it. The only level base that is any good is the G1321.

My suggestion: G1325 (that is the one without the column) and a G1321 level base as a minimum. Note the word "minimum".

I have reservations about your choice of head. Camera specific? Aaargh!

You are joking about DPR… right?

If there is one area that I would ever recommend buying the very best, the tripod would have to be it. You have some respectable lenses and with a good tripod, you will get the very best from them. Spend that bit more now and save in the long run. This is one thing that you will never buy again if you do it right the first time. Okay, you burn a bigger hole in the credit card, spend a couple of extra months paying it off, but…

Cheers

In town for the day

MattC wrote:The Manfrotto levelling systems are nothing to write home about… They are usable, but that is about it. The only level base that is any good is the G1321.

Actually I can recommend the Manfrotto 438 levelling base highly. It doesn't have the lower handle of the G1321, but I haven't found that to be a problem even when working with reasonably-hefty gear on it. Not having the handle does provide a lot more flexibility in leg positioning (i.e. you can go to ground level). It also means you can fit the base onto other legs: I took it to Africa on a set of Feisol legs (with a borrowed Acratech v1 head on top) where it made setting up single-row panos quick and painless.
The reviews of the Acratech levelling base have been good also, although I haven't used one to be able to comment further.
Manfrotto do have at least one other levelling base, which doesn't look as solid to me (although it has 3 screws for fine adjustments).

My suggestion: G1325 (that is the one without the column) and a G1321 level base as a minimum. Note the word "minimum".

I have the G1348 (taller than the G1325 due to my height) and agree that's a good combo. But you can mix'n'match components.

Following on from Matt's comments about vibration recovery: generally accepted wisdom is that carbon fibre legs settle down much faster than aluminium. I would look at the choices from Gitzo, Feisol, and Benro (and Manfrotto I suppose ) in fibre legs.