Equipment in this review
Introduction
There's not a perfect tripod for every job but I'm constantly searching for the holy grail, a jack of all trades and I think I have found the one that covers my common needs in the Manfrotto 190 Go! Carbon Fiber.
Im a portrait and travel photographer so my needs are very specific:
Lightweight
Compact
Flexible
Strong
Yes, I know it seems to be one of those situations where you can't have all of them but bear with me.
Weight: There's nothing worst that having to travel with a heavy tripod, even if at first you think there`s not much of a difference after a few hours walking or hiking you start feeling every gram. Carbon Fiber I love you. This tripod is super light, sometimes I feel a Full Frame DSLR with a 70-200 weights more than this tripod.
Size: It’s the other big deal when you are moving constantly and with a fold size of 44 cm you can´t ask for more. I can attach it to the front or side of a backpack with no problem.
Height: Height is a priority for me and not only in the high point, I find myself very often wanting to shoot at ground level. This tripod covers everything I need, can go to 170cm high and a low 10 cm of the floor. The legs spread with no problem and thanks to the center column that can be positioned at 90º (more of it later) you can go lower.
Strength: When a tripod is lightweight you think that it will lose points in the strength department, manufacturers need to cut corners in some areas right? Again: Carbon Fiber I love you. The 190 Go! is very sturdy and I feel comfortable abusing a little bit of it (hahaha don´t we all do that with our gear?). Especially when you are travelling and the tripod gets hit with other equipment.
Stabilization: That's the main reason you buy a tripod (dah). When I'm at the top of a building or a mountain wind is a huge factor but this tripod can handle it, even with the center column extend I'm confident that it will not fall over. If you want extra support you can hang weight at the bottom of the tripod.
Payload: Normally I shoot with a full frame camera or mirrorless and the range of lenses go from the light 50mm prime to a 70-200mm. This tripod handles it with no problem. If you want to go bigger this is not the tripod for you but don´t forget this is a travel tripod.
Ease of use/speed: when I shoot I want to be fast, the difference between a good photo and a remarkable photo could be milliseconds, so when I use a tripod I need to be able to set it up as a second thought and the 190 Go! delivers. The twist M locks are a beauty, with a half rotation you free all the legs and with the same half twist you lock them. One knob frees the center column and with a push you enter into 90º mode.
Head: when you choose a tripod, you have to remember that you choose the legs but also very important the head. In this case I got the MHXPRO-BHQ2 ball head. It´s simple, elegant and very functional. It has 3 lock knobs: one for the pan, one for tilt and one for the head ball drag. A good head has a bubble level, the MHXPRO-BHQ2 has two! One for landscape mode and the other for portrait.
It also has degree markings for precise setting (these little things are what set apart a great product from the rest).
Looks: you can deny it everything you want but you like to look good shooting. The carbon fiber finish looks very stylish and ¨techy¨. The Manfrotto red details along the tripod are a nice touch to finish how it looks.
Special Features
90º degree center column: this is one of the things that makes this special, the ability to rotate the center column to a horizontal position opens a lot of possibilities. If I want to shoot from a building looking down the street I can be completely parallel with to the ground and not with that ugly angle. Also, when I shoot table top or products this function give me easy access to angles that would only be possible with complicated rigging.
Easy link: The ability to attach small accessories like a flash or an umbrella is a plus.
What I would loved to have.
Light in the bubble level: I'm constantly shooting at night and the fact that I need to use my phone light to check the level is hard but I understand that in order to keep the weight down you need to cut some stuff.
A little bit of more height: In some occasions I need to shoot from very high angles so maybe an extra 10 cms would be cool but we go back to my initial statement: you can’t have it all.
Conclusion
Are you a street or travel photographer? Do not hesitate to get this tripod, it has your back. The weight and size combo is perfect for you.
If you shoot sports or events with bigger lenses maybe you need a bigger tripod.
Manfrotto did a round job covering this niche of photographers, they seem to be a brand that listens to the needs and want to continue innovation. Let me know what you think about this tripod!