Manfrotto 055 Tripod and XPro Ball Head After a Year

[@winterburan]

Manfrotto is one of those brands were born from the Italian passion. In the late '60s Lino Manfrotto was a photo reporter in Bassano del Grappa for the Venetian newspaper Il Gazzettino and the newspaper of Vicenza. Lino Manfrotto, who died yesterday at age 80. RIP

[@LandtoHouse]

Oh wow. Thank you for sharing. I know the product is great.

[@markharris5771]

Pietro a belated RIP to an who, in my opinion, invented the perfect tripod.

[@ruslanb4013]

I watched the video 6 months ago and it helped me to decide to place an order with the tripod and xPRO 3 way tilt head. Since then I have never been sorry about my purchase. Thank you!

[@LandtoHouse]

That is great news! I have been using this tripod for years and it has never let me down. Nice to know you also like it.

[@UncleManuel]

It's 2021, I'm looking for a new tripod and this review is still essential. Thanks for the insights after heavy usage! :) And yes, the dog was absolutely crucial for this review! 😄

[@LandtoHouse]

I still use this many years later! Thanks for watching.

[@jsprite123]

Manfrotto recommends tightening the leg hex screws after a few uses from new (I don't know if it is in the manual somewhere), ans every so often after some heavy use. They include a little thingy for this purpose, which comes attached to one of the legs. Some people just throw this away without knowing!

[@PurpleHumbug]

I bought this exact tripod combination - the 055 aluminium, 3 section combo with XPro Ball Head. As soon as I felt the weight of the box I knew this was possibly going to be too heavy, like you stated towards the end of your video. I deliberated with myself what I should do about this, thinking that the weight would make it more stable anyways. But every time I picked it up to move I just thought about those times I would be out with it on a long hike and thought this was going to be too much. So I immediately requested a return from my purchaser and ended up buying the carbon fibre version instead. It was quite a bit more money but the weight difference is quite significant and it definitely does not feel too heavy anymore. It is still somewhat heavy but you want that from your main tripod anyways, but it is still as stable as the aluminium version, in my opinion. I had both tripods for about 2 days while I was waiting for the aluminium one to be picked up for it's return. So I tested the weight of them in my hand and how stable they felt when I tried to rock them. As mentioned the weight difference was significant but the stability was not. So, if you are concerned about the weight of this tripod I would suggest you buy the carbon fibre version, if you can afford it.

[@lavestehaves]

Great review. I have this tripod with the same head as well as the Manfrotto 3 way. It is a heavy tripod as you have mentioned but the level of confidence is unmatched. I got the tripod and the 3 way head as a kit for $255 and that is a steal for a kit such as this. Thank you for taking the time for this intuitive review.

[@LandtoHouse]

Thank you. I use this tripod 6 to 7 days a week and it is wonderful. Like you say level of confidence is unmatched. I have not had it tip over a single time. (even when the dogs fight under it)

[@andydixon9707]

Got one for Christmas great bit of kit, it's so simple to set up once you know the set up. The extension arm is incredible, allowing you to get shots in hard to reach places. 😊

[@LandtoHouse]

I have used it for many years now and it has been great!

[@GreenvilleGuy]

Thanks for this thorough review of the features. I am considering this exact combo. Very helpful.

[@peterdaprix4479]

Excellent review! I have the tripod and did not know about many of the small features. I have an old Manfrotto that was sold under the Bogen name that I have been using for decades. But now that I am shooting video as well, I bought this tripod and love it but did not know enough about it as I do now thanks to your video. I wish I had seen it before buying a less sophisticated Manfrotto ball head. I like it but cannot do smooth pans with it as I believe I could do with the XPro. The one I have will not let me smoothly pan the head, it pans the ball instead which allows the camera to tilt back or to the front during the pan. An Xpro is definitely in my future.

[@mrstewartosborne]

You totally let me avoid reading the manual with this thorough review. Thank you!

[@LandtoHouse]

Nice! Happy to help. I use this tripod almost daily. It really is great.

[@TechLineHD]

awesome review!

[@LandtoHouse]

Thank you. This is an awesome tripod setup. I would not want to use anything else.

[@IanSRutter]

Finally a great review of this tripod. From your video it really shows the quality of the tripod. From other videos and articles I have always wondered about the thickness of the legs, but from yours, I have peace of mind. It looks like it should take my Canon 7D and 70-200mm F/2.8 nicely. Well done and thanks for a great review.

[@LandtoHouse]

I have been using this tripod 3 plus days a week for years now. I am very pleased. Well worth the money.

[@roundingcorners]

great straight to the point review showing all the features. . one of the best in comparison to all the gimmicky vids in youtube land

[@LandtoHouse]

Thank you. I used this for 3 hours today actually. Best tripod.

[@tomhughes5123]

i used one for years in all kinds of seascapes . mountains . even used it as a sea fishing tripod for beach casting rods .. absolutely awesome .. dislikes . my daughter borrows it long term for weeks ( college kid ) so iv now got the carbon version .. hope it fares as well .as the ally model , im a snob now i have promediagear bs-1 for long telephotos and it has a huuuuge locking knob for easy locking even if your hands have huge gloves on , the reason i bought the 3 version ( total of 3 parts per leg ) they are much sturdier than the 4 section tripods same make , the 4 has a smaller paacked size than the 3 section . but for heavier cameras that 20cm is worth carrying around it for the stiffer thicker legs .. iv used both with heavy telephotos . theres a bit of flex with the 4 section over the 3 .. just a point worth noting .theres no weight difference , the extra leg locks on the 4 sect legs make up for that over the longer sections of the 3 sect .. have fun

[@anthonyhazlewood5788]

It is heavy but it is sturdy... I have had my 055 tripod for a long while now and I have no complaints with it at all... I have just purchased the XPRO Ball head and it looks as if the quality is well up to the same standard as the faithful tripod...

[@LandtoHouse]

You should be very happy with the setup! I use mine at least 3 days a week.

[@garrymurphy1553]

Very informative and thanks very much

[@Helloegypt80]

thanks for this great demo and I believe having this on the time of one year of usage, provides a lot of this great tripod which I have it too :), thx again for efforts to make this demo available to us. cheers.

[@LandtoHouse]

This tripod can stand up to a lot of abuse. I have really enjoyed using it. Thank you for watching.

[@pierrebouchard4289]

New subscriber ... Great review ; I'm set on buying the 055 after watching your review , thank you !!!

[@LandtoHouse]

Awesome! thank you for joining the channel. I really cant say enough good things about this tripod. Its so robust.

[@pizzafroth1521]

Hey, you should post a review of it now! Hows it holding up for ya now vs when this was posted?

[@LandtoHouse]

I used this tripod for 4 hours yesterday. Its doing amazingly still after all these years.

[@pizzafroth1521]

@@LandtoHouse thats good!! I have the carbon fiber version of the 190. Its been phenomenal, with the BHQ6 head thats arca swiss instead of your version (bhq2) the heads been phenomenal except for one fatal flaw!!

[@luispaxtor2680]

Great review, thanks for pros and cons.

[@LandtoHouse]

Thank you for watching. I have really enjoyed this setup.

[@gunnyretnug8096]

Awesome Review!

[@LandtoHouse]

Thank you. Its a great tripod.

[@JasmineLuvay]

So very helpful. Thank you.

[@LandtoHouse]

Thank you. I have enjoyed this tripod very much. I use it 4 days a week at least.

[@wahabdilawar]

Very nice review. Thank you very much for your time and effort.

[@LandtoHouse]

Thank you for watching. I really enjoy this tripod

[@arvydasgasparaviciusphotog7250]

Great review! Thank you!

[@LandtoHouse]

+Arvydas Gasparavicius Thank you for watching.

[@tjcoleoursimplyabundantlif9903]

Long time watcher, new subscriber

[@LandtoHouse]

Thank you for watching and Subscribing!

[@markharris5771]

I have three Manfrottos including the 055, my ballhead must be about 10 years old so I converted it to Arca Swiss myself. You should have had a strange looking grip on one of your legs, that's actually a little spanner thing for when you nuts need tightening. I like the heavier aluminium as I have disabilities I don't walk more than a few yards and they are much more stable in water for long shots (only do stills photography). A great and fair review.

[@LandtoHouse]

I think the newer model has a little plastic part that holds the wrench for tightening. It does not hold well at all and I do not use it. The setup is so very strong. I have used it almost everyday for well over a year.

[@markharris5771]

Land to House to be honest I can't remember having ever used mine. Every so often I tighten up my oldest one but that is the silver aluminium model and must be the best part of 20 years old. My 055 and 190 are about 5 and 4 years old respectively, I use my 055 with a gimbal head, a Canon 7DII, with a battery grip and usually with a Sigma 150-600 Sport on it (combined weight of at least 12Ib) frequently in salt water and sand and not had a any problems at all. They are not the most expensive although not cheap tripods by any means, but they are great value for money.

[@shadda]

I've had to have two replaced within a week of receiving them because that center column is a disaster. The C ring easily bends and the bolt holding the red bit together goes flying

[@LandtoHouse]

Thats wild. I use this tripod at leat 3 days a week. . . .for 6 years. The only issue I have had is a loose leg nut.

[@GingerPhotographer]

Great review - I have one and wished it came with a shorter stem. However, Manfrotto do sell a shorter stem "055XSCC"

[@LandtoHouse]

Thank you. I have not seen that part. Most of the time I use mine with the legs as long as they will go and I dont worry about the stem.

[@TimChanMusic]

Hi, watching this 2 years later. I just purchased the manfrotto 055 and this past week. I unlocked the tripod leg and it completely fell off like you said. I'm thinking of returning it and getting a replacement since I haven't even had the product for a week. I guess I could try and fix it, just wondering where you purchased the star bit screw driver.

[@LandtoHouse]

Hopefully it's not a defective product but a loose screw. I purchased that driver at Lowes. You could probably even find one at Walmart. I've been using this tripod for years now almost daily. Occasionally those screws will become loose other than that I've had zero issues

[@TimChanMusic]

@@LandtoHouse went and found a hex screwdriver and turns out that leg screw was really loose compared to the rest. Thanks for saving me the trouble of sending it back and waiting for a replacement 🙂

[@LandtoHouse]

Happy to help! This tripod should give you many many years of use.

[@666dhero]

Helpful video.thank you

[@LandtoHouse]

Thank you. Happy to help. This is a great setup.

[@paulhenkelman1651]

Thanks for the review....nice job. I'm shooting a D750 with a 5# super telephoto. Will that ball head support this set up?

[@samdeur]

my compliments on your review.. way more telling then most.. i guess there really is no substitute for real life usage/ experience.. i like the brand. and the horizontal pole seems nice to film my desk when i'm doing something..i would want a 1kg max tripod but i don't think those exist with a fluid head.. greetings from The Netherlands..

[@AlexTangBang]

I am looking getting this. Thanks for giving your experience! Have you thought about getting the carbon fiber version of this tripod since you go out with it and carrying it around?

[@LandtoHouse]

Price was the determining factor for for that decision. I do carry this tripod a lot and it is heavy. But it is a great tripod.

[@andyvan5692]

that version might be heavy, but I think there is a Carbon Fibre version of these legs,so this one would be the one to go hiking with!!

[@LandtoHouse]

This one is great for leg workouts haha I have used this for years now and its still going strong.

[@VonBlade]

Great review. I've come away from it thinking I need that tripod and you need a faster autofocusing camera :) Really nice to revisit it with genuine user experience rather than "get it out the door" shop overviews when they're new.

[@LandtoHouse]

I really have enjoyed this tripod. I used it for 4 videos this week. That camera was the old 2009 Canon 7D. Did not even have autofocus. Now I film with the Canon G7X mII. Much better.

[@michaeldornhausen8807]

My next Tripod will be a Manfrotto. I like them as well. It seems to be good quality.

[@LandtoHouse]

I have really enjoyed this one. I have seriously used it almost every day for a year.

[@jacquespomares131]

Hello France is watching you and apreciating Thanks

[@LandtoHouse]

Thank you. I hope the video was helpful.

[@That7Days79]

From 8:10...can it be turned facing downwards as well...for, like overhead footage? Or is there limitations to the turning,like only 90° ..or can do 180°?

[@LandtoHouse]

The ball head can turn a full 360. Then you can turn the actual ball part any direction. So if you want to point it down you can.

[@robertb.3651]

The "star bit" is called TORX .....

[@lefthandright01]

A big question many people would want to know would have been, when; When you have the center column in the horizontal/flat lay position, does the bubble level stay true? Or does that center column fold eventually loosen and get sag in it. Also can the flat lay column support the weight of Dslr w/ larger wide angle head and not need sand bagging.

[@LandtoHouse]

The center bar has a very nice knob for tightening. So far I have had no issues with the setup. I use a small Canon G7X so its light. As for the larger DSLR, if you place a leg under that weight it will hold it just fine. But if you more the camera to another place without the leg support it can git tippy.

[@jcorden6089]

Any chance of a review on the Benro FGP28A tripod, and Benro B2 Ballhead which I just bought?

[@noelquintela]

Hi! do you think this combo it's strong enough to hold a tank like the Mamiya RZ67? I'm in the serach of one for this camera. Thanks and great video!

[@LandtoHouse]

Looks like your camera is around 5.5 pounds. The tripod with ball head are rated at 19 pounds. You should be well within the limit.

[@beastnipple666]

Thank you for such a thorough and jargon-free review. I'm now confident in buying, though I may pay the extra for carbon fibre. BTW, Wally is a little cutie :)

[@LandtoHouse]

I cant say enough about how nice this tripod is. Personally I have not used the carbon fiber but If that quality is at least the same as this one it is going to last a long time. . Wallie is alright haha.

[@Tocino_Culture]

What is the best fluid head that you can recommend for this 055? I will use it primarily for video. Thanks!

[@LandtoHouse]

I have only used this ball head. It works well but I think the handle version would be better.

[@jokernia]

I use MVH502AH together with this 055 tripod.RECOMMENDED....

[@janekmorel]

MVH502AH with 055 is a great combination. Rock steady and smooth as butter.

[@NikhilNevrekar]

Nice review sir but cost is very high.

[@LandtoHouse]

Thank you. Yes the cost of this one is high.

[@Coolcatz2500]

my legs slip all the time at the clamp , I've tried everything...any suggestions?

[@LandtoHouse]

Oh wow. My tripod is many years old and I use it almost 3 days a week every week. There are leg bolts you can tighten with the Allen wrench.

[@wahabdilawar]

I bought this combo a few months ago but have yet to use it in the outdoors, but I am a little reluctant because of the rubber endings on its legs. I am afraid that the sand and water on the beach will spoil the rubber and erode the legs. Anyways...it is a very good demo/review. I learned a couple of features, which I didn't. I am planning to buy a universal L-Plate but I can't figure out a way how to attach it to the RC-2 plate on this tripod for the camera to be in vertical position. Thank you very much for your time and effort.

[@yoyoz333]

you need this quick release plate for the L-Plate www.ebay.com.au/i/332381477675?chn=ps

[@nikospapageorgiou3067]

Hi ! I m wondering if I can touch me D750 with tamron 15-30mm which means close to 2kgr of weight, with no issues in stability...

[@LandtoHouse]

+Nikos Papageorgiou oh yes. Together the load rating is 5kg. Very stable with 2kg.

[@Hellgap50]

The first thing you never mentioned is it aluminum or ,carbon fiber there is not only and major build design differnce but also major cost between the 2 I have both the aluminum and the x55 carbon fibre tripods and a 190 pro aluminum so I know a lot more than the average person with the carbon fibre manfroto made a major flaw in the design of the bottom selector where the teeth stop the legs from opening wider well there is a nut unlike all others they chose to make room for the nut by reducing the area that support the legs 30 percent of the tooth is gone in this design I have now broke teeth off on all the legs and this last time teeth off one leg and the box they call the part that the leg slides into and connects to the lower selector . When I sent it away for warranty 10 year warranty I’ve had it 3 years they told me I abused the tripod and was rejected warranty well after a long letter explaining I see the flaw they fixed the tripod calling it a courtesy repair I’m like really just because I use the tripod as intended they call it a courtesy repair so after that I cede the I’m twice as careful and be dammed if it hasn’t just happened a second time I’m not holding my breath but if they are half the company I believe they will fix it

[@LandtoHouse]

This is the Aluminum version. I have not had any issues other than a screw being lose. I use this tripod at least 4 days a week. Its great.

[@tanker1960]

Thanks, Frotus came in yesterday. Do not buy cheap tripod!!

[@LandtoHouse]

I agree. Much better to have a nice tripod.

[@tanker1960]

Your vid nail it down for me, brought a Manfrotto MT055X PRO3 from Focus Camera. I had been suffering a whole year, with Targus, Polaroid and Radio Shack Thanks again!

[@LandtoHouse]

I used a Velbon for many years and it was ok. The Manfrotto is so much better than that. It is a little heavy but that is because of quality.

[@cbartey]

Manfrotto not Man-frowto or manfrodo