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TESTED: MANFROTTO ONE PHOTO KIT One for the stills fans £399 manfrotto.com Manfrotto’s award-winning One tripod now comes in a kit designed for traditional photography
If you looked longingly at Manfrotto’s award-winning One
social media video. But it does use most of the same tech and has a cool X-Pro ball head on top for £399. That’s a lot less money than the kit that comes bundled with Manfrotto’s new 500X Fluid Head with aluminium legs for £519 – or £669 for the lighter carbon- fibre model. For most stills shooters, it’s all you could want anyway. What remains is the reassuringly solid build, with the One’s clean lines, well-sorted engineering and very fast- action legs. Manfrotto’s Xtend system allows all three leg sections to extend at once via a single top-mounted lever per leg. This means you do not have to unfasten and then fasten multiple flip- lock or twist-leg clamps on every leg, which can become tiresome. It’s faster and more ergonomic, helping users avoid too much bending over to keep making adjustments. Just open all three large leg locks, raise the tripod to the required height and clamp them shut. Job done. And once they’re extended, the tripod is very solid. The legs aren’t round but have a slightly ovalised profile that makes the set-up more rigid, ideal for pans or for using large lenses. The rubber feet hide retractable spikes for outdoor use, and there’s an Easy Link mount at the top for attaching accessories. One other feature retained from the original is the very useful centre
tripod that is purpose-built for hybrid users, but wanted something cheaper and for stills use only, then your dream buy is the new One Photo kit. Unlike the original, which was available in carbon fibre or aluminium, it does not offer the fast head levelling, fluid-damped motion for cinematic video, the carbon-fibre option or the capability to immediately switch from horizontal to vertical orientation for
Specifications
Tripod material Aluminium Base 60mm flat Head X-Pro ball with Arca Swiss plate Maximum load 10kg Legs maximum load 15kg Working height range 10-175.5cm
Centre column Removable Legs Three-section single tube aluminium Leg lock Flip lock Feet Rubber and spiked
The head has two levelling bubbles to help you make adjustments with the locking knobs open, and the new polymer rings ensure smooth, precise movement
ONE LOVE The photo-specific
Manfrotto tripod uses lots of the latest tech and is solid for shake- free images
Closed length 76.8cm Total weight 3.66kg
HEAD MASTER The X-Pro ball
head comes with a plate that works with Arca-Swiss but not standard Manfrotto plates
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