I picked up a Manfrotto 055CXPro3 tripod for Christmas 2011. At that time, I started off writing a short review of it, comparing it with my then-current 055XProB.
Amazon shipping
- no problem, earlier than expected
- price went up after I put it in the cart though
- center column was damaged in transit, cosmetic marks made by the 3 legs
Tripod itself – compared to 2007era 055XProB
- 1st impression: Locking different – not really good or bad
- Good:
- Covering of screws on latch is gone, washer integrated into screw itself
- Less parts to loose is always good
- Bad:
- Screws to secure latch are now hex head instead of phillips head. Why? I now need a semi-specialized screwdriver to take it apart.
- Indifferent:
- Latch and screws on upper & lower leg segments are subtly different. Need to keep track or compare all visually before reinstallation
- Leg segment tops aren’t molded – additional plastic part used as stoppers. This is probably a direct result of using carbon fiber instead of aluminium.
- No hand warmers. Using it in winter… is
going to befun.
I’ve also completely dismantled it, cleaned it and rebuilt it. There weren’t any manuals, but I found a part diagram/listing on Manfrotto’s site that helped show how the part fit together. (If that link breaks, I found it under the spare parts section here.)
Took some practice, and a few missteps (particularly with the tension(?) spring securing the center column), but it ended up working fine after clearing the sand out of it. (Where I got sand on it from, I have no clue.)
Once again though, I was disappointed in the need of specialized tools. In this case, a 3/8 (I think) hex key.