Manfrotto 785 Modo Maxi Photo Video Grip Head Tripod

 (66 customer reviews)

This is a very impressive, very compact tripod truly designed for someone needing a quality product that will easily fit into a suitcase. But first...

What this tripod IS NOT: it is not a substitute for a serious, tall tripod for everyday use. It not designed for anything heavier than our lightest Digital SLRs, and won't be the steadiest in the world with those.

But this is a very fine travel tripod for someone with a good digicam, such as the Canon Powershot S3 IS. It will easily support that weight, even in vertical. It can also easily be used with most Mini DV camcorders.

Considering how many leg sections it has, it is steady enough. Amazingly, it also allows you to spread the legs out, if necessary. The center column can be shortened, so that you might work very close to the ground.

One cool tripod.

I needed a basic field tripod, and this tripod exceeds my expectations for utility and support. I wish that it had come with a zippered carryall of some sort - and some metal in the head would have made it more sturdy. That being said, I am perfectly happy to use my Olympus E-500 on it with my 50-150mm standard Zuiko lens.

My previous tripods have been the type that you buy at the local general stores (Target, Sears, etc.).

I find that this tripod is lighter than what I am used to carrying, and sturdier. The extra buckles are a nuisance - but the thing folds down into nothing! Plus, like another reviewer said, you can drop the height practically to the floor. The whole thing could be taller, maybe.

I'll have to agree with the previous reviewer in that this is not a serious tripod; the trigger/button tightening mechanism is far too weak for anything but your average digital camera and perhaps the most compact of today's camcorders.

Bearing that in mind, I'll still rate this tripod with 3/5 stars for the simple reason that I listed above; the tightening mechanism simply doesn't do its job very effectively.

The tripod's saving graces are that for an un-braced unit, it is quite sturdy, and it certainly allows for a great range in height. This, however, means little when your camera is constantly pointed sky-ward due to a sudden loosening in the head.

If you're only going to be using this with a consumer-grade digital camera, then you'll most-likely be happy with the product. In my opinion, however, a near $80 price tag is a bit hefty for such a simple application.