Customer Reviews

Manfrotto 7302YB M-Y Tripod with Ball - Replaces 725B

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I hike extensively with my camera gear, and until recently lugged around my heavy Manfrotto Pro tripod. Although not as super-stable as the Manfrotto Pro, I was very impressed with the compact size and always above-par Manfrotto quality.

I have mounted my Canon 5D2 with a 24-105L lens without any issues at all. The same camera with a 100-400L works, but needs babysitting. It's a heavy set-up and tends to creep a bit with the small ball head. That being said, I will never be without a tripod again on long treks. This is a lightwieght, compact, and quality tripod. It can get pretty low for macro shots, and fully extended is no problem for my 6' height. I prefer not to extend the center column and crouch down a bit for even better stability.

This is one of the best tripods for your dollar in the "compact" category. It is a quality unit that will serve you well for years. Mine has been banged around and used extensively for the last few months...no problems at all!

I did a lot of research on tripods before getting one of these for myself. You must remember that no matter how good a tripod is, its useless if its not going to be left at home. This tripod folds quite compactly and is light enough to carry around on most hiking trips. Its rated 3.5kg weight limit is good enough for a dSLR with zoom lens up to 200mm. Pretty much strong enough for the stuff most beginner to intermediate photographers will use. The included ball head is surprisingly solid for its size. Backed by a solid company in the tripod industry, I do not think you can find a better tripod for the price. I highly recommend this tripod.

So far, I have had great luck with this. I've used it several times and put it through some pretty dirty conditions and so far everything works as advertised. For the money, you can't beat it! I wouldn't use this as a primary tripod, but if you're just starting out, and don't have a lot of money, this will do just fine. It would also work great as a secondary or back-up.

UPDATE:
In the past few weeks I've noticed an issue with the head that is annoying to say the least. Every time I tighten the head with the locking lever/screw, it has a nasty habit of feeling like it's getting tight then gets loose before it gets tight again. Almost the same feeling you get when a bolt start to strip. It will eventually tighten but if feel the head tighten and then let go of the camera for a moment and continue to tighten, you can have a rude awakening of the head actually getting loose, and camera flopping over. If this persists, I may have to either buy a new head or send the whole thing back. And we alllll know how much fun that will be.

This is a great tripod if you are looking for something light weight and still provides the much needed functionality. This is a quality product and is very durable. We do a lot of hiking etc and it comes pretty handy as it folds into a decent size. We have taken this tripod to 5 National Park trips this year, and it has done fantastic job.

The Ball-Head is great and that just gives you so much flexibility in the setup of the shot.

We use SONY-Alpha (200K) as our SLR to mount. I am sure it can handle other similar SLRs too. The construction of this tripod is very sturdy.

Overall, if you budget is right for this, go for it. Even paying little more than what you had planned for, will pay you off in terms of the quality and features that you will get.

Hope that helps!

I bought this tripod on the recommendation of Todd and Brad Reed after attending one of their Picture Perfect Weekend workshops. This tripod is easy to operate and the ballhead makes repositioning my camera a breeze. I actually use my tripod now. It comes in a nice bag that fits over my shoulder which makes it easy to carry anywhere and it is light weight. For the money it can't be beat.

I read a ton of reviews about multiple tripods and decided to give this one a try. It's without a doubt a great value. You certainly get a lot of tripod for the money. And I have to say it exceeded my expectations and they were set pretty high by other reviewers.

I didn't need to read a single instruction to operate every feature of this tripod. I know tripods aren't terribly feature-rich, but every part of this tripod is intuitive, designed beautifully simple and is easy to use.

My favorite part is that the center shaft inverts easily and quickly allowing you to mount your camera on the underside of the tripod, between the legs, for low-to-the-ground shots and angles. This is a pretty cool feature in my mind that stands out, but I'm not sure how common it is with other tripods.

The ball mount appears to be VERY strong, although I don't have any experience with other ball mounts to compare it to. I am however, a pretty mechanically-savvy guy and consider the entire tripod including the ball mount to be of sound design and easy-to-use in practice. (I'm also a user interface designer, so I appreciate well-though-out ergonomics and intuitive design.)

With regard to weight - it just feels right. Heavy enough to feel very sturdy and of high build quality, but light enough to carry on a few-mile hike. The carry case is nice for every day use, but I would strap it to a backpack for longer outings.

Overall, I can't imagine a better tripod can be made for the money. The name Manfrotto too, is consistent with quality, so don't hesitate to buy. The product also comes with a 3-year warranty.

I have this tripod now for about 3 months. I use it extensively for outdoor low-light photography with a Nikon D5000 and a set of 18-55, 55-200 zooms and a 35mm prime lens, and have got very good results. I have been able to take excellent night shots of the Chicago skyline using exposures of up to 15 seconds. The tripod helps take very sharp pictures and does not suffer from any vibration or instability. The ball head is very easy to use. The build quality is excellent. It is light but sturdy, and looks good too. I would highly recommend it to those who need a light tripod for travel (though I use it all the time in all situations, it is my only tripod).

Typically I do not extend the neck, but rather bend down to peer into the viewfinder and compose the shot. I am 5'4" and find this to be very simple to do. If I do extend the neck the viewfinder reaches my eye level without me having to stoop. I also find the quick release to be excellent and I can take the camera off the tripod in a flash to take quick candid shots. The camera can be placed back on the ball head using one hand only.

Contrary to one of the other reviews, this tripod DOES come with a case. Overall an excellent product and worth every dollar.

Got this tripod to take on plane trips to location. I use a Nikon D300 with 17-55 F2.8 and it holds it well, although I get the sense that if I tried to do a lot of off-balance work, the head would eventually prove insufficient for that much counterbalanced weight. But it has worked well for what I do with it. What I would like to point out is the Manfrotto quick release system on this tripod. When you remove the camera, the securing lever for the quick release remains in a cocked position. This allows you to subsequently place the camera back into the receiver and have the retaining mechanism automatically snap back into place (no two hands required). It is possible to additionally flip a lever to further lock the retaining mechanism against even accidental opening. But the one handed snap in is very handy when you are constantly taking the camera off the tripod and putting it back on-- such as shooting while on the move.

I bought this tripod for my Nikon D90 equipped with comparably lightweight DX lenses. The heaviest lens I use on this is the Nikon DX 10-24mm and it is defenitely strong enough for this combination. I am not a big tripod user and need it only in few situations. That's why I didn't want to spend a fortune but on the other hand wanted a tripod I will actually carry around and not leave at home because it's way too heavy. This one does the job perfectly and I don't think it will break easily.

but when I used it the first time in the field the bail used to tighten the screw to hold the scope to the locking plate came off in my fingers. Got that replaced, and then got the legs extended. When I flipped the lock lever open to raise the center post it broke off in my fingers. This scope has some nice design attributes, but my experience it is too fragile. Beyond the broken parts, it did function as expected in the field and is convenient for air travel. I contacted Manfrotto about replacement parts and after providing proof of purchase they supplied a diagram so I could select the needed parts which they sent at no cost to me.

To this point I am satisfied with their customer service and materials support. After more extensive use in the field I will edit again with longer term durability and performance.