Hello fellow Csers! I finally got some time on my hands, and after finding out just how useful this sub-forum turned out to be, I got inspired and decided to write a couple of reviews too, in hope that others may find it useful.
1. About the Author
The author handled his first dSLR in 2002, and considers himself to be fairly knowledgeable in various aspects in photography. He has handled photographic assignments for various clients, including publicly listed firms and MNCs, and, to his incredible fortune and thanks to the guidance from various people he is grateful for, also won a few national level photographic accolades. He ceased full-time operations in photography in 2008 to concentrate on his other interests. However, he continues to pursue photography as a hobby.
2. About the Tripod
This tripod was purchased in 2006 by the author, then a not-too-rich undergraduate. The tripod has been used fairly often from 2006 to Jan 2013, where it was retired by the author. Here are some basic statistics of the tripod:
3. First Thoughts on the Tripod
This occurred more than 6 years ago, so I am certain that I cannot recall every thought that went through my head in verbatim, but here is to the best of my memory:
I had a growing interest in landscape photography, and have managed to borrow a Manfrotto 190B tripod with a 3-way pan-head from a friend to pursue my passion. Of course, I cannot be borrowing my friend’s tripod forever, so I had to get one myself. As mentioned earlier, I was not blessed financially, so I had to spend my resources wisely, dividing it between a good tripod and a good ultra-wide angle lens.
I was already familiar with the Manfrotto system, and am keenly aware of the price it commands. Since I found Manfrotto to be fairly challenging financially, that also means other expensive makes such as Gitzo, RRS and Vanguard are immediately eliminated.
That leaves me with Slik and Benro. The Slik Pro 400DX won me over simply because:
1. About the Author
The author handled his first dSLR in 2002, and considers himself to be fairly knowledgeable in various aspects in photography. He has handled photographic assignments for various clients, including publicly listed firms and MNCs, and, to his incredible fortune and thanks to the guidance from various people he is grateful for, also won a few national level photographic accolades. He ceased full-time operations in photography in 2008 to concentrate on his other interests. However, he continues to pursue photography as a hobby.
2. About the Tripod
This tripod was purchased in 2006 by the author, then a not-too-rich undergraduate. The tripod has been used fairly often from 2006 to Jan 2013, where it was retired by the author. Here are some basic statistics of the tripod:
- Construction Material: Aluminum
- Folded Length: 650mm
- Maximum Height: 1,550mm
- Minimum Height: 330mm
- Maximum Center Column Extension: 280mm
- Total Weight: 2,520g
- Weight (Head only): 520g
- Number of Leg Sections: 3 (Held by 2 quick-release clips)
3. First Thoughts on the Tripod
This occurred more than 6 years ago, so I am certain that I cannot recall every thought that went through my head in verbatim, but here is to the best of my memory:
I had a growing interest in landscape photography, and have managed to borrow a Manfrotto 190B tripod with a 3-way pan-head from a friend to pursue my passion. Of course, I cannot be borrowing my friend’s tripod forever, so I had to get one myself. As mentioned earlier, I was not blessed financially, so I had to spend my resources wisely, dividing it between a good tripod and a good ultra-wide angle lens.
I was already familiar with the Manfrotto system, and am keenly aware of the price it commands. Since I found Manfrotto to be fairly challenging financially, that also means other expensive makes such as Gitzo, RRS and Vanguard are immediately eliminated.
That leaves me with Slik and Benro. The Slik Pro 400DX won me over simply because:
- I thought the construction was superior over lesser Slik models and the Benro models
- I can handle the weight (as opposed to spending more to get the carbon fiber models)
- It comes with a Slik 3-way pan head (makes things easier for a novice like me)
- I need the tripod to reach a good minimum height (at least 1.5m)
- It can go really low (read below for details)
- The tripod can handle the weight of my equipment for years to come (very true!)
- There was a special promotion for the tripod (very keenly priced, I recall)
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