Manfrotto 190XPROB Tripod Legs (Black) with 804RC2 3-Way Pan/Tilt Head

Semi pro: photo journalism/scenery

Very solid. I'm not afraid to walk away from the camera while mounted. Great quick release mount.
I chose this head over the ball because I am used to this type. It is easy to level and a snap to pan. Operation is second nature.
Easy set up and tear down. The unit is not the lightest, but is also not too heavy. I recommend the carrying case. It can be slung over the shoulder and the extra weight of the tripod is dispersed to the extent that it is negligible … a real plus. Its only drawback is that you need to remove one of the adjusting handles for the tripod to fit nicely.
I am also happy the country of origin is Italy and not China … a deciding factor in my purchase.

At first I wanted 055XPROB for my DSLR with lens, external flash and battery pack. But when I tried it out on the B&H floor, I felt it was too big & heavy. I also looked at the 190CX4PRO but I felt that it would make my gear combination top heavy and liable to tip over. This is a perfect combination for my needs in terms of weight, size, ease of use and stability.

I just got this tripod Kit and I love it. It's very stable and holds my Nikon D90 with Nikon 80-200 2.8 lens really well. Good combination of both head and the tripod

I bought this combo. hoping for a more solid and precisely adjustable tripod/head than my current $20.00 [...]Velbon only to be shocked to learn it's about exactly the same on those two important qualities. When you adjust the frame then let go of the adjustment handle the camera moves and thus the framing consequently moves as well. That's the same problem I have with the Velbon from [...]. Geez! I figured for [$] I'd get at least some improvement here. Not! I sent it back for a refund today.I can see where the individual leg movement and rotating center column would be nice features but for me the flimsiness of the setup just killed it. Guess I'll just have to keep searching. I'd have given it half a star if if that were an option. This is NOT high quality equipment.

This is a great deal for someone looking for a decent tripod on a budget.
Its very sturdy
The head is great and easy to adjust

It isn't the lightest tripod, but it makes up for that with its rugged/sturdiness.

I bought this tripod to take hiking and to be able to use it for macro rock and flower photography. It has proved to be a stable platform in macro and 500mm telephoto work. It is not the lightest tripod, but it was the lightest and sturdiest for the price. I think $400 + for a smaller and lighter carbon fiber is just a bit too much.It is 3lbs lighter than the tripod that I was using for the same purpose. I was actually surprised at how stable it was. Everything worked fine and smooth. Even the leg locks worked fine which is better than I can say for my other tripod who's leg locks can rip off a finger. I'm 5'10 and I only have to bend down a little for the view finder unless I raise the center column which I did for stability tests. All in all a fine tripod for carrying into the high country. The head works flawlessly as well. The only complaint is that it seems to be set up for left hand operation and there is no way to switch.