The new 190XPROB model retains all the best-loved features of its predecessors but provides improvements in build, compactness and ease of use. Swinging the centre column from vertical to horizontal position is straightforward. You simply release the column locking knob and raise the column while pressing the button at the base of the column. When the column is in its highest position, this button triggers a release that allows it to be swung into horizontal position. The camera can then be balanced by sliding the entire column forwards. Reversing these steps restores the column to its vertical position. This adjustability is valuable for macro photography, low angle shooting, extreme balance points and off-centre work. It will also be valuable for chair-bound photographers, who can sit beside instead of behind the tripod and be much closer to the camera’s viewfinder. READ FULL REVIEW AT PhotoReview.com
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Manfrotto 190XPROB 3 Section Aluminum Pro Tripod
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If the 3001 is the light weight of the trio, the 3051 is the heavyweight. It weighs in at 12.65 lbs. Way too much to carry around in the field for most people. However, it’s very, very, stable. It’s also big even when collapsed (over 3ft without a head) since it only has two-section legs. One unique feature is that just by pushing a tab at the top of the tripod, you can release all three legs, extend the tripod to the height you want, then lock it by releasing the tab. You can also do the same thing for each leg individually. It’s the most stable tripod I’ve used, beating out the 3 and 4 series Gitzos and Carbon Fiber tripods. So it should, given its weight. If you can haul it around in the trunk of your car, or use it in a studio, it’s great, but carrying it far isn’t an option I care for very much. Not a field tripod in my opinion, but you can’t buy more stability for around $200. 
This carbon-fiber tripod’s light 3.1-pound weight makes it extraordinarily easy to carry for a model with a maximum height of 54.3 inches — 63.4 inches with the center column fully extended. Its three-segment legs use Gitzo’s new G-Lock twist-lock system, a variation on the traditional knurled locking collar that’s said to increase the stability of the ‘pod when the legs are locked at narrower angles. The GT2530 gives you a choice of three such angles; both leg joints and twist locks are smooth and easy to operate. The rubber feet unscrew and can be replaced with other types of feet that Gitzo sells separately. That makes the tripod less versatile out of the box than a model with the familiar combination rubber-and-retracting-spike feet, but the included feet are shaped to provide good stability. The GT2530′s center column is both reversible and removable, and it has a built-in hook for adding weight to stabilize the tripod. For extreme low-angle shooting, the mounting plate can be unscrewed from the center column and attached directly to the top of the legs. Anyone who has ever struggled to unscrew a mounting plate should be grateful for the two handle-like nubs on the top of the tripod; these make it easy to grip and turn the mounting plate and its base separately. With the center column in place, the GT2530 has a minimum height of 13 inches. About $535 (with carrying bag). 
