![]() ![]() ![]() The reviews have been used with the authors permission and have been copied from their original threads. Tendency of center column to rotate even when fully tightened.Relatively light and compact for the level of stability provided.This tripod was purchased with the Giottos MH 1301 Ball Head. I suspect this to be a defect with my copy of the tripod and will be requesting a replacement from B&H. When fully tightened, I can easily rotate the column by grasping it with my bare hand. One issue I have noted when putting the MT9360 through its paces is a tendency for unwanted rotation of the center column. The top plate includes three set screws to secure the head to the top plate. The top plate is ruggedly built and large enough (6cm diameter) to support even a fairly large head. The functionality is not as good as a real 3-way pan/tilt head, but it works in a pinch. The lateral arm mechanism doubles as a rudimentary 3-way tripod head with a full 360 degrees of horizontal rotation and 90+ degrees of vertical adjustment. When the short center column is installed, the MT 9360 supports one of its most novel features. A good solution might be purchase of a second top plate and mount screw for permanent assembly onto the short column. Giottos provides tools for this purpose though the process carries a risk for loss of small parts. Use of the short center column for low-angle work is fairly involved and requires disassembly of the top plate from the column. Care must be taken when the column is configured as a lateral arm to avoid extension to a position where the tripod is over-axis and no longer stable to the load. Once extended, the Giottos MT 9360 allows for a much greater range of camera positions than that of the 055XPROB including full inversion under the tripod legs. While this is not a fatal issue, advertised features that are poorly implemented do little to inspire confidence in a product.Ĭonversion of the center column to the lateral arm position is pretty straightforward, though not as easy to accomplish as the same action on the Bogen/Manfrotto 055XPROB. While the tripod body has a built-in bubble level, the device is not properly registered on my unit with the result that the tripod is several degrees off from level when the bubble is centered. Collapsing the final leg sections allows for a significant increase in stability with little tendency to vibrate. While it is pretty stable at full extension, there is still a tendency to vibrate. When fully extended my impression is that the MT 9360 is a little more stable than the Bogen/Manfrotto 055XPROB, though not quite as stable as the Induro AX213. This allows the legs to be extended easily in any order. Although the leg locks are of the twist type, the sections do not rotate when loosened. The legs operate smoothly with little effort required to extend, collapse, and lock. The included bag, strap, and tool kit are attractively constructed of high quality materials. One item of note: while the name sounds Italian, Giottos is headquartered in Taiwan with manufacturing facilities in the "special economic zone" of Shenzhen, China. The lock knobs are of high quality plastic and all rubber parts are made of a thick high quality material. The exterior surfaces have a polished, dimpled, gunmetal finish with the leg sections and center column sporting a satin black anodized finish. Every piece and control has a rugged, massive feel. All legs have dense foam padding on upper section.Top plate has set screws to lock against the head base.Short center column allows the top plate to function as a basic three-way pan head.Center column doubles as lateral arm with 360 degree rotational and 180 degree vertical movement.Minimum height: 10.2" (using short column).I finally settled on the Giottos MT 9360 as a good compromise of weight, rigidity, features, and price. I also began to lean strongly towards designs that allow placement of the center column as a lateral arm. I determined early-on that while carbon fiber would be nice, the expense would be just a little too much for my budget. Able to support a medium-sized ball head E.g.Able to support at least 10 lbs of camera/lens.Relatively lightweight (less than 6 lbs).Minimum height or other provision to allow photos of ground-hugging plants.Maximum height enough for my 6' 2" person.In addition, I had a continuing need to photograph subjects that were closer to the ground than the Slik could accommodate. My old Slik U8000 works well enough with the Canon G2, but is not really up to the task of supporting the K10D. For some time I have been in need of a better tripod. ![]()
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