I have bought many tripods througout the years. Lightweight tripods, a sweet carbon fiber tripod, and several that have proved to be nothing more than junk.

In all that time, my favorite go to tripod is this Manfrotto Pro Tripod. It is well designed, looks great, and holds up well with extensive use.

I go hiking 2-3 times a month, and use my tripod several times a week outside, I also use it inside some.

The benefit of this tripod is, it is built like a tank. It can support your heavy body camera with a heavy telephoto lens.

Please note that this tripod is a professional tripod, and as such, they expect you to have your own head. I highly recommend this Head, as it is the most versatile out there, and works perfectly with this tripod. Manfrotto 322RC2 Horizontal Grip Action Ball Head with RC2 Rapid Connect Plate (3157N)

Recently I went shooting with a friend in the mountains, I had my camera with battery grip hooked up on this tripod and head taking photos of some ice formations, when the wind started blowing hard, my friends tripod flew out from underneath him, causing his camera to drop and break (always wear your neck strap, you use it to protect your camera, its not a fashion statement!) my tripod didn't budge.

The only downside to this tripod is the weight, and the fact that it does not come with any carrying device, meaning you need to carry it with your hands (how much would it cost to throw in a cheap bag?) must we have to pay 25 for a strap? 90 for the bag? But I digress.

If I had to do it over again, i would always buy this tripod. If it got stolen, or fell off a cliff, there would be no choice. I love this tripod, you cannot go wrong with it, and I highly recommend the head I mentioned above. It will support a heavy camera with a long lens. They also look well together, as if they were designed to be together =).

5 out of 5

ps, another cool feature, is the tripod has "hand warmers" meaning when your out in the cold freezing, the grips do not freeze your hand off, so you can still work with and touch your tripod (but try not to touch the cold metal!).

Overall I'm really impressed with this tripod. I do not think you can do better. If your wanting one for the studio, you could use this one as well, it will be harder for little kids to accidentally knock it over. (but can still happen) but it will NOT turn over because of a breeze. I mainly use my on nature hikes and trips.

I recommend buying one of the following if you go hiking (I own both)
Manfrotto Tripod Bag Padded 80Cm or Manfrotto 3044 CARRYING LONG STRAP - Carrying strap - gray

i couldn't think why i would need an expensive tripod, but after seeing the capabilities of the center column to swing horizontally and how tall the center column extended i was convinced. taking it out of the box, i was pleased instantly. everything about this just works. one of my favorite photography purchases to date (im using it with my xti)

This is a Manfrotto 055 base with the special "swing tilt" center column to allow you to get the camera into multiple positions (especially low ones) without needing to disassemble the head / column arrangement and use the low adapter as on the 055XB.

It's a nice idea, but leaves a bit to be desired in execution. Moving the center column into the 90 degree position significantly reduces the overall stiffness and stability of the system. Using a D300 mounted on an Arca-Swiss Z1 ball head, the camera and head had noticeable vibration issues even with the assembly as close to the center of the system as possible.

They gave it a good try, but you give up a LOT of the solid base you're spending all this money for. Using the A-S ballhead on an 055XB tripod gets essentially the same range of position options in a much more solid system.

After much deliberation, I chose to purchase the Manfrotto 055XPROB Pro Tripod Legs from Amazon, along with the Manfrotto 486RC2 Ball Head with RC2 Quick Release.

Pros:
- Super sturdy with nice thick leg construction and sturdy leg locks.
- Easy leg adjustment with 4 leg-angle settings
- Perfect height (for person 5'11") without even raising center column, which means a much sturdier shot
- The horizontal center column feature is much sturdier than I had anticipated, and provides for some amazing angles
- The independent legs, leg-angle settings and quick leg locks make for quick and easy setup on uneven terrain

Cons:
- Without paying over a G for a carbon fiber tripod... a sturdy tripod means a heavy tripod
- This tripod does not have spiked feet for loose terrain, but they are available extra for a price.

Summary:
This is a fantastic tripod. The 486RC2 Ball Head is a perfect addition. The ease of use and ability to customize for your shots is unparalleled. I am more than happy with my purchase!

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UPDATE:
Before purchasing the 055XPROB I thought the horizontal center tube to be a superficial selling point, but I find that it comes in handy more often than not.
When positioning the tripod very low to the ground with legs spread, it can be tricky to get close to the camera while strattling the tripod legs. The horizontal center tube eliminates that by putting the camera off to the side, so at most you will strattle one of the legs.

I knew I had to get a tripod if I wanted to take some lower light pictures, so at first I looked into getting a cheapie. I went to a local camera shop and they showed me this tripod and believe me, it is worth the extra hundred bucks. to think that I can take REALLY REALLY low angle shots with this thing is great for macro work. 10 cm from the ground is pretty low. It is very solid construction, a little on the heavy side, but once you carry it around and see the great shots you can get by using it, you wont even worry about lugging it with you. If you want to get a tripod once, and never have to get another one, this is a great idea. I am very happy with it.