Anti-rotation tubing and leg collars make for a tripod (or monopod) that's easier and faster to open, position and close. Manfrotto uses several different types of anti-rotation system - on Magfiber and Digi series tripods, the elliptical or three-faceted shape of the concentric tubes means they cannot rotate, while on round-tubed tripods, small protrusions down the length of the tube keep sections perfectly aligned.

The patented PRO model has a unique design which allows the center column to be used horizontally as an extending arm, or vertically (both right-way-up and upside-down). When used horizontally, it can be turned through 360° around the tripod, and is useful for macro work, low angle shooting, extreme balance points and off-center work. This also makes the tripod a helpful accessory for chair-bound photographers, who can sit beside instead of behind the tripod, therefore much closer to the camera viewfinder.

Manfrotto's carbon fiber tubing is popular among outdoor photographers because it's light in weight, but not everyone knows it's also more rigid and supports heavier loads than aluminum - giving it a double advantage.

Flip lever leg locks make opening, positioning and closing fast and easy. The tension of the locking mechanism is user-adjustable, and all parts can be easily serviced or replaced.

"Rapid" center columns are fast and easy to unlock and adjust. However, a fully extended center column tends to reduce the rigidity of an otherwise stable tripod, so the center column should normally be used only for fine tuning height or for extreme situations where the extra reach compensates the slight reduction in rigidity.

Included carrying handle makes the tripod more comfortable to transport and stays conveniently and unobtrusively attached during use.

Reversible center column allows head and camera to be mounted below the tripod. This is useful for low-level shooting (because it keeps the tripod and your equipment out of the mud), working with heavy loads (because weight lowers the tripod's center of gravity, making it more stable) and also for use with "mirror-image" view cameras.

Three-faceted column

Leg sections use three-faceted tubing for greater anti-torsional resistance.

Materials, design and construction techniques have been carefully selected to help save weight without sacrificing stability or strength.

Each of the legs can be set to a different angle of spread for more flexible, versatile positioning and to help keep camera equipment well-balanced over the tripod's center of gravity.

Lightweight magnesium is used for die-cast parts. Magnesium has a density of 1.74g/cm3 as opposed to aluminum's 2.70g/cm3 - a 35% reduction. Despite its lower weight, magnesium is more rigid than aluminum, and has the same strength per volume.