Seven Legs And Three Heads

Okay - what has seven legs and three heads and is 15% to 35% cheaper this week than last week?

Simple -  two Manfrotto tripods and a monopod. I mean, what did you expect - this is a camera shop, not a zoo.

The first of the tripod kits is aimed at the studio worker who needs to support a medium-size DSLR with a large size zoom lens - and needs to do strange things with it. Manfrotto have come up with the MK190XPro4-3W kit - and if you can pronounce that in one go you are legally sober.

It has four-section legs with clip locks, a centre column that not only rises but also extends out to the side, and a three-way tripod head. All suitable for careful studio work and such technical jobs as art and document copying work. The normal cost for this Manfrotto kit would be $ 649 - Camera Electronic have secured a supply that can be sold for $ 399.

If you are heading out to the outdoors where they keep the landscapes and want to carry a lighter tripod with the same sturdiness - and don't need the horizontal centre column - they have the MK190X3BH kit ready for you. Thats a ball and socket head rather than 3-way to save on weight and space while you are hiking. These normally sell for $ 480 but here again there are some for Christmas at $ 299.

Last of all is the versatile monopod - the sturdy Manfrotto 680B with the addition of the 234 Rc tilting monopod head. It is the version equipped with the standard Manfrotto quick release plate - the 200-PL - so that it can interchange with all the other Manfrotto gear quickly. Here the normal price of $ 200 drops to $ 169.

These photo supports are what you need to make the most of your camera's sensor - modern equipment performs far better when there is a good old-fashioned tripod underneath it - steadiness need not be made electronically - it can be done with simple geometry. And just now it can be done much cheaper.

Note: Yes, I know it's red. It's meant to be red. This is Italian equipment. Trust me. You'll love it.