Manfrotto 728B Digi Compact 3W Tripod
Mini-Review
Purchased in Dubai way back in 2005 and initially used for a Konica-Minolta A2 bridge camera and later tried with a Canon EOS 20D. It was pretty hopeless for either and decidedly flimsy. It looked the part when I bought it with it’s built-in 3-way head, but generally tripods with fixed heads are never ideal. It cost a little over £60 pounds but that would have been much better spent putting it towards something more sturdy. I used the Manfrotto 728B Digi Compact 3W Tripod out in the desert and lost two rubber feet in the sand, which came off so very easily. It was flimsy even in the slightest breeze and with the centre column extended wobbled (resonated) from the slightest knock. All in all a pretty useless tripod and I wouldn’t even recommend it’s use for a compact camera. Mine was later given away. One to avoid.
John R. Birch (28.06.2013)
anti-rotation leg sections
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.
q-r camera plate 200pl
The compact, rectangular 200PL quick release plate system fits neatly under small-bodied still cameras up to SLR (even with tele lenses) or small medium format, or under small video cameras or spotting scopes. Its rubber pad gives a good grip without damaging the camera, and its angled sides ensure that it also fits perfectly and tightly into a wide range of Manfrotto heads.
built-in head
tripod with built-in head – unlike most Manfrotto models, this tripod is pre-fitted with an un-removable head. This ensures compatibility and keeps weight and size to a minimum, but means the head cannot be interchanged in the future.
separate lock each axis
With a separate lock on each axis of movement, this head can be precisely adjusted, and panning/tracking can be achieved on any axis.
single lock
A convenient single locking mechanism blocks or frees movement on all axes for greater speed of use.
digi angled foot
The rubber feet on DIGI series tripods are angled for a larger, more stable point of contact with the ground.
digi bag included
Tripod shoulder bag included.
Leg locks
Digi q-r leg locks
Digi series
Part of the DIGI series of lightweight, compact supports for small digital point-and-shoot cameras.
Three axes
Three separate axes of movement – panoramic rotation, front-back tilt and side tilt.
Three-faceted column
Three-faceted centre column.
Three-faceted leg
Leg sections use three-faceted tubing for greater anti-torsional resistance.
weight-saving construction
Materials, design and construction techniques have been carefully selected to help save weight without sacrificing stability or strength.
Digi single hinge crown design
The DIGI design uses a single-sided pivot between the tripod leg and the shoulder casting to keep the tripod’s cross section even more compact and to reduce overall weight.
Hybrid photo video
The features of this product make it ideal for both photographic and video applications.
Attaches by |
1/4” screw attachment type | |
built-in head |
yes | |
centre column |
rapid | |
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Colour |
black |
column cross section |
three-faceted | |
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front tilt |
-75° / +90° tilt range |
independent pan lock |
yes | |
independent tilt lock |
yes | |
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lateral tilt |
-90° / 0° tilt range |
leg angles |
25° 25° | |
leg cross section |
three-faceted | |
legs tube diameter |
24.8 . 20.4 . 16 . 11.6 mm | |
material |
aluminium | |
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panoramic rotation |
360 ° |
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plate type |
200PL-14 |
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quick release |
yes |
secondary safety system |
yes | |
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closed length |
51.5 cm (20.28 in) |
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leg sections |
4 number |
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maximum height |
164.5 cm (64.76 in) |
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maximum height (with centre column down) |
133.0 cm (52.36 in) |
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minimum height |
48.5 cm (19.09 in) |
safety payload |
3.5 kg (7.72 lbs) | |
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weight |
1.75 kg 3.86 lbs |
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