Manfrotto 190go! tripod review: a compact and convenient yet feature-rich set of carbon fiber legs

I don’t feel that Manfrotto needs any introduction. It’s arguably the most famous tripod brand in the world, celebrating its 50th birthday in 2024. Similarly, the company’s 190 range of tripods has long been a favorite of many photographers around the globe, renowned for their performance and dependability. Pretty much all of them have flip locks for the extending leg sections but the 190go! bucks the trend with twist locks, which I personally prefer. I wouldn’t class it as a ‘travel tripod’, as it doesn’t have the practically universal swing-up legs that have come to pretty much define the genre, but the upside is that it’s relatively quick and easy to set up for shooting and to fold away again afterward. Also unlike the vast majority of travel tripods, it has a pivoting center column that I find a really valuable feature. Overall, I think it’s one of the best tripods for photographers on the market today.

Manfrotto 190go! Carbon Fiber: What's changed?
The most noticeable change compared with other Manfrotto 190 series tripods (past and present) is that the 190go! has twist-action clamps for its individual leg sections. I prefer these over flip locks, for ease and speed, and it also makes the profile of the tripod sleeker without any locking levers sticking out. The ‘M-Series’ edition is the latest in the line, replacing the previous 190go! version.

Manfrotto 190go!: Specifications

Manfrotto 190go!: Price & Availability

The Manfrotto 190go! Carbon Fiber is sometimes sold as a complete kit with the Manfrotto 494 Ball Head but I feel it’s a bit of a mismatch, as the head has a much smaller maximum load rating than the legs. I bought the legs on their own and added a different head. The list price of the Manfrotto 190go! Carbon Fiber legs with no head are currently $520 / £445 / AU$533, which certainly isn’t cheap. Indeed, it’s about twice the price of the aluminum version of the legs, which lists at $260 / £232 / AU$301.

Manfrotto 190go!: Design & Handling

I really like the design and handling of the Manfrotto 190go! Carbon Fiber M-Series. Unlike most 190 series tripods, it has twist clamps rather than flip locks. There are four sections in each leg, which enable a compact stowage size but a respectable (although rather modest) maximum operating height. I like that I can grab all three twist clamps of each leg in my hand and release or lock them with a single flick of the wrist when the tripod is folded down. Manfrotto calls it the ‘M-lock system’, the twist clamps requiring just a quarter-turn to disengage them.

As I’ve mentioned, the carbon fiber edition that I’m reviewing here is about twice the price of the aluminum version, but I feel it’s worth paying the extra. Carbon Fiber comes in various grades of quality but the recently developed carbon tubing Manfrotto has used for this tripod is among the best I’ve seen. It enables a lightweight 1.35kg build with a strong maximum load rating of 15kg. I’ve paired my set of legs with the excellent Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head, which has the same diameter of mounting plate and matches the 15kg payload of the legs. For me, they’re a perfect match.

I like shooting from creative angles, so I’m pleased that the legs have more than the usual three locking angles. There are four altogether, at 25°, 46°, 66° and 88°. That gives plenty of scope for getting down low and for working around obstacles or on tricky terrain. For ultra-low-level shooting, the tripod features a 90-degree pivoting center column, so you can orient it as a horizontal boom. That enables a minimum operating height of just 8cm, not counting the height of the head. Not just for low-level shooting, I find that the column’s horizontal mode is also great for macro photography and for when I’m shooting with ultra-wide-angle lenses, as it can avoid the problem of the tripod feet creeping into the bottom of the image frame.

Neat extras include a hook for hanging a stabilizing weight or accessories from, and an ‘Easy Link’ threaded socket in the top casting, for adding the likes of an LED light, microphone or adjustable arm and monitor screen.

Manfrotto 190go!: Performance

Perhaps the biggest performance factor of any tripod, as far as I’m concerned, is that it’s compact and lightweight enough to carry around. I’ve got big, heavy tripods that I generally leave at home when I’m out and about, making them no use whatsoever. I find the comparatively small size and weight of the Manfrotto 190go! Carbon Fiber make it ideal for walkabout photography.

Of course, there are plenty of very good travel tripods on the market but they’re built for optimum compactness. As such, the legs swing up for stowage and the feet encircle the head, with the center column in its fully extended position. The downside of that for me is that I like being able to react quickly to unfolding shooting scenarios, and I find that the 190go! is very much quicker and easier to set up from its folded configuration. Similarly, the mechanism for pivoting the center column for use in horizontal mode is brilliantly well implemented and a snap to use.

My only reservation with the 190go! is that, despite having 4-section rather than 3-section legs, the maximum operating height is fairly modest at 147cm. My XPRO Ball Head adds an extra 12cm but, even so, the maximum overall height of 159cm (just under 5 feet 3 inches) can leave me feeling a bit short-changed for high-level shooting.

Back on the plus side, I find that the tripod easily lives up to its 15kg payload billing. It’s super-sturdy in use, even at its maximum operating height with all of the leg sections and the center column fully extended. Resistance to vibration and unwanted flexing is excellent.

Manfrotto 190go!: Verdict

You can’t really have it both ways. Full-sized tripods that are really sturdy are by necessity big, bulky and heavy to carry around. Travel tripods are generally small and lightweight but can be fiddly to set up and fold away again. For me, the Manfrotto 190go! Carbon Fiber M-Series tripod is an ideal compromise. Sure, the maximum operating height could be taller but, most of the time, I find the tripod is as tall as I need and its advanced set of features enables great versatility. It’s also really well built and I feel confident it’ll last for decades.

Alternatives

The Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3 has a similar pivoting center column mechanism but is a taller, full-sized tripod with a more generous maximum operating height of 170cm.

The 3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0 lacks a pivoting center column but still enables ground-level shooting. It has swing-up legs for stowage so, despite being a full-sized tripod, folds down fairly small.