I have had the Manfrotto 128RCNAT tripod for over a year now and here is what I think of it.
Firstly I will go through the pros. The legs are wonderful as they have several locking positions and will go right up to ninety degrees meaning I can rest two unextended legs on the shelf in the hides with the third extended to the floor. This eliminates the need for a hide clamp in most hides. The fluid head is very smooth and easy to use with the knobs at the right tension. There is no need to loosen levers and tighten them when you move the scope around. The weight means it is quite stable in windy weather but often it does get so windy that it is unstable anyway. The solution is not to extend the legs and sit on the ground (dunes) when sea watching. The tightening levers for the extending legs are stiff but silent with some care. The feet are great because they have a combination of spikes and rubberised half balls. If you wish to have spikes you simply twist the feet up to reveal them and vice versa. Personally I keep the rubber feet fixed down all the time. That is because rubber feet work everywhere and are safer when you hit stuff like wallpapered walls or cars. The upper sections of the legs are covered in foam tubing making it a lot comfortable in low temperatures.
Now here are the cons, to start off with, it is very heavy and not convenient for all day birding sessions or long intensive birding holidays. The weight is just under seven pounds with the head and column being just under 2.5 pounds. The weight is an advantage when scoping in windy weather though but I think I could be better off trading it for a Carbon Fibre model and finding somewhere sheltered to set it up. I have been very frustrated with the legs, they have become slightly bent meaning they need forcing in and out. I constantly correct them but it never seems to solve the problem. I believe Carbon Fibre legs would not have this trouble with them springing back to their original structure. For some reason I did not receive any leg locks that keep the legs together when in transit on your shoulder. I have had to fashion one out of some strapping and Velcro.
Conclusion : It is a great tripod but I have been really fed up with the weight on long sessions and the legs bending out of shape and am considering converting to a Carbon Fibre model if I can get a good deal on trading this one in part exchange.
Content and images originally posted by Andrew


