On paper, the Manfrotto Digi Mini looks like the perfect solution. It's light, it's compact, yet it extends to a very useful height. It has a built-in pan and tilt head, a carry bag is included in the price and the maximum weight capacity is 3.5kg

Like most pro tripod makers, Manfrotto supplies legs and heads separately. Here we're testing the company's affordable 190 Pro B and 460MG three-way head. The leg mechanism is simple to set up, though the flip catches on the leg are quite hard

The Giottos MT9170's quoted 12.5kg weight capacity tells you all you need to know about its solidity. You need a fair amount of muscle to manoeuvre those hefty legs into position, but once you have, you've got an extremely stable shooting platform

Benbo tripods have been around for over 35 years and they've got a love'em or hate 'em reputation. This is mainly down to their unique construction, which enables you to twist and adjust your camera'sposition