Hybrid HDSLR cameras and ever-smaller pro camcorders are changing videography dramatically; yet along with the obvious advantages and opportunities presented by smaller, lighter cameras, come new problems to solve: as ENG camera operators use smaller cameras, and photographers are expected to shoot broadcast-quality video footage on their HDSLRs, both groups are finding that their camera equipment doesn’t have the ergonomic form for steady shoulder-mounted or hand-held footage; nor the attachment points for monitors, batteries, light-modifiers or accessories; nor the inherent weight that helps minimise camera shake. SYMPLA is Manfrotto’s solution to those problems: a professional modular video rig system that extends and complements new cameras, allows for stable support and framing, supports essential accessories features, offering versatility and high performance as well as comfort, safety and much simpler and faster set up than existing rigs.

SYMPLA is built for flexibility and speed, so you can change anything and everything easily and quickly: hand grip positions, counterbalance, camera body, lens, accessories, filters, light-shielding angle; shoulder-supported, hand-held, or tripod/monopod-mounted… whatever you need to get the shot, the second you need it. SYMPLA is quick to fine-tune, so even when you need to make changes to your rig on-location and mid-shoot, SYMPLA’s minimal locks and tool-free adjusters will let you get back to shooting quickly. Thanks to our revolutionary camera remotes which fit the rig handgrips, SYMPLA allows precise fingertip control of framing and camera functions without losing the grip position and keeping your eyes on the frame, helping you capture stable, usable, creative footage. And SYMPLA can quickly be extended: whether you start from one of our kits, or from single components, you can build the exact rig you need for the shot, as soon as you need it.

	MVA511WK Sympla Shoulder Support System
	MVA512WK Flexible_Mattebox_System
	MVA513WK Long Lens Support System

MVA513W Sympla Fixed Plate	MVA515W Sympla Variable Plate	MVA517W Sympla Variable Plate
MVA516W Sympla Body Support	MVA514W Sympla Lens Support	MVA512W Sympla Flexible Mattebox
MVA518W Sympla Adjustable Handles	MVA522W Fig Rig Sympla Version	MVR911ECCN Hdslr Clamp-On Remote Control
MVR911EJCN HDSLR Deluxe Remote Controlfor Canon	MVA519W Sympla H-Offset	MVA524W Sympla V-Offset
MVA523W Rods - 150mm	MVA520W Rods - 300mm	MVA511W Sympla Shoulder Pad
MVA521W Counterweight
Sympla - Timelapse video
Sympla - Slideshow Video
Sympla - Behind the scenes with Bill Frakes
If you need the catalogue, please download it here.

Manfrotto has won two prizes at the 2012 edition of one of the world most prestigious design competitions: the Red Dot Design Awards. The two Manfrotto winning products have been chosen by the international jury among a total of 4,515 projects, submitted by designers and companies from 58 countries.
According to the jury’s report, both Manfrotto products stood out for their unique and innovative design, wisely combined with technology and ease of use. In more detail:

1. The SYMPLA Rig System, an innovative, beautiful modular solution for HDSLR’s and camcorders. Sympla, which will be presented for the first time at the forthcoming NAB Show in Las Vegas, has already raised great excitement within the industry: thanks to easier, safer and more comfortable usage, it just makes videographer’s life simpler.




2. The MVK502AM System, an innovative telescoping video kit incorporating the MVH502A fluid head and the MVT502AM tripod. The system, featuring lightweight, compactness and unexpected sturdiness, already represents a game-change in design and technology for all professional videographers.

In addition, the Imaging & Staging Division of the Vitec Group – to which Manfrotto belongs – was awarded three further prizes. The winners’ awards ceremony is scheduled for 2 July 2012, at Aalto-Theater in Essen (Germany). This year’s gala, titled “Red Dot Award: Product Design”, is expected to be attended by more than 1,000 international guests from design, industry, politics and media.

For further information and details, please visit: www.red-dot.de.

If you think about it, there is something we have lost since the introduction of modern technologies: the use of our imagination. Today, we do not have to try and picture what a distant place can be like. Take one of those mythical-looking places we heard about from the few adventurous men, who wrote memorable works of ancient literature, or from those, who had the extraordinary chance to visit such a place. Iceland, as the name suggests, is a land of ice, although it is no longer possible to imagine this country only as a white island. Its northern atmosphere and inhospitable land have now become a popular tourist destination constantly receiving travellers. That is how we all learnt, that Iceland is a land full of contrasting elements, rather than an icy island: Iceland shows a continuous and dynamic coexistence between extreme heat and cold, and contrasting elements such as water and fire, the sea and geysers, volcanoes and – finally – ice.

At this point of our considerations, another illusion might turn up. When you think about travelling across Iceland, you cannot just imagine Ring Road – the highway that follows the whole coast of the island measuring 1,339 kilometres – even though, to tell the truth, it offers an excellent and soft way to begin your tour, if you are looking for the comfort found in the main cities, and if you are interested in its cultural aspects. On the other hand, if you think that Iceland is smaller than northern Italy, you will also have to leave any form of prejudice behind, as far as travelling times and ways are concerned, especially if you decide to hire a car, as most people do. As you head inland for a few kilometres, after crossing shallow rivers, mud and dirt roads, you will be able to sink into the most inhospitable side of Iceland. This is the side – to say it straight – people could have imagined a century ago, while reading a few yellowed pages of a book by an adventure novelist.

In Iceland, nature is not only magnificent, impressive and ancestral: it still shows an authentic aspect of its environment, which can be described with one word – an adjective, which is often used inappropriately – uncontaminated. It remained intact, pure. Iceland’s very peculiar geographic position – the island lies between the northern side of the Atlantic Ocean and the Greenland Sea, above a latitude of 65°N, but its weather is mitigated by the Gulf Stream – has made it an inhabitable land, and has also favoured a significant urban development process, which has involved, most of all, the areas close to the coastline. In the inland areas, instead, although a few villages exist and most of the country is provided with a wide public transport network serving also the central plateaus, the landscape is dominated – in the word’s most literal sense – by its primeval nature.

This description of Iceland makes it look more like it was when people first dreamt about it. Volcanoes erupting in the night – in Iceland, summer nights are not dark at all, as the sun hardly sets; – impressive waterfalls rushing down, over green moss and lichen – Glymur, the highest waterfall of the island, is situated in the western Iceland, and it is as many as one hundred and ninety metres high – hot water and intermittent steam erupting from geysers, in a barren and desert land. The Earth’s crust, in this area, is much closer to the surface than in other areas of the world, and for this reason, Iceland’s geothermal activity is intense. The Icelanders’ exceptional awareness of this environmental aspect has resulted in the widespread use of distribution plants providing cities with heating and electricity. Lakes, rivers and rocky formations originating from lava are authentic natural monuments, which also play a part in making the environment so spectacular – quite often, you will come across craters and volcanic ash; moreover, the not always merry “marriage” between the island’s eruptive activity and polar ice causes continuous geological changes.

All these spectacular phenomena are shown in the photo reportage printed within this article. We intentionally took a tour of the heart of Iceland to look at its innermost essence, even though our journey would have been impossible without an appropriate off-road vehicle and without drivers trained for any occurrence. Our crew had not chosen a specific destination: they just decided to head south. And they left from Langjökull, and they journey soon turned out to be like the adventure they had been imagined to experience, both because of the difficulties they had to face on off-road itineraries, that often involved shallow rivers, and because they had to travel on a Jeep – suitably provided with a sleeper cabin – to stay in tents, and to walk along trekking paths.

Then, they arrived in Landmannalaugar, in the south-western area of the country, north of the famous and just as hard to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull volcano which, in April 2010, generated an ash cloud so large that all across central and northern Europe from Iceland to Italy airports were closed, and air traffic was stopped.

Looking at Iceland’s map, our route would seem rather winding and pointless, if our purpose were not that of experiencing the deep solitude of some parts of Iceland, where you will not come across anyone for hours, or even for days, even if you do not travel too far away from the residential areas and from Iceland’s warm welcoming inhabitants.

Let us try and follow our heroes – you will need nerves of steel – as they explore this wild land worn away by the wind, where scattered bushes and spontaneous vegetation are at their best in summer, and where sandy expanses recall extraterrestrial landscapes, whereas contrastingly, moving towards the coast, everything looks very green. It sounds unbelievable, but before you get to the coastline, dotted with charming villages – such as Vik, the final destination of our journey – vast volcanic areas will appear, as well as hot water pools and streams, where you can rest from your tiring trip and enjoy a thermal bath surrounded by nature (a unique experience, that no spa resort in the world could offer). Everywhere else, all you see is yellow mountains – their colour indicates a high concentration of minerals, mostly rhyolite – but also pitch-black lava streams and rocks red with iron and copper; plateaus and rivers, offering new views at every step you take and, finally, the fifth highest waterfall of Iceland: the Skógafoss, which pushes away whoever gets too close with wind blasts, from the impressive height of sixty-two metres.

Proceeding southwards, a different landscape will soon catch your eye, as you see farms, Icelandic horses peacefully grazing and a few small villages announcing your destination: you are getting closer to the coast. Highway 1 will take you to Vik, situated at the foot of the above mentioned volcano, which became known across Europe. Vik is a farming village known for its wool – which was named after it – and most of its inhabitants are sheep farmers, even though the village is situated on the coast. As you cast one last look down the cliffs, you will enjoy an astonishing view over lava-rock arches, which were once touched by the sea. Today, they are natural wharves hanging over black beaches.

Click here to see Mirko Sotgiu photos

Photographer: Mirko Sotgiu www.alpinfoto.it

Empty spaces, nature greatness and good light are always a good mix to achieve a good shoot, that’s almost true if you like some aspect of the classical and emotive photography. I like to keep the “classical roots” in every picture as a base to build more “modern” or conceptual images like in that winter landscape I took at the sunset.

I was over the top of a mountain near my town (Monte Grappa – Italy is about 1700mt) waiting the sunset and searching for some good subjects in the snow when clouds over the plains started getting more compact. About two hours before the sunset all the plains was covered by the clouds and that’s was a good situation to stay over the top waiting something happening. Most of the people thinks that the coincidences that brings to a good nature shoot (or event shoot) are ruled by luck or prime-time but at the end the real rule is that you have to figure out what is (or can be) happening due to be ready in the right place. So if you’re thinking that something is going to happen then take your time and wait, most of the time, if your feelings are right, you’ll be rewarded.

Back to our shoot, the start of the sunset painted all the clouds with a nice pink warm tones that were working beautifully with the strong blue of the lower landscape. Just before the end of the sunset a ray of light flashed the small watchtower church on the smaller mountain just in front of me. I decided to frame giving more space to the sky and the clouds surrounding the peak with the watchtower to get a more aerial and wide view landscape. It lasted about 6 minutes, but I was there , ready to take that beautiful landscape shoot.

Aperture : f 8

Shutter speed : 1/250

ISO : 250

Focal length : 200mm

Place : Archeson, Monte Grappa, Italy

The colors of the mountains in Landmannalaugar are unbelievable. It’s a geothermal area with hot springs, bubbling mud pots. The Vatnajökull national park is the largest national park in Europe. The ice cave in Kverkfjöll is carved by an warm underground river from a hot spring under the glacier. We will cross highland deserts and visit a green oasis between glaciers and volcanoes.

Iceland has some of the most amazing and easily accessible ice and glacial phenomena in Europe, impressive mountain scenery, Skaftafell National Park, several glacial lagoons, black beaches with sparkling sea washed ice sculptures, incredible waterfalls and the well-known Jokulsárlon glacier lagoon. This trip will give us sunrise and sunset occasions in well chosen locations. The varied sites give a really diverse range of natural phenomena and remarkable landscapes.

The unusual locations are inspiring allowing participants an opportunity to produce excellent images. For this reason, this photography workshop is more of an expedition. 11 days of travel through some very challenging terrain. This journey will be an unforgettable experience

Here the programme:

1°day 20 June
Arrive in Reykjavík

2° day 21 June
Reykjavík – Borgarnes – Látrabjarg

3° day 22 June
Látrabjarg–Rauðisandur–Patreksfjörður-Hnjótur

4° day 23 June
Hnjótur – Hólmavik – Borðeyri

5° day 24 June
Borðeyri – Laugarbakki – Kerlingafjöll

6° day 25 June
Kerlingafjöll-Gullfoss-Flúðir-Landmannalaugar

7° day 26 June
Landmannalaugar – Kirkjubæjarklaustur

8° day 27 June
Kirkjubæjarklaustur – Skaftafell – Jökulsárlón

9° day 28 June
Jökulsárlón – Þakgil

10° day 29 June
Þakgil – Vik – Hella – Reykjavík

11° day 30 June
Reykjavík –Keflavik

Price per person: 2280 euro.

Info and registration: click here (Italian Language)

www.milkomarchetti.com

Great picture!

Check his works here! www.onephotooneday.it

The new Manfrotto MVT502AM video tripod with telescopic aluminum twin-tube legs is a lightweight, compact camera support for videographers who need an intuitively simple and user-friendly tripod.
The Manfrotto MVT502AM is a 2 stage video tripod with 3 telescopic-twin sections for assuring compactness when the tripod is folded. It can support payloads of up to 15 kg (33.06lb), ideal for the latest Camcorders, HDSLR or light cameras equipped with accessories such as external lights, monitors or microphones.
The tripod has a 75mm bowl but a 60mm adaptor is provided to widen the range of compatible professional video heads.
Innovative ellipse-profile aluminum twin tubes with newly redesigned leg locking collars give the MVT502AM excellent levels of rigidity and stability.
The new first stage spreader, with it’s rubber coated tripod connections, improves ergonomics and ease of use. The MVT502AM has new rubber feet which improve grip on all floor and ground surfaces. A new rubber strap ensures easier, safer transport.

MVT502AM
VIDEO TRIPOD-TELESCOPIC TWIN

If you need the catalogue, please download it here.

The innovative Manfrotto L Bracket is the ideal solution specifically designed to match perfectly your needs.

Change photo formats in a snap!

Tired of continuously resetting the tripod position to achieve the perfect photo both in landscape and portrait position? Manfrotto has the solution: a new generation of professional accessories specifically designed to match perfectly your need to quickly flip the camera position in portrait mode without upsetting the shooting position. The Manfrotto L Bracket helps to stabilize the whole system, centering the camera’s weight over the tripod: in this way your lens won’t move and you will maintain the same high level of precision, stability and ergonomics when flipping from landscape to portrait position.

The L Bracket is a great accessory universally adaptable to any camera body which has been designed to give the maximum stability and safety to professional photographers. Special anti-rotational systems perfectly fit around the camera body ensuring a strong and firm grip stabilizing any heavy professional equipment. Moreover, the durable magnesium provides strong construction and lightweight transportability. The L bracket comes in three different quick release configurations, providing compatibility with all the Manfrotto QR attachment (Q2, RC4, Q5).

Manfrotto L-Bracket - Tutorial Video

Participation is totally free.

Manfrotto November contest open today: Monday 14,  November 2011.

Contest Winner prize:
MTT2-P02 TABLE TRIPOD WITH PHOTO HEAD or MP3-D01 POCKET SUPPORT LARGE BLACK
ML120 POCKET-12LED LIGHT
MB SCP-5BB NANO V CAM. POUCH BLK. STILE

Rules of the contest are published in the Flickr Official Dicussion Group.

Good luck!

Video industry technology has radically changed over the past few years, introducing even lighter and more compact cameras. The latest cameras have created a new way of filming, where one person is often able to do the job on their own while a few years ago a full crew was required.

The video industry is crossing over to a new dimension!

NEW BRIDGING SYSTEMS

MVH502A PRO VIDEO HEAD 75MM -M SIZE	MVH502AH PRO VIDEO HEAD FLAT BASE-MSIZE
504HD PRO VIDEO HEAD 75	509HD PRO VIDEO HEAD 100

Longer sliding plate for extra balancing control. Easy Link Connection to support V-DSRL and movie accessories. PAN fluid drag system for a more ergonomic operation Easy Link Connectors for a more flexible accessory attachment Wider top plate and longer sliding plate for extra stability and balance when using video or photo equipment An even more rigid structure for maximum precision and improved responsiveness Counterbalance system ensures quick set-up and optimal performance Ball-bearing drag system for precise, smooth movements Lightweight modern materials for optimum balance of strength and size ABR (Advanced Balancing Recorder) for precision when fixing equipment, ensuring a perfect position, saving time and making this operation much more efficient, accurate and fast.

Telescopic System
This new lightweight video tripod brings an innovative elliptic telescopic twin leg to the video market. Thanks to the twin section, the tripod is more compact and more stable. The system comes supplied with a carry bag.
MVT502AM TELESCOPIC TWIN LEG TRIPOD	MVK502AM KIT VIDEO TELESCOPIC TWIN LEG

TWIN LEG SYSTEMS

509HD

509HD,545BK PRO MIDDLE-TWIN KIT 100	509HD,545GBK PRO GROUND-TWIN KIT 100
504HD
504HD,546BK MIDI TWIN SYSTEM(MS)	504HD,546GBK MIDI TWIN SYSTEM(MS)
MVH502A
MVH502A,546BK PRO VIDEO ALUMINIUM SYSTEM - 4

SINGLE CARBON LEG SYSTEMS

509HD

509HD,536K PRO SINGLE CF KIT 100
504HD
504HD,535K PRO FLUID VIDEO HEAD	504HD,536K MIDI CF SYSTEM
MVH502A
MVK502C PRO VIDEO CARBON SYSTEM - 4KG

502 - Tutorial Video

509HD - Tutorial Video

BRIDGING - Emotional Video

Manfrotto, the world leader in the design, production and distribution of equipment and accessories for the photography and imaging industry, has won – out of 2,923 entries – five prizes at one of the world’s most prestigious design competitions: the If Design Award 2012.

Pocket
MP3-D01

Photo-Movie Head
MH055M8-Q5

Compact Photo-Movie
MKC3-H01

Carbon Fiber Tripod
MT057C4

Magnesium Ball Head
MH054M0-Q2

The significant results achieved at the IF Design Award 2012 by Manfrotto – and the Vitec Group in general – represent further recognition of the quality of Italian design: a success that the company is proud to share with the entire sector, which has been the emblem of Italian excellence around the world for years.

The award-winning products will be presented at the iF design exhibition Hannover, which will run in parallel to CeBIT (06 – 10 March 2012) at the Hannover exhibition center. Additionally, for the first time, the winning products will also be shown at the iF design exhibition Hamburg: right in the center of the new HarborCity, Hamburg offers a superb meeting point for the media and design industries and for everyone interested in design and architecture. And finally, the iF award winning entries will also travel to China to be presented at the iF design exhibition Hainan, one of the most attractive locations in China, both in terms of tourism and business.

All award winners from all four iF design awards 2012 will be published in March 2012 in a comprehensive and attractive reference books: the iF yearbook 2012.

For additional information, check the website: www.ifdesign.de.

Set up in temporary spaces dedicated to the Imagine More Factories, the initiative offers the public of “social recorders” – photography enthusiasts who enjoy sharing their pictures on the web – the chance to grapple with all photography tools. At the structures, designed as real “factories for the imagination”, everyone will be able to test their skills and directly experience the excitement of photographing – and being photographed – in professional photo shoots. So far we have registered: over 800 participants in the Beijing factory and over 6.000 people in the Berlin date who completed the experience offered by Manfrotto Imagine More.

To encourage the sharing of experience within the Factories and create a truly global story, the pictures taken within each photo lab will be uploaded to the Manfrotto Imagine More International Facebook page (www.facebook.com/manfrotto.imagine. more), allowing all those who participated to share and comment on the photo shoots starring them.

The Imagine More Factories tour represents the culmination of the Imagine More Roadshow 2011, the “course” of events and initiatives developed by Manfrotto to promote imagination through images as a new universal meta-language.

The project started in May with a big party in New York and continued at the last Venice Film Festival in the presence of Violante Placido, with the presentation of a short movie directed by Bill Frakes and made with the texts and pictures of all the users who participated in the Imagine More international online competition. The initiative will be completed with the live encounter of “social recorders” in the main squares of the world. After Beijing and Berlin, it will go to Hong Kong (4–6 November) and London (18–20 November). In 2012 it will be the turn of Milan (Italy), New York (United States), Paris (France) and Tokyo (Japan).

Participation is totally free.

Manfrotto October contest open today: Monday 17,  October 2011.

Contest Winner prize:
MTT2-P02 TABLE TRIPOD WITH PHOTO HEAD or MP3-D01 POCKET SUPPORT LARGE BLACK
ML120 POCKET-12LED LIGHT
MB SCP-5BB NANO V CAM. POUCH BLK. STILE

Rules of the contest are published in the Flickr Official Dicussion Group.

Good luck!

The Venice Film Festival was the second milestone of the Manfrotto Imagine More Roadshow.

After the official launch from Manhattan’s skies in May, thanks to the net and the word of mouth of our most precious supporters – you, the Imagine More promise started spreading all over the world and collecting thousands and thousands of spontaneous submissions.

All this finally landed at one of the world most iconic event for all imagination enthusiasts: the 68. International Venice Film Festival.

In Venice, during an official event, Manfrotto released the “Imagine More Manifesto”, as the outcome of the reworking by director, photographer and Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Bill Frakes of the tweets and pics posted by online users within the international Imagine More Contest.

Being made by the direct contribution of Internet users, the film appears as the first user-generated short devoted to imagination.

The 12 winners, chosen for their originality and creativity among more than 12.000 interpretations of the imagination concept, were representative of seven different countries (US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, China and Hong Kong).

They were the true protagonist of the whole Venice experience, and for several reasons.

Not only their contributions were the pillars of the movie and not only they were awarded with a special edition of the Manfrotto Messenger Unica bag and Manfrotto compact tripod, but they had also the chance to personally meet celebrities like Bill Frakes and the Italian actress Violante Placido, beautiful godmother of the initiative since the NY launch.

In addition, Manfrotto had also provided them a special pass allowing the entrance to the official photographers’ area: this way, they had the privilege of capturing world celebrities walking on the red carpet next to the Festival’s official photographers!

Then, soon after the awarding ceremony, winners were admitted to the preview of one of the screenings in competition together with Bill Frakes, Violante Placido and Manfrotto top management.

Last but not least, to make the experience even more unforgettable, they were staying at one of the most elegant hotel of the Laguna: the Danieli Hotel, few steps from the beautiful San Marco’s square.

Jana Benjamin Navrátilová So proud to be a part of this!

Marion Ruszniewski Yeah thank you so much, the film is really great and the music too, good job ! and I’m proud to be part of this too !

Kevin Thornhill Amazing work by Bill and his team. Thanks again for the opportunity to be part of the event.

Ilaria La Preziosa I’m proud to have participated, i would like to thank all Manfrotto people and Bill Frakes, you are great persons! It has been a wonderful and unforgettable experience! I’m using your tripod…it is great!

Thomas Reimann Wonderful to see what Bill Frakes has made with our contributions! It has been a great debut the evening in Venice! Thanks again for this!

The Imagine More Factory Roadshow is ready to roll: a special temporary Photo Lab will be soon travelling all around the world giving you a chance to experience first-hand the Imagine More promise.

Check out below the legs of the tour - it may stop at a place near to you!

What is the Manfrotto Imagine More Factory?

It is a unique place where anyone is invited to test his talent by personally experiencing the emotion of photographing – and being photographed – on professional photography sets.
It will be a truly interactive Photo Lab set up in a temporary location: here you’ll find a team of professional photographers who will guide you and your friends through amusing photo sets, making you a celebrity for a day!

The Imagine More Factory is also an excellent opportunity to try the new iconic Manfrotto products in the field and learn all the tricks you need to take better shots! So come on - What are you waiting for?

Check here for the place and date of the next Manfrotto Imagine More Factory Tour stop:
Beijing (China): October 14-16
Berlin (Germany): October 21-23
Hong Kong: November 5-6
London (UK): November 18-20
Paris, Tokyo, Rome and New York: coming soon in 2012.

Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this of this great experience!

Contest Winner!

Congratulations to "Dr. Levis" for taking the most votes for his work, photo number #30. It’s truly a great photo and it’s a pleasure to feature his work with the contest prize!

Thanks to all those who posted and participated!

For further information about African Revival visit: www.africanrevival.org

The Manfrotto Flickr contest is on hold for the August vacations. It will be back starting back up again on August 22nd, 2011 so prepare yourself for unimaginable new photos to post!

Check Manfrotto School of Xcellence or the Official Flickr Discussion Group page at the end of August for the next contest topic.

Participation is totally free.

Manfrotto June contest open today: Monday 27, June 2011.

Contest Winner prize:

MTT2-P02  TABLE TRIPOD WITH PHOTO HEAD or MP3-D01  POCKET SUPPORT LARGE BLACK
ML120 POCKET-12LED LIGHT
MB SCP-5BB NANO V CAM. POUCH BLK. STILE

Rules of the contest are published in the Discussion Group.

About Manfrotto
Manfrotto is world leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of professional supports for photography, video and entertainment. Founded in 1972 and based on Lino Manfrotto’s work and experience in the field, the company’s mission has always been to support and simplify the work of reporters, photographers and producers. The Imagine More project adds the idea of fuelling the enthusiasm of weekend photographers and supporting the surge of new amateurs to this historical mission.

Manfrotto has been part of the UK-based Vitec Group since 1989 and has a worldwide presence. In the eight key markets in Italy, France, Germany, UK, China, Japan, Hong Kong and USA, Manfrotto does business through its own direct distribution system, Manfrotto Distribution, whereas sales are handled by independent distributors in another 140 countries.

Participation is totally free.

Manfrotto April contest open today: Monday 4, April 2011.

Each month for Manfrotto this will be the prize:

• MTT2-P02  TABLE TRIPOD WITH PHOTO HEAD or MP3-D01  POCKET SUPPORT LARGE BLACK
• ML120 POCKET-12LED LIGHT
• MB SCP-5BB NANO V CAM. POUCH BLK. STILE

Rules of the contest are published in the Discussion Group.

Manfrotto, the world leader in the design, production and distribution of equipment and accessories for the photography and imaging industry, has won seven prizes at one of the world’s most prestigious design competitions: the Red Dot Design Award 2011. The prizes were awarded to products from the new Imagine More collection:

•          Manfrotto Photo-movie head

•          Manfrotto Always-on for DSLR

•          Manfrotto 050 magnesium series ball head

•          Manfrotto Pocket Led light

•          Manfrotto Compact photo-video Kit

•          Manfrotto 504HD

•          Manfrotto LINO PRO V

The Imaging & Staging Division of the Vitec Group, Manfrotto’s UK-based parent company, also won an eighth prize, which was awarded to the KATA brand for KATA Source.

According to the authoritative jury of the Red Dot Design Award, composed of top international design experts, the unique and innovative design of these eight products stood out in a competition that attracted 4.433 projects submitted by designers and companies from 60 countries.

The significant results achieved at the Red Dot Design Award 2011 by Manfrotto – and the Vitec Group in general – represent further recognition of the quality of Italian design: a success that the company is proud to share with the entire sector, which has been the emblem of Italian excellence around the world for years.

Manfrotto products reflect the qualities of a team of professionals who are unique in this industry and are committed, day after day, to developing innovative and state-of-the-art products. Ongoing research into new trends and technological innovation has helped the Manfrotto team gain the attention, favour and loyalty of a large national and international public, as demonstrated by the important recognition of the Red Dot Design Award 2011.

The awards ceremony will be held on 4 July 2011 at the prestigious Essen Opera House (Germany), which is also the location of the Red Dot Museum. A permanent exhibition of the winning products, with explanatory panels, will be set up in the museum. The innovative articles will also be published and illustrated in the annual Red Dot Design Yearbook and at the www.red-dot.de website.

Manfrotto School of Xcellence is proud to officially communicate that after the Call for Contribution, 10 photographers have been chosen for the value and significance of the their proposals.

The winners’ names are:

• Antunes Jose
• Berges Christian
• Cocco Nicola
• Dominick John
• Düpmann Frank
• Foster Jerod
• Frey Timo
• Hombauer Matthias
• Mendes Edaward
• Steinmann Stefan

Thanks to these new contributors, Manfrotto school of Xcellence will continue to offer the best in photography teaching, helping students improve their skills and make great images in a fun and relaxed setting. Each of the MSoX contributors, who possess a broad photography background as well as an extensive experience in the field, will provide monthly content until the end of 2011.

Manfrotto School of Xcellence wish to thank everyone who had participated to the call.

Visit the“Winners of the call” page to learn more about our skilled and talented new contributors!

Kelby Media Group will provide to the School with a monthly video tutorial about different topics aimed at mainly at beginners who share their pictures online. The aim is to teach with a creative approach the basics of photography. In fact, the tutorials will consists in easy tips and tricks explained in a situational contexts.

Michael Freeman (pictured with camera) will provide the School with a weekly tutorial on different topics ranging from Colour Management toComposition, plunging the students into the many exotic and amazing places around the world that he shot. The beginners will be taken by hand and guided through a visionary and emotional photowalk that will teach them the core rules to get impact images to share with their Social Media mates.

Scott Kelby (pictured top) is Editor and Publisher of Photoshop User Magazine, Editor-in-Chief of Layers Magazine and training director for the Adobe Photoshop Seminar Tour. Scott is President National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), CEO of Kelby Media Group and author of a string of bestselling technology books. He is also Conference Technical Chair for the Photoshop World Conference & Expo and author of numerous Photoshop training DVDs and online courses. He is co-host of PhotoshopTV, and D-Town TV. 10 jobs, little sleep.http://www.scottkelby.com
http://kelbymediagroup.com/

Michael Freeman is one of the most widely published photographers worldwide who has worked for most major international magazine and book publishers in a long career. A leading photographer for the Smithsonian Magazine for three decades (more than 40 assignment stories), Freeman has also published more than 120 books on subjects as varied as Angkor, Sudan, ethnic minorities in Southeast Asia, the Shakers, and contemporary Japanese design and architecture.

His 50 books on the practise of photography are standard works, and have sold almost two million copies in more than 20 languages. http://www.michaelfreemanphoto.com/

For more information about the contributors of the school and their articles, visit the website: www.manfrottoschoolofxcellence.com

Manfrotto Bags are proud to announce the launch of the new premium LINO Bag and Apparel Collections.

“LINO Collection came to life with a breakthrough concept of combining two product families; bags & apparel, into a comprehensive system that would offer photographers a brand new luxury photo accessory category and work in unison with key Manfrotto tripods and heads” says Mr. Fabio Prada, Manfrotto Bags Line Manager.

In fine Italian style and in keeping with traditional tailor made practices the highest quality materials were handpicked and specifically matched to each product, down to the smallest detail, and each feature was meticulously designed to correspond with its functionality and aesthetics. Thus LINO Bags and Apparel harmoniously complement each other both in style and functionality and present to the photographic market a unique and luxurious product proposition that simply did not exist beforehand.

With LINO Bags it isn’t just the founder’s name that links the collection to the Manfrotto photo tripods & heads products category, in fact, one of the “must have” features in the bags is to provide a dedicated tripod carrying solution so that the camera support heritage is realized as an important factor in the overall design concept.

With LINO Apparel Manfrotto is blazing a new trail in the photographic world with the introduction of the first ever full apparel line dedicated to professional photographers. For the first time both male and female photographers will find that it is possible to look great and still enjoy functional work wear that enhances the working experience.

LINO Bags and Apparel are designed to be objects of desire that will work hard day in and day out,
supporting your imagination.

Pro Backpacks (2 sizes)	Pro Messenger Bags (2 sizes)	Pro Roller (1 size)
Astuccio Pouches (3 sizes)		Custodia Pouches (2 sizes)

Pro Field Jacket (5 sizes)	Pro Photo Vest (5 sizes)	Pro Soft Shell (5 sizes)
Pro Wind Jacket (5 sizes)	Pro Photo Gloves (6 sizes)	Pro Photo Cap (1 size)

Manfrotto Lino Collection Video.

Lino - Interview with Fabio Prada

The newborn 290 series from Manfrotto is comprised of a range of strong, stable and versatile tripods, giving improving hobbyist photographers the essential quality and tools they need for a stable and more enjoyable shooting experience.

The removable heads of the 290 series offer flexibility, whilst the large tubes and the new top casting made with high quality aluminum guarantees light weight and robustness for a long-lasting support solution. The 290 series’ light weight makes it ideal for travelling, whilst technical solutions make it flexible for general use, including portrait, landscape, macro, wildlife and sport.

The intuitive 290 range offers ergonomic controls that are designed for a safer, more enjoyable shooting experience and ensure maximum precision. The professional grade aluminum leg locks provide a rock-solid support and with their innovative adjustability they afford a consistent and excellent performance, whilst the screw column lock on the column provides better tightening. Furthermore, the anti-shock collar protects your camera from accidental impact, whilst the 3 faced design column prevents rotation to allow for increased accuracy and steadfastness

If you need the catalogue, please download it here.

290 Series - Tutorial Video

Manfrotto Image More - Hobbyist Video.