2026-07-28 Manfrotto set of #055 legs with a #029 head

I just bought another tripod. When you find a name brand tripod—complete with aftermarket hex quick release plate—for $11 tax included, how can anyone refuse?
    This is a Manfrotto set of #055 legs with a #029 head. Bogen distributed Manfrotto in the United States. This tripod was known as the Bogen 3020. This combination of head and legs was sold in slightly improved editions from 1985 to 1995. 
This tripod is a dazzling feat of engineering for several reasons—

• the leg locks are levers that only require ¼ turn to lock/loosen
• the column lock lever also only requires a ¼ rotation
• the leg hubs lock at two angles
• the column is in two parts
• the head has three different length handles
• the aforementioned column lock can be taken off and has a hex-head key that allows you to take the tripod apart

    

    It is a big tripod being 83 cm (32¾) inches long folded. It weighs 4.3 k (9.5 lb.) It’s center column is 44 cm (17¼ in.). Fully extended the tripod stands 1.52 m (60 in.) high. Extending the center column will have your camera 1.96 m (77 in.) off the ground.

    The legs can be adjusted to a wider stance. The column can be reversed—warning, fitting the column back into the hub is a bit tricky on this tripod in particular, as it has a damaged center locking block—but you can imagine the camera on the reversed column would be almost touching the ground (and could touch the ground if you shortened the legs!).

    Here is the #029 head. The bottom handle controls the pan movement. It projects to the right if you have lined the column to the legs correctly. (Not as shown here)

    The pan is calibrated in 15º divisions. It is marked at 0º, 90º left and right and 0º opposite the 0º you see in the image.

    The next handle up faces you and controls the tilt front to back. The tilt is calibrated in 15º divisions with just 0º marked. You can tilt 15º up and 90º down, aligning with a cast-in line (shown at the top of the image).
    

    The top handle is back on the right. It’s indicator dial has a zero when the head is level left to right. It has markings at 15º divisions with 30º marked tilting to the left and 90º marked tilting to the right. If you are tilting the camera to take a vertical shot this would place the camera’s top controls facing to the right. Notice here the name of the company is Lino Manfrotto + Co. —36061 Bassano. It has already been pointed out the tripod was made in Italia. Is “Lino” a man’s name?

    The front of the head has a pictorial of a tripod or stand and “#029”cast into the metal. That discolouration is grease that has seeped out of the head over the last 30-40 years. This is after I have scrubbed the tripod two times so it looks as if I will have to use some solvent.

    The legs have a name plate. Since tripods are usually set up with one leg out front pointing at the subject this name plate is in line with one of the three legs. That would let you stand between the two “back” legs.
    

    And using that logic, the column release would then be facing you. This is the column release in locked position.

    Pushing the column release down to here (about a 45º flip) releases the column lock. While we are here notice the indexing of the handle splines with the shaft? That is because the handle can be pushed towards the tripod, turned and then the handle will come off.

    When the column lock toggle comes off you have a hex-key that you can use to literally take the tripod apart.
    

    The quick release top of the tripod’s head has two bubble levels. You could ask how they are inserted  in what appears to be a casting and why they are two colours. They are well protected where they are, but a bit difficult to see depending what height you have set up at.

    The hub of the legs has a threaded hole. It seems the tripod had a carry strap that threaded into the hub with a bolt, while the other end of the strap had a slip knot loop that could be wrapped around the legs.

One of the head’s handles has a bolt threaded into it.

 

    This is a side view of the bolt. It is identical to the quick release plate’s installed ¼ “ North American bolt except the business end has the European’s ⅜” fitting. 
    

    The handle bolt can also be screwed into the threaded carry strap fitting—this is as far in as it goes.
    

    This is the ¼ inch camera screw installed in the quick release plate. Note the D-clip keeps the screw in place, but can be removed to change to the other screw fitting. Also notice there are a lot of extra holes in the QR plate, one threaded, most smooth holes.

    I have learned that cheap Hex plates (all made in China I suspect) will fit but have a thick coating of battle ship grey paint. This paint makes the plates just a bit too large. The Manfrotto plate is a tad smaller and allows the plate lock lever to rotate to be in line with the mounting square. So instead you have the lock lever pointing out enough it can be accidentally released. 

    As mentioned earlier, the leg locks have two positions You have to pull the leg out until it is in its first angle setting, then collapse the leg just a little while you thumb the spring loaded tab down.         Holding the tab down you can angle the leg to a second position. To go back you push the leg back towards the hub and the leg will click into the first position. To close the leg just keep pushing.

    I tried having one short leg and two long, but the short leg was too long and the long legs were too short. There is no reason you would ever need to do this, but it was close to working.

    I extended the third leg and set the tripod up next to the picnic bench just to illustrate you need something to get up on to see through the camera’s viewfinder when the tripod can extend to almost 2 m (6 feet 5 inches) from ground to the QR plate. If you have a Hasselblad or twin lens reflex you would probably be better off standing on the picnic table’s top instead of the seat.