Center Column

The first picture below shows the standard center column position while the second picture shows the tripod with the center column removed. Once removed, you can lower the tripod by adjusting the leg length and angle.

This is horizontal position, which is the trademark of Manfrotto's PRO tripods! This allows you to shoot at odd angles or places that the normal leg angles won't allow you to reach.

While it may be fun and even necessary to use the horizontal positions, the tripod can get very unstable. This is especially true if the camera and/or lens are big and heavy. But you can rectify that by hanging counterweights on the hook at the end of the center column. Here's a closer look at the hook.

Column Hook

Finally, if you must absolutely take pictures at ground level, you can actually do that. All you need to do is turn the center column upside down! Images can be flipped back to the proper orientation using any graphics editing software, so that is not an issue.

Upside down

However, adjusting the camera upside down is pretty hard! So, while it's possible to use the undocumented upside down position to achieve incredibly-low-to-the-ground shots, it may not be practical at all.

Head Mount

The 190PROB comes with a standard 3/8"-threaded mount. It's fully compatible with any 3/8"-threaded tripod head in the market.

The threaded mount is capped to protect it during transportation. To install a tripod head, just uncap the mount and screw the head in.

Of course, when you are not using the mount, you should recap the mount. Because the threads are lightly greased and therefore attract dirt, this prevents the mount from being clogged with dirt.