Manfrotto Group

Manfrotto Group
Manfrotto 190XB -tripod.

Manfrotto is a brand manufactured by Lino Manfrotto + Co. Spa, a company headquartered in Bassano del Grappa, Italy. Manfrotto is a worldwide leading brand in the manufacturing of camera and lighting supports. Manfrotto is owned by the UK company The Vitec Group[1], which purchased Lino Manfrotto + Co. Spa in 1989. In 2010 Manfrotto established the Manfrotto School of Xcellence, and educational resource to support and help everyone to get closer to photography and videography.

Contents

History

Lino Manfrotto, an Italian photojournalist, began designing light stands, booms, and telescopic rods in the late 1960s. In 1972 Lino Manfrotto met Gilberto Battocchio, a technician working for a Bassano mechanical firm. In 1974, the company introduced its first tripod. The company grew, and in 1986 Manfrotto, already with 6 plants in Bassano, landed in Feltre, in the industrial zone of Villapaiera, establishing 5 plants in the space of two years. Vitec Group Plc. purchased the French company Gitzo in 1992 and the American company Bogen Photo Corp. in 1993.[2] Vitec Group Plc. chose to maintain the separate brands as separate lines in its portfolio. Manfrotto products are distributed in Germany, France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and United States by Manfrotto Distribution. In Canada, Manfrotto products are distributed by Amplis Foto Inc.

Competition

Manfrotto's main competition on the low end is from such brands as Velbon, Benro, and Slik, and on the high end from Miller and Gitzo (which, as noted above, is part of the same group). Manfrotto is distinguished from the likes of Miller and Slik by virtue of not making one-piece tripods; the legs and head in all cases are sold separately, and interchangeable.

References

  1. ^ "The Vitec Group Plc :: Imaging & Staging Division". http://www.vitecgroup.com/group/photographic.aspx. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
  2. ^ "Manfrotto History". http://www.manfrotto.com/About+Us/History/History/3670802. Retrieved 2007-10-12. 

External links

Educational Websites:

Consumers Websites:

Distribution Websites:

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