I would say this is the nicest tripod I currently own (and also the most expensive). I am more of a hobbyist than a professional.This comes in a nicely padded carrying bag. The bag has large metal zippers and a nylon zipper. It open wide to make removal or replacement of the tripod easy. There are no interior or exterior pockets. There is also an adjustable strap so you can carry over your shoulder.The included instruction manual is pretty basic. There is also an included hex key. I would say if you want to keep this with the tripod you can use some Velcro ties to strap to one of the legs.I like the height of the monopod at full extension. When I place the ball head on top of this & then my camera, I don't need to bend over at all (I am about 6'2"). If I don't use the head then I need to just slightly bend over when using the view finder. There is also a padded grip in this leg. You can also use this as a hiking stick.The legs have a few angles of adjustment. The bottom rubber feet are removable. This does not come with different feet so if you want spikes for example for use in dirt / sand you will need to purchase those as none are included. At full height this will tower over a crowd. There is also a hook where you can hang your backpack or weights to help keep this more stable. You can unscrew this so you can then reverse the center shaft to use as a low or macro tripod.The head is dampened so when rotating you can get a smooth effect if shooting video. You need to be a little careful as the head can unscrew when rotating if you don't have the lock screw loose. This is also my first tripod where you can bring the arm over to shoot off to the side of the tripod. This is really nice being able to stand next to the tripod instead of behind it in some instances.There is a bubble level on the top of the head. The camera mount does not use the snap quick release which in nice as it does not wiggle & feels more secure when you have the knob tightened. You can purchase additional shoes for this tripod.I don't find this tripod to be too heavy for my use & do find it to be very versatile & am so far very happy with this tripod.

I would say this is the nicest tripod I currently own (and also the most expensive). I am more of a hobbyist than a professional.This comes in a nicely padded carrying bag. The bag has large metal zippers and a nylon zipper. It open wide to make removal or replacement of the tripod easy. There are no interior or exterior pockets. There is also an adjustable strap so you can carry over your shoulder.The included instruction manual is pretty basic. There is also an included hex key. I would say if you want to keep this with the tripod you can use some Velcro ties to strap to one of the legs.I like the height of the monopod at full extension. When I place the ball head on top of this & then my camera, I don't need to bend over at all (I am about 6'2"). If I don't use the head then I need to just slightly bend over when using the view finder. There is also a padded grip in this leg. You can also use this as a hiking stick.The legs have a few angles of adjustment. The bottom rubber feet are removable. This does not come with different feet so if you want spikes for example for use in dirt / sand you will need to purchase those as none are included. At full height this will tower over a crowd. There is also a hook where you can hang your backpack or weights to help keep this more stable. You can unscrew this so you can then reverse the center shaft to use as a low or macro tripod.The head is dampened so when rotating you can get a smooth effect if shooting video. You need to be a little careful as the head can unscrew when rotating if you don't have the lock screw loose. This is also my first tripod where you can bring the arm over to shoot off to the side of the tripod. This is really nice being able to stand next to the tripod instead of behind it in some instances.There is a bubble level on the top of the head. The camera mount does not use the snap quick release which in nice as it does not wiggle & feels more secure when you have the knob tightened. You can purchase additional shoes for this tripod.I don't find this tripod to be too heavy for my use & do find it to be very versatile & am so far very happy with this tripod.

I've been using this tri-pod for about a month and I like it a lot it. It isn't perfect but it works well. Its to large for a travel tripod or a hiking Tripod but with the protective case andhoulder strap I am able to carry it along with me and go to shoot locations. I also found it works great for macrophotography and product photography. Being able to move the tripod main shaft into a perpendicular position I was able to get the perfect straight down shot. It even converts into a mono pod. I haven't used this option yet since I had a decent monopod during my last hiking trip. I misplaced the monopod and I think its a goner. I plan on taking it on my next long trip in the late fall.The ball head screws that tighten down and lock it into place are ok but at the right angel it becomes difficult to hold in place. For large camera and lenses this could be an issue. The screw mount also makes a cracking sound if you tighten it down to much. So be careful.This is a tall and heavy tripod. Its great for windy days or shoot about the crowd's head. At full extension its almost 7 feet tall I think. When all the extensions are extended and stowed away. It uses a screw style locking system. They hold tight and I haven't had them loosen up while in use or transport.If you need a good tripod that can reach over the heads of the crowd, transform into monopod, or need a perpendicular tripod mount, then this is a great option. As always, I will update this review if anything changes.

First of all, let me just say that I am super happy with this tripod! It is well designed, and you can tell a lot of thought was put into how to make a solid, useful tool. The materials are outstanding! It is hard to find knobs that are anything but plastic when dealing with tripods, and they can easily break with a lot of use. These are aluminum, which can be expected to hold up to some abuse out on a shoot.The positioning has a range of height and other options, including using it as a monopod. It is simple to use and snap into whatever place you need to use it for. It has good balance, and the pivot ball gives super smooth motion. I really enjoy the multiple height options for shot setup! It is also super lightweight for taking with pretty much anywhere, and comes with a solid carrying case for just that purpose.

I've got a few other lightweight/portable tripods for this price range, and they've all exceeded my expectations - everything felt extremely solid. On the other hand, this tripod feels like it should cost half the price that it does.In one solid piece as you pull it out of the bag, it looks and feels sturdy, but when you start to assemble it, its easy to notice all the poor tolerances. It's not every part, maybe only 30% of the entire tripod feels janky, but thats more than I'd expect at this price. The clips that hold the legs in position move almost an entire inch without any tension on them, the knobs that let the legs fall out and lock feel like you can easily pop them off, and when extended outwards, the tripod head doesn't really feel like it locks in place unless you torque the main knob down.At the end of the day, it works, and the flaws I mentioned haven't really interfered with anything other than my confidence in the unit, so I don't think I should take off more than one star, but at the same time, its definitely not a 5 star tripod at this price in my opinion.

I've got a few other lightweight/portable tripods for this price range, and they've all exceeded my expectations - everything felt extremely solid. On the other hand, this tripod feels like it should cost half the price that it does.In one solid piece as you pull it out of the bag, it looks and feels sturdy, but when you start to assemble it, its easy to notice all the poor tolerances. It's not every part, maybe only 30% of the entire tripod feels janky, but thats more than I'd expect at this price. The clips that hold the legs in position move almost an entire inch without any tension on them, the knobs that let the legs fall out and lock feel like you can easily pop them off, and when extended outwards, the tripod head doesn't really feel like it locks in place unless you torque the main knob down.At the end of the day, it works, and the flaws I mentioned haven't really interfered with anything other than my confidence in the unit, so I don't think I should take off more than one star, but at the same time, its definitely not a 5 star tripod at this price in my opinion.

I have a small carbon fibre tripod that I like to take on most trips, but wanted this for use at home, in town, and for trips to the mountains. There are several features I love about this tripod and it makes it unique even though I already own two other tripods.First off, I am 6'5, so I love the fact that this tripod can be taken out far past my height. I plan to even use it for uniques shots from above since I can trigger my shutter with an app (I normally use a Sony A7RIII..a Canon 5D Mark III is in the photo).Secondly, the monopod feature is awesome. You just unscrew a leg and where the pole with the head attaches and you screw them together. I have wanted a monopod that could handle some weight and this fills that need.Thirdly, and the main reason I wanted it, is that it can be used for overhead shots (my attached photo has a quick example of how that works..sorry for the old iPhone pic quality). I review tech equipment on occasion for Youtube and this allows my iPhone or Canon to be used for overhead shots, while I use the Sony for front facing video on one of my less capable tripods.I guess the only thing I don't know now is how well it will hold up, but I will update if I have any issues. I also want to note that my girlfriend liked the looks of it. I guess the orange parts of the tripod are attractive compared to the typical all black stylings of my other tripods.All in all, this fills so many needs for my normal home use that my travel tripod can typically just stay in the case.

I'm a tripod guy - I have at least a dozen. I have compact ones for travel, big rugged ones when I need a heavy duty model, carbon fiber, aluminum and combination. If you use this tripod a few times you'll realize that whomever designed it took the best features from several tripods and combined them here - although they missed a few.So I'll start with the misses. The feet - strictly rubber feet. They can be spun out and removed, but there's no spikes to replace them. Spikes are fantastic for dirt, sand, etc. The feet spin out easily - you'll want to tighten them and leave them all the way in - or I guarantee you'll lose them. The ball pivot. It's straight or at a 45 degree angle. I'd prefer if there were locking options with inbetween angles. You can accomplish these varying angles by changing the length of the tripod legs and adding a weight to stabilize it, so that's kind of a wash. There's no place to stash the included hex key. This can come in really handy, but it's not needed when making a monopod out of the tripod.The legs lock in three fixed positions. This is a feature I have used many times on tripods. Hiking in Utah and shooting from boulders I could angle the legs as needed for a secure perch. The wider the legs, the more stable the tripod, making it exceptionally good for timelapse and long exposure. There's a center column hook for a sandbag - it's pretty light duty though - a steel shaft in a plastic housing with plastic threads. I would not go more than 5 lbs. If you really need weight, open the legs more and use sandbags. I've also used tent stakes with a paracord loop around the feet.All of the dials and knobs are aluminum, not plastic. That's really nice and increases the life of the tripod by years. Plastic knobs eventually break. They snap if bumped too hard. Aluminum bay dent or scratch, but it won't break like plastic.All the hardware (connecting screws, nuts, bolts) are stainless.The included ball head is also darn nice. It has the thicker 3/8-24 thread which is typical for a tripod head. The plate is an Arca-Swiss style sliding plate, and the camera screw has a built-in thumb-catch for hand tightening. No tools (or coins) needed. The plate can be loosened and slid back and forth but will not slide off the head. You need almost two full rotations of the locking knob to fully release the plate. Nice. There's also a built-in bubble level. The ball mechanism sits in a Teflon pocket - so it's smooth.The top of the tripod (where the head attaches) has a reversible screw - 1/4-20 for cameras or 3/8-24 for tripod heads. The top orange collar locks it in place. It's all hand tightened, so it is possible to start spinning off the ball head without realizing it - there's no locking screws to lock the tripod head in place. The best way to attach the head is to remove the dual sided screw and collar. On the tripod head, loosen the big locking dial and move the plate to the 45 degree position (so it's tucked in the notch.) Thread in the tripod mount screw until it stops - it's actually pressing against the ball at this point. Now spin on the orange collar. Loosen the screw 1/2 a turn. Tighten the collar as tight as you can (without tools!) Now spin on the head and tighten. You'll find it's much more difficult to accidentally spin off.Anyway, great tripod, a little on the heavier side when compared to compact or carbon fiber models, but a good choice for all-around use. Plus being able to convert to a monopod in under a minute is really handy.

This is a well built tripod. All the engineering is solid and I've had the tripod in the field several times now with no difficulties at all. It stays locked in the position you place it in. The added bonus is that it has the arm that can hold the camera out over the edge of a deck or dock - which I've already utilized. Highly recommended.

I couldn't find any flaws in the fit and finish of this tripod. It all seems very well made and quite sturdy. All the tightening/locking knobs worked smoothly and securely. With the various configurations available, you can get plenty of height with this tripod, or get right down to the ground with your camera (or whatever) mounted underneath the tripod. For the price, I'd say this is a really impressive item.