Professional Tripod Stand

Paid good money for a flimsy junk tripod. Would not recommend.

I bought this about 2 years ago, when just starting out on my photography journey, because it was the cheapest one I could find, figuring I'd upgrade to a nicer one eventually. In that time, I've used it a LOT, and when I'm not using it, I leave it in my car, so I always have it when I need it. It gets bumped around, things stacked on top of it, etc, and it's still just as sturdy as the day I bought it. It is an inexpensive tripod, so it's not as sturdy or smooth as some of the more expensive ones, and the legs are fixed, so you can't configure it in the same way as you can with a tripod that has independent legs, but that's rarely been an issue for me. And it really is a whole lot lighter than some of those nicer tripods. I can take this one hiking without a second thought, but I'd hesitate to take some of the more expensive tripods with their fancy heads. There's a whole lot of bang for your buck with this little thing, and I would recommend it to anyone who just needs a simple tripod for their hobby.

I purchased this tripod to hold a spotting scope at shooting matches and practice at the rifle range. I'm honestly impressed, especially with the price and simple features. I've seen tripods at sporting good stores that easily cost twice as much and are exactly the same thing.

The tripod folds up and is stored neatly in an included case. The case is fine for transport and carrying around, but if you're flying on a plane or transporting it somewhere it might get dropped or have other items dropped on it, I'd say get something more substantial. A little waterproofing and the bag should be just fine outdoors in the rain.

The hook down the center is large enough to use with a rope and tent stake to secure it to the ground if need be, or to hang a little weight to help secure it a bit more. There are several level bubbles at the right places to ensure you're working flat, even on a hill or downward slope. The feet are rubber and they do pivot and angle around a bit. The legs are easily adjustable and pretty standard for most of your tripods. The locks all seem sturdy enough for every day use and are easily to adjust. The hand crank for elevation is smooth and locks nicely. The removable mounting pad is just fine and locks into and out of place easily. I'm a tall guy and weather I'm standing or sitting, this works nicely and comfortably all around.

This tripod is not heavy, so I'm not sure if that's a pro or a con for your needs, but for me, it's perfect for taking to matches, especially if I'm moving around a lot. Almost every piece of this tripod is plastic so I'd strongly suggest your don't over-tighten things. When it stops tightening, stop right where you are. The legs are obviously aluminum, and there are rubber grips on a few areas. For the price, I'd buy another one of these without hesitation.

So first off I originally purchased this for my new self leveling laser level and what I did not realize was I should have purchased something that went the height of a standard roof because this does not. That’s important because the self level doesn’t self level that far in distance, meaning you have to be within so many degrees close to level before it will self adjust to level. Like a beginner that never used a laser level I assumed I could just point the laser from any height and it would self adjust to level on the wall horizontally but I was wrong and it says that in the directions. All that being said it’s a wonderful purchase well built and several adjustments and features and even if it does not reach the height I need it to always I could prop it up on something to make up the height difference for things I want to hang closer to the roof horizontally. I use it more now for recording my son’s basketball games as it works perfect for that!

For a simple tripod this is the best tripod we've used. The tripod is sturdy and offers intuitive simplicity even for a novice photographer. We use this mostly for family photo shoots. All of the knobs and grips tighten and snap into place accordingly. We've had this tripod for a few months now and we use it at least once a week and everything still works like the day we bought it. The telescoping legs aren't flimsy and slide in and out with ease. We've had issues in the past with the swivels and knobs loosening over time, or aluminum legs bending easily but so far this one has held up better than others. The bag is pretty standard but it fits the tripod accordingly, and is sturdy enough to be lugged around in the back of our car for the past few months without tearing. There are obviously better and more expensive tripods available that have more features and perhaps a better build quality, but overall if you're not doing any upper echelon level photograph (or even if you are) I'd recommend this tripod based on price point and build quality. You won't find a better bargain for a quality tripod than this one.