Overall, this is a decent bargain tripod. The legs appear to be aluminum, and most of the rest of the unit is plastic or PVC. It has a quick-release head for attaching your camera but it only comes with one quick-release attachment, which sort of reduces the utility of it, although I'm sure you can buy more somewhere.The BAD news is that this unit is cheap, light and flimsy. The GOOD news is that it is that it is cheap and light! For the price, I would call it an excellent value, especially for someone who needs to carry it around with them since it is so light weight.Many ultra-light tripods feature a hook on the bottom of the centerpost that allows you to tie a bag of rocks or dirt or whatever to weigh down the tripod for steadier shooting. Although the picture of this item shows such a hook, my unit did not come with one. Fortunately you can always tie a weight on with string if you need to.If you have a slightly higher budget I would recommend looking at the various tripods by Sunpak first. And if you can afford them I would also look at Slik brand tripods as well. Digital Concepts TR-60N Camera Tripod with Carrying Case
I don't usually take the time to write reviews... but I've appreciated all the other Amazon users that do so in aiding my purchase decisions and would like to reciprocate the favor.
First off... the item is just as pictured. Contrary to a previous post, there is a hook for stabilization. Nobody mentioned that the tripod has a directly mounted carry handle also (kinda like a briefcase handle).
Pros: light, stabilizer hook, carry handle, carry case (perfect fit - doesn't add bulk), dual liquid bubbles, and quite study for the price (which is pretty damn cheap and sufficient for most users).
Cons: materials used may not be the best quality... I wouldn't want to place my $5000 digital SLR on this (which I don't have), but if you're a pro, you'd probably spend >$100 for one anyhow.
Very please with purchase. Highly recommend!
This tripod has everything you would ever want, from it's quick release plate in the tilting head, to it's crank elevator with locking ring, to it's easy to use leg locks to its self leveling, gimballed rubber feet. The tripod's legs brace to the center post and lock. There are spirit levels on the the head and at the point where the legs meet. there is even a hook on the bottom of the elevator post for your camera bag or a weight for extra stability. The tripod is light, has a built in carrying handle and even comes with a carrying case. A tripod with all these features usually costs over $100. There is only one problem, its not that stable. The materials used to construct this thing are as cheap and flimsly as they could get away with. Its perfectly adequate for the very lightest of still cameras but I wouldn't recommend it for even the lightest of video cameras. The tilt head cannot be tilted or panned smoothly for even the most elementary of moving shots. The legs only extent to about 3' the last 1' of height is achieved with the center post which even when locked is wobbly. Not a design flaw, the instability is due entirely to the materials used in construction. It does rate 3 stars because of it's light weight, brilliant design and low cost but "buyer beware" this is only good for lightweight cameras. It's not a bad alternative to a fullsize tripod if you are tring to travel light and want something more substantial than a tabletop unit.
I bought this one in May 2006 based on decent review here. It looks okay when I first got it. It's very light. The head is difficult to tilt, but what you can expect for a cheap tripod. Last month I took it on my trip to Yellow Stone Natl Park and tried to use it with my Rebel XT camera for the first time. The plastic head broke into two pieces when I tried to tighten the handle. I tried to call the manafacturer (Sakar) to get replacement since it's under warranty. After waiting for over 15 minutes, I was told that I need to mail it to them to look at and repair. I had to pay shipping cost on my own. Since I only paid $12.99 to buy it from Amazon, the shipping cost will be almost the same as the money I spent on it. So I decided that it doesn't worth to get repaired due to it's low quality. Even if it's really cheap, it's no use if you can't use it in real life and ruin your photo opportunity. Save your self the trouble and spend these 13 dollars on a better tripod. You have been warned.
For [$$], you can't go wrong with this tripod. For the casual photographer, this will do the job. It's a solid design--using strong, thick plastic parts and a light weight frame--that is easy to use. Functions exactly as advertised. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a firm foundation for their low to mid-end camera.
Pros:
* Cheap
* Light
* Folds and doesn't take much space
* Comes with a bag for storing and carrying
* Does the job
Cons:
* Mine came without an instruction manual! I never used a tripod before, so I wasn't sure how to put it together and attach my digital camera to it. But after about 30 minutes of fumbling with it, I figured it out. - Compact - Cheap - Lightweight - Photography'
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