Camera Tripod, HolaFoto 65'' Travel Monopod Light Weight Aluminum Alloy Legs &Panorama Ball Head for DSLR Camera Canon Nikon Sony Fuji-Film, Pentax, Lumix, Olympus DSLR DV- T2 Black

Solid tripod and a good value.

First, I was kind of worry since it is a bit pricey and really do not want to deal with the hassle of returning. I just received it today and I do like the tripod. It is light but very sturdy. It is better looking and stronger than it is shown in the picture on Amazon. I was skeptical when reading the specs that says the load weigh max ~20+ lbs or so. Yes, this thing can take more than that. It is like a heavy-duty tripod yet light weigh. I really like its professional looking.Now comes the not so great parts. The head is a bit difficult to secure if you use the ring for the wrist strap. It is a poor design because the ring is much bigger than the nut and there is no way to secure it. Things like; the nut/bolt, the turning wheel, the wrist strap ring, will fall out all over the place if you try to remove the head and mount it on the mono pod. Then there is the extension piece (to raise the head up/down vertically) that comes with two parts; one is about 12 inches long and the other is about 4 inches long. I am not sure why they made them separately but I hate this design. Both pieces have a groove runs vertically along the side of the extension pieces. The extension pieces can be connected together with a nut. The groove on the pieces must be lined up in order for whole thing to slide down in the center ring. The groove must be lined up with a guide tab inside this center ring so that when you turn the head this guide tab will stop the extension piece from turning. The thing is, it is no way to connect the two extension pieces together tightly and have the grooves on both pieces lined up. Either the pieces are connected tightly and the groove is off or the groove is lined up and the pieces are loose. I spend more than an hour trying to get them work and then another hour trying to figure hour if anything I can modify to get them to work but waste my time.Overall, I do like the tripod for its sturdiness and professional looking but some of the poor design things that really bother me and because of that, I don’t think this tripod worth $70. I will have to learn to deal with it since returning is not an option for me.

The media could not be loaded.  This tripod is my third one on my collection. Why would I have 3 tripods, especially from three different brands if the previous ones have also been great? I guess it is a matter of preference on having a variety of products. It allows me to have options and enjoy each unique characteristics and features. Besides, in my line of business tripods are essential.So, what’s good or different about this tripod? Well, this specific brand/model fits right between the semi-heavy and light category. It is portable and solid. My initial tests today were (as always) pushing the tripod around to see how easy is to knock it down, and so far it holds itself pretty good. The multiple leg position system locks itself as you move through them (three positions). The panning system is smooth and somewhat tight, which means you won’t risk letting go of the camera and moving horizontally by itself that easily (something to appreciate).The legs extension system is a twist and lock one. I guess this becomes a matter of preference. But one thing is for sure, when fully extended, this tripod is very tall. I’m 5’11” and when fully extended the camera is a little over my forehead.One specific detail about this tripod which doesn’t bother me but it could be something to keep in mind is, the attachment system for the monopod is with a screw that attaches to the leg and main camera pole. It is not a fixed screw to one end or the other, it is a separate part which has to be kept in the tripod bag or a pocket. For me, this is not an issue, but I thought it was worth mentioning.I’m including a short video showing the tripod.

The media could not be loaded.  This tripod is build incredibly. Compared to the tripod I was using before, not only does this tripod fold up into a more compact size, it is also much taller once fully extended. The ball head on the tripod comes with a really soft cover to put on when being stored to prevent scratches.One of my favorite features is the ability of the tripod to turn into a mono pod. Before, I would be carrying around a tripod and a monopod even though I could only use one of them at a time. So when I was using one of them, the other was just taking up room in my camera bag. Now, I have the ability to just take one tripod and turn it into a mono pod whenever I want. This safes me space in my bag and most importantly weight. We are already carrying around multiple pounds of camera gear, and this will really safe you some weight.Another really cool feature is the backpack loop. When shooting video or long exposures, attach a bag or something heavy to the loop on the bottom. This will weigh the tripod down and remove some of those micro vibrations making for a much cleaner video or long exposure photo.Overall great build quality, and although it is about 2x the price of my previous really cheap tripod, this also acts as a mono pod and has some great features that my previous tripod just didn't over. Highly recommended.

1. SIZEI own 50" tripod. But I realized later that depending on your positioning, 50" sometimes is not enough for a family photo. This is one, however, is 65" tall and is perfect for a group photo in my opinion. Besides, this tripod is as compact as my 50" one when folded. So it is easy to travel with.2. QUALITYThis tripod feels very solid and heavy duty.3. FUNCTIONIt has a lot of different configurations. The angles of the three legs can be adjusted easily, which is very convenient if you are setting up the tripod in a tight space. I also like the inverted installation feature. I can fix my camera at a very low position, which is perfect to take some videos of our puppy playing.It can also be easily converted into monopod, if you want to shoot from a different angle.