First of all, the tripod is VERY tall. When fully extended, it is approximately 7 feet tall. In other words, the camera may even be higher than my face. The carbon construction is very lightweight, and has the benefit that if you're shooting in cold, humid conditions, like a winter forest, the tripod won't be unbearably cold. Despite its lightness, the tripod is quite stable for a small or medium-sized mirrorless or film camera. I'm not sure about full-size SLRs like the 5d or D850 with a large telephoto lens like 100-400mm, but anything lighter in weight can be used without problems. I also really liked the design of the aluminum connections. They feel much more reliable than plastic ones. The tripod is also very compact when folded, I can easily put it in a medium backpack or attach it to the side. What I didn't really like was the connection of the telescopic legs. The connections look very secure, but I prefer to use wings or latches as they are faster to work with. However, this is a price to pay for the compactness of the tripod. I am very pleased with this tripod and recommend it if you need a lightweight and reliable tripod for small to medium sized cameras without overly large telephoto lenses.