this tripod is very sturdy, light weight, and very comfortable. this has a nice carry handle built into the center shaft, it's very comfortable and form fitting. very light weight. the size makes this look like it is an old school heavy tripod. it is anything but that. i opened this to it's full height and put my camera on the quick release base. the camera was set up with a battery grip, full sized flash, and an 18 x 270 mm lens. now this is not the heaviest setup for a camera, however it is the heaviest i could make to test out this tripod. at its full height this did not wobble at all. the nice thing about this is if it did have a stability problem from too much weight on it, then you can hang your camera bag from the handy hook on the underside of the main shaft, for stability. if you are moving around a lot while shooting pictures, like on the sidelines at a sporting event, the center pulls out and now you have yourself a mono-pod.every part of this tripod seems as if it was built fro strength and portability. it is very light very strong and quite sturdy.this is instantly my most favorite tripod in my collection. the cost is low for what you are getting. i have seen other tripods for twice the price that offer the same features as this one. well worth the costonce again, compact, light weight, sturdy, strong, and comfortable to use.absolutely worth having