UPDATED REVIEW 2/12/2014:Amazon handled the return and exchange smoothly. There was a slight delay while I waited for the item to be stocked (since it was out of stock). Approximately 10 days later, I was holding this tripod again and this time the swivel mechanism worked like "buttah"!!. I have had it for roughly 3 weeks now and I have probably used it on 6 different occasions, all indoors. I love how versatile this tripod is. It can get really low when you need it to. The ISSL mechanism is MUCH MUCH better than the upside down design my previous Manfrotto tripod employed to get down low. The ISSL mechanism also turned out to be a bonus for doing some panning work, while retaining the simplicity of a ball head.Glad this worked out for me.Once again, I am a bit peeved that the product I received from Amazon does not have the "new" smell, and looked like it had been handled/used before even though everything was well packed (but obviously not sealed). Its a matter of principle. We are not buying these products as refurbished - they are marked as NEW. They should be NEW. But I am glad they make the return-exchange-refund process straightforward. If it wasn't for that....In any event, the tripod worked as advertised - I did test it vigorously. It is a keeper.ORIGINAL REVIEW 1/15/2014:Just received the tripod and excitedly started to check it out. Right away, noticed that the packaging had creases on it, and nothing was sealed - a growing concern I've been having with Amazon lately. What do I care, right? As long as the thing works... or so I thought. The tripod looked okay, however, the instant swivel mechanism would not work! The orange "switch" that is supposed to enable the ISSL would not budge. It was fused to the body somehow. The switch would not move left to right (or up/down, depending on how you are looking at it), and therefore, the lever would not open or close.Returning it tomorrow, and now I have to wait 4-6 weeks for a replacement. This thing had rave reviews everywhere I looked, so I was settled on it. Did not expect this to happen. Ugh!

It seems very sturdy, if a little heavy. But honestly I'd rather have a little weight to it if that means my tripod is going to be more solid.My only complaint (and I fixed it) is that the button to release the removable plate I use to attach the camera was so hard to press at first I had to hit it with the back end of a screwdriver to get the button to work.After that though it seemed to work fine!

I’ve just started getting into making videos for YouTube. I didn’t want to spend a ton of money in case I really didn’t get into it. I was happily surprised on the quality and versatility of this tripod. Seriously for the price you can go wrong!!! It’s stable and has the ability to be put anywhere you need it!! From up high to down low!! Can’t go wrong!!!

This is a cool little tripod that easily holds an iPhone. You can get a wide range of adjustment out of the bendy tripod legs, but they hold their position where you put them. Great for closeups of things you're working on, or you can set it up around the house for selfies or whatever. Good on the desk for those chatty FaceTime calls when your hand starts to go numb from trying to hold something still up in the air.In a pinch, you can use this for a first person view camera - position the legs over the top of your head like a hat and then tie a rope around the sides of your head to hold the legs on. Nobody will laugh at you...................

This book is really nice, I have only two very minor issues that keep it from getting 5 stars from me. One is that the buttons are in order with the book. Meaning if you start from the beginning, each of the corresponding buttons are found in order from top to bottom. I would have preferred if they were scattered and the child needed to match the picture of the animal button sound with the same picture in the book. This makes it a little less challenging IMHO. Also some sounds are not actual animal sounds but just songs. For example for butterfly, there isn't a sound that they make so they just put in some random sound bite song. Same for the Caterpillar, just some random song. I know these insects don't make sounds but couldn't they just pick another creature that does make a sound like a monkey or lion? Again, these are minor issues. good book overall.

This thing is super cool! It has so many options and will actually connect with other equipment that I have so I can get double use out the tripod. It takes my video recordings and live streaming content to a whole new level. Super intuitive set up and controls. I haven’t tried the remote yet but I’m sure it’s great too.

I was expecting a run of the mill "get what you pay for" camera but the V50 far surpassed my expectations. I use it mostly to take pictures on hikes and use it for videos on a tripod. The quality of the pictures and video is great and not over-saturated. The only complaint I have is that it came pre-installed with a screen protector. Great unexpected addon! But mine has a few bubbles underneath it. Not enough to dock any stars.

This is a good telescope for beginners. It is easy to set up and includes a phone mount. It is a bit difficult to sight in an object but that likely gets easier with experience. The tripod included with this telescope could stand to be improved as even after really cranking down the knobs to try to keep it in place, it could still be easily bumped out of place. The phone mount is also very difficult to use but hopefully will get easier with practice.