My wildlife photography/birding hobby has always been on a very tight budget due to my very tight pension! I have had a couple of cheapo tripods which,frankly were rubbish!So when I was offered this tripod free in return for a honest and unbiased review I snatched it up quickly!So what do you get for your hard earned cash? In the box you will find.....1 X Tripod bag with a shoulder strap.1 X Tripod with.....1 X Short central axis.1 X Standard screw.1 X Allen key.1 X Head bag,to protect the head (a very good idea!)1 X very useful and informative user manual.The whole lot comes packaged in a very sturdy box giving maximum protection for the tripod.How simple is the tripod to set up?Extremely easy indeed,the three legs are initially folded up towards the head,and it is just a case of folding them down and extending them to give you the correct height required for your camera and/or spotting scope.It was so easy that I didnt have to bother with the instruction manual at all.the locking lugs on the legs etc, are easy to lock/unlockThe tripod is manufactured from high grade magnesium aluminium alloy,and looks as if it will last for a long time!The head is where you will probably need to consult the instruction manual,just so you can get it set correctly (Hint, pop a screwdriver with a wide head into your bag as you will need one to tighten the head screw) the head also has a small spirit level to assist with getting your photograph straight!And that is almost all you need to know,except to say that if you need the tripod to be even more stable than it already is,there is a sprung hook at the base of the central axis where you can suspend and extra weight.The product photos show the tripod bag usedto hold the weight and this would seem to be a good idea!A terrific mid priced tripod for the keen photographer.

This is definitely the tripod to get. It's exceptionally versatile in how it can be manipulated to enable the taking of the perfect picture in whatever the situation. It's light enough to be portable, but sturdy enough to give me confidence that my precious camera will be safe. It of course comes with the essential weight hook, so it can be weighed down to enhance stability where necessary. Oh, it comes beautifully packaged, complete with carrying case and shoulder strap. The tripod itself looks absolutely gorgeous and I can't imagine how it could possibly be improved upon aesthetically. I'm very proud to own it, and my camera loves it too. Very highly recommended.

Bought this as a travel tripod to take anywhere in the car, as my old one was a big heavy beast... thought for the money, you cant really go wrong. The price point is very good.So when it arrived I thought Id give it a test. On opening the box, I saw a lovely, strong carry bag with sturdy zip. It felt a nice weight. not too heavy to carry places. Inside was a nice looking tripod with some nice detailing to make it look modern and more expensive than it was. The head even had another bag over to protect it, which I thought was a nice touch. It had 4 section clip-lock legs and rubber feet, with a height adjustable centre column with a weight hook underneath for added stability.To test it I used my heaviest camera and lens combo on it, and it held them pretty strong, after giving the tightener on the head a good twist. It needed doing up pretty tight but it held a 5d mk 3, with battery grip and 70-200 with no problem. I tried it from the camera body just to see, but it felt much sturdier mounting it to the lens collar, but thats what its there for.I did a couple of tests in low light with exposures of 5 seconds, and they seemed pretty sharp so the tripod was doing its job well. I did have a bit of weight hanging from the hook under the centre column, purely because my camera and lens were so heavy, but id always recommend doing that anyway.Fully extended I found this tripod to be a great size. Im 5'10 and I couldnt reach my eye to the viewfinder at full height so it would easily suit the taller photographer. As with any tripod, it operate best slightly under full height. The centre column and lower part of the legs can introduce shake, so I would only extend those if necessary, but they arent weak by any means.My overall impressions are that this is a great entry level tripod for those looking for something light, strong, and good value for money. Id definitely recommend it. I tried it with a 6d mk 2 and 24-105 too, and with that combo it was a dream, but I like to test things to the extreme before reviewing.

let me start by saying being one of my tripods is not a easy life. I use my tripods regularly in Salt water.Recently I've started to use cheaper lighter tripods because I just don't want to be carrying a heavy tripod around so bought one of these.The tripod has lots of useful features such as one of the legs having foam on it, the panning action for panos is nice and the tripod is Arca Swiss head (much more stability on portrait shots because the lens is centrally above the legs rather than hanging over the side). The main problem with the tripod is that all the legs eventually fell off after less than a years service. This may be due to the hard life my tripods get. The reason why I'd buy this again is because I've just superglued the legs back in and it's as good as new. Everything else about this tripod is perfect for me. I'm also past the stage of worrying about portraying myself as a good photographer by having a more established Manfrotto or similar. I'm more confident in actually knowing what I'm doing and knowing that this is a better tripod for me. Plenty out there .....with all the gear and no idea.

Great tri pod don't know what else to say does what it's meant to do