feature rich tripod!,

It is made out of aluminum. Light enough to carry around the whole day yet still very sturdy. The aluminum ball head actually performs well. Once you've got the desired angle and lock it in place, the camera will stay on that angle until you release the lock unlike my 20 usd tripod. Im using a d80 with 18-270mm lens attached. That's about 1.2kg weight. The tripod is rated by the manufacturer to handle up to 13 lbs of equipment. Other features are a quick release plate, 2 bubble levels ( one on the head and the other on the legs), user replaceable aluminum tripod head, a threaded weight hook and spiked feet. The tripod can also converted so you can take macro shots. The legs can be locked in position independent of one another. With all these features plus great performance, this tripod is a steal!

One minor hiccup, the plastic on the leg clamps, while not cheap, isnt top of the line. But they get the job done so it a no issue for me

Good budget value but quality is lacking.

Pros: Lightweight and compact for easy storage in the car and attaching to a backpack while hiking. I love the ball head which is simple to use and easy to adjust and usually only available on more expensive tripods. The center shaft is removable so you can turn the camera upside down and take "worm's eye view" shots. Overall it is a good value.

Cons: Quality/durability isn't all that great. The first time I used it one of the leg knobs broke. Upon further inspection I found the internal components that fell out were very cheap plastic. It took Dolica over a month to send me a replacement leg. I had to call and email a half dozen times before receiving it. They kept promising to send it, it wouldn't arrive as promised, and I would have to call or email again over and over again. Now I am very careful whenever extending or collapsing the legs as they seem very fragile.

Other Comments: I purchased this brand at the suggestion of a professional photography website as a good value. If you are a serious photographer though, it would be worth investing a little extra money to get a better quality tripod as it will be more stable and most likely last much longer.

Very Good for not so heavy camera but still a great buy!

I've been happy with this compared to the cheaper tripods that i've tried. the ball head would slip from where you intend to position the camera with, so you just have to compensate or anticipate the slippage. i have not used any of the expensive tripods since i don't really make money from my photographs - i just wanted and enjoy taking pictures. a friend hand me down an older Vanguard pan-head tripod that had the retractable legs fixed-permanenr(clamps broken)of the similar size and i thought positioning it is better than the dolica. i figured, the dolica's tripod (legs) are actually better. it was just the dolica's ball head that i have issues with. so i recently bought a different head that is more stable.

Low cost, lightweight, sturdy tripod that meets my needs...Great product.

I bought this product for my wife and I to use with our DSLR camera for outdoor photos mainly of plants, animals, objects with high detail where a stable platform is necessary. I haven't had it long, but already like it a lot. It is lightweight yet sturdy and adjustable enough on many differing terrains for all my needs. With maximum height of 62", it is comfortable to use. The ball head is new to me and I love it. The weight holding capacity is sufficient for the camera and lenses I use with no drift. I have no dislikes at this time.

Great little tripod, perfect for every type of photographer.

Bought this for my father for Christmas. Used it once to compare it with mine. Its a great little tripod, definitely worth the money. I love how low to the ground you can get the tripod and how lightweight it is. I like the ball you place the camera on so you can angle the camera any angle you want. I did have some issues with getting my camera on the ball-head and getting it to move around to where I wanted at first. I obviously didn't read the instructions and did pinch my finger. My father seems to have no issue with the tripod and loves it.