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It is lightweight and easy to colaspe. I absolutely love this tripod. With its quick release heads you can be set up and ready to go in seconds. It has amazing control on the head. Very smooth movement. For the price this is an amazing peice of equipment. I would definitely recommend it.
This brings up a quality issue of combining steel screws with plastic bolts and the potential for "over torqueing" by the consumer as well. Tripod arrived with several crushed plastic leg bolts (that lock the leg clamps to the legs). It appears that they were over tightened at the factory. Poor design. I returned the tripod to Amazon and am looking for a different tripod in the same price range.
In my case, the handle clamps failed on the first time in the field and spider on the third time in the field. That's important with video because you want a stable platform. Just be gentle and you'll be OK. Other brands are easier to use and take more abuse, but cost twice as much. Take your camera to a local store and get hands on with these things. However, at 6.5lbs, it doesn't have the weight for windy conditions.
In the meantime, I used an old Vanguard tripod I've owned for 15 years without a problem and I've slugged it all over the world.
The problem with this tripod is that critical parts are either made of soft metal or brittle plastic.
These sticks are prosumer quality -- not pro.
When using this tripod it gives you a stable platform for a good price.
If you're a pro, dig deep for a pro brand like Gitzo or Manfrotto and pass this by.
However, the tripod comes with a good warranty.
I sent it back to Tiffen for a warranty repair.
Best advise.
After a couple months of repeated setup and tear-down, the spider that keeps the legs positioned broke. The plastic joints that hold to the struts are surprisingly weak. This tripod would work best in a studio (preferrably on a dolly) where there is minimal setup and tear-down.
They look professional also and that is always a plus. I got this tripod and was so impressed with it I bought another one a week later. I suggest you get the 3 wheel dolly for this also because it makes it so nice to be able move the whole thing around with out having to pick it up and carry it. I have two Canon Xl2s I use with these tripods and they work great.Even better than I expected them to for the price but, sometimes you do get a great deal and this is one of them. The 75mm Ball Claw set up makes it so easy to level because you don't have to fool around re-adjusting the legs.(Nice) I am going to get a couple of Canon XLH1s soon and I will use these tripods for them with confidence because the tripods are sturdy with very smooth action heads and weigh just enough to be stable. The dolly works smooth also and the wheels easily lock in place so the whole set up is firmly grounded. Marcus (Legends Studio)
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