I figured I was taking a chance with the K&amp;F model, thinking it might be poorly made. But there's plenty to like about it. (I gave four stars rather than five due to uncertainty about how well some of the clamps will hold up. More on that below.)&gt;&gt; LegsRight out of the box they were very stiff. If anything they're too stiff, which makes it a bit of a chore to unfold them. But they'll loosen up over time and it's a lot better having them be too stiff out of the box than too loose.When the tripod is set up, it feels quite solid.One advantage to the stiffness: When the tripod is fully collapsed "transverse" style, you can pick it up by one leg and the leg doesn't immediately begin opening out. So you don't have to pick it up by holding two legs (or use a strap to tie the legs together).&gt;&gt; BallheadSurprisingly good. It seems somewhat better-made than a ballhead supplied with another tripod of mine (a better-known brand). The ballhead's controls feel well machined, and the knobs are large enough to be comfortable to turn. I'd have preferred their being rubberized, but you can't have everything.&gt;&gt; Arca-Swiss-compatible clampNo problems. The supplied camera plate has a sensible design for the attachment screw, so you aren't out of luck if you need to attach it but don't have a flat-head screwdriver or coin. The clamp perfectly fits the Arca-Swiss base plate of my camera's hand grip.&gt;&gt; Release levers for changing leg anglesI've seen comments about such tripods noting that the release levers are somewhat flimsy and might break. It's possible, but I wonder if the problem is that people hold the legs under too much tension when they're trying to change the angles. Instead, push the legs inward slightly before using the levers.&gt;&gt; "Transverse" center column designThis works very well. It's the simplest one I've used so far: Bring the inner section of the center column to its max. height, and then it turns easily to horizontal via a ball-and-socket mechanism. Along its length, the inner column has a groove that fits to a tongue in its housing. So it doesn't rotate within the housing. This makes sliding the column back and forth maybe a bit more difficult than it would otherwise be, but it feels nice and solid.&gt;&gt; Flip-lock levers for extending the legsThese don't feel nearly as solid as the rest of the hardware. I won't be opening or closing them too quickly or forcefully. It's hard to tell how long they will hold up.&gt;&gt; Carrying bagIt's fine. Dual zippers, carrying handle, and shoulder strap are included. Not ThinkTank quality, but it'll do. (I wouldn't have minded if they'd added a small zipper pocket to it. Hardly a deal-breaker.)&gt;&gt; DocumentationCompletely awful and unintentionally amusing. But you won't likely need it. Leave it in the bag and forget about it.&gt;&gt; Not crazy about &lt;<the inner="" center="" column="" does="" not="" have="" a="" spring-loaded="" weight="" hook="" at="" the="" end.="" whole="" arrangement="" could="" go="" off-balance="" and="" fall="" over="" if="" arm="" is="" extended="" too="" far="" horizontally="" there="" isn't="" tripod="" leg="" directly="" under="" it.="" i'll="" to="" think="" up="" some="" workaround.="" point="" need="" counter-weight="" back="" of="" that="" arm.="" deal-breaker.="">&gt; REALLY not crazy about &lt;<the larger,="" outer="" section="" of="" the="" center="" column="" does="" have="" a="" weight="" hook.="" to="" move="" entire="" into="" upside-down="" position="" as="" shown="" in="" one="" product="" illustrations="" on="" this="" page,="" you="" need="" remove="" is="" not="" easy="" it="" should="" be.="" part="" unscrew="" thin="" plastic="" disk—hard="" grab="" onto.="" be="" wider.="" maybe="" it'd="" good="" idea="" keep="" short="" strip="" dycem="" carrying="" bag="" help="" turn="" that="" thing.="" annoying,="" but="" still="" deal-breaker.="">&gt; Overall impression &lt;<it's a="" well="" made="" tripod="" and="" good="" for="" the="" price.="" be="" gentle="" with="" those="" leg="" extension="" clamps.="" try="" not="" to="" laugh="" too="" hard="" at="" documentation.="" i'm="" sure="" they="" meant="" well.="" :)<="" td="">
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This tripod looks weird. It’s different from all of my other tripods. Once you read the directions you will love it. They redesigned the typical three leg big space ones. It’s great for a large slr to everything else. A must get.

The only thing I had to mark it lower for is light weight but it feels strong and sturdy. A happy trade off with a carbon fiber variety. The legs feel solid instead of thin.(though we know telescoping legs are hollow). I didn't look at the instructions so I was a bit confused them figured out the horizontal bar is an extension of the neck and packs away very easy inside. At it's highest height the mount is nearly 7ft tall and I have photographed just above the ground and just out of the water. Not only is this everything I've wanted from a tripod, it keeps surprising me by how much more it has to offer.

Great tripod. It does everything you need it to do. Light weight and very adaptable.

The arm should hold cannon cameras weight but it doesn't hold cellphone weight it keep moving dawn

my first thought was a little heavy for long trips But very strong. GREAT Stand

Only used this tripod a few times since I Bought It it’s an upgrade from my previous one impressed with it so far

Great tripod for those on a budget. OK, not the cheapest around but for what it does it's as good as a lot more expensive versions. Very versatile range of movement and very stable on the ground. Highly recommended.

Overall construction and appearance are professional grade. The horizontal bar and the flipper type locking mechanism are good features. The instructions are not well documented and the letters are small and drawings are not clear. Several key features of this tripod are not mentioned. The carrying bag is well made.

packs up compactly and easily