Impressive piece of hardware for a rather short stack of money. The fluid heads movement is so smooth and getting any position dialed in is a pleasurable part of the shoot preparation process. I do wish the leg locks were a bit easier to use but they’re the standard for this tripod type. The metal leg latches for angle adjustment are much nicer to use than the standard clips and are very secure. You have to have intent behind pulling on it. This thing can easily hold a $10,000 rig and I can just forget the rig for the night as it does a time lapse of the night sky. Astrophotographers will love this tripods massive size that folds down to near nothing. At just a little taller than a carry on with its own case most airlines will easily stow it in the closet for you if it won’t go overhead. Easy to set up. Has a hook for a sandbag or as I like to do, wedge a cheap battery cable and hang a small 20,000mH battery from there and give it guaranteed juice for three days of time lapse (don’t think even in the perfection of Nepals mountains I’d be willing to leave my Nikon alone that long!)

That said, the stability of my camera isn’t the worry. It’s more having a bear or someone walk off with the whole rig!

Pricy. Yes.

But if you’re replacing having a monopod only setup and you do anything with photography.

Just drop the Benjamin and deal with it because if you don’t you’ll regret it in low quality images and footage later on.

A lot of what a photographer does is not just in their lens and camerawork but is in the platform and workflow they build around them.

Use good equipment. Your camera your back and your customers will thank you for it.

That and your insurance company. Cheap tripods can break suddenly and if it takes your rig down with it you could be on the hook for a lot more than just a safe proper tripod.