This is a great tripod, whether you're a seasoned professional or some one like myself, who is still learning the ropes of photography. I was using a cheap tripod I had bought for a few bucks at a yard sale but it was wobbly, had zero features and broke on me one day under light use. After doing a little research, and from a few recommendations I decided to go with this one and couldn't be happier.First off it come with a nice carrying case, which includes a shoulder strap so that alone was a plus to me as I often hike with my camera setup. It's fairly compact once folded up so it doesn't take as much room as most. It's super sturdy not only at its shortest height, but also fully extended. The legs feature a quick lock mechanism to ensure no slipping of adjustment once you've got it in place. The head has a quick release, built in level and is set upon a ball type swivel mount. If you need more stability in high winds or what have you, the center column has a hook assemble allowing you to hang a weight of sorts to keep the tripod planted to the ground. It's constructed of aluminum alloy, so it's lightweight and not going to strain your back after lugging it around for hours.