I figured I was taking a chance with the K&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.)>> 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).>> 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.>> 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.>> 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.>> "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.>> 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.>> 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.)>> DocumentationCompletely awful and unintentionally amusing. But you won't likely need it. Leave it in the bag and forget about it.>> Not crazy about <<The inner center column does not have a spring-loaded weight hook at the end. The whole arrangement could go off-balance and fall over if the arm is extended too far horizontally and there isn't a tripod leg directly under it. I'll have to think up some workaround. At some point I'll need a counter-weight at the back of that arm. Not a deal-breaker.>> REALLY not crazy about <<The larger, outer section of the center column does have a weight hook. To move the entire center column into the upside-down position as shown in one of the product illustrations on this page, you need to remove the weight hook. This is not as easy as it should be. The part you unscrew is a thin plastic disk—hard to grab onto. It should be wider. Maybe it'd be a good idea to keep a short strip of Dycem in the carrying bag to help turn that thing. Annoying, but still not a deal-breaker.>> Overall impression <<It's a well made tripod and good for the price. Be gentle with those leg extension clamps. And try not to laugh too hard at the documentation. I'm sure they meant well. :)

I love this tripod it’s everything you’ll need in a tripod built into one! But please read the manual before using it because I made a mistake while opening the legs of the tripod that sort of damaged part of it. Still works amazing and I’ll buy another one if I need to!

I was recommended this tripod by a friend and I was really excited to use it, but it came without a tripod head included, so I had no way to attach it to my camera. I reached out to the seller with no response. Now I am returning it because I literally can't use it.

Simple and inexpensive

Pros: pretty and has smooth panning.Cons: Not sturdy, terrible quick release plate that doesn’t hold the camera in place, non existent customer service, the locking knob comes out easily but won’t go back in.

Honestly wished i had used this more when I first got it, and now missed the return window. It’s not sturdy enough if you have to keep moving the tripod and adjust quickly. Unfortunately the mount head is already loose and beginning to come off, so it doesn’t have much more life to it for me. It’s lightweight which is nice but i don’t think I’ll take that over sturdiness anymore.

Good, stable tripod.Not that light.Can be monopod as well.

Bad quality. Wobbles like a boat in the ocean

I love it. Super affordable at adorama for half the price or shop around. If you want those over head shots for food phetography this is for you. It's strong and awesome. Definitely worth it.