PROLINE GX600B200 Floor Standing Tripod

The Dolica Proline Heavy Duty Professional Aluminum GX650B204 tripod is a winner. I like that it reaches up to 65" high to provide comfortable viewing for a person standing around 6' tall. It can be used with pro-grade cameras and their oftentimes hefty lenses, helped by the secure footing (rubber legs, or twist them back to reveal metal points), secure leg locks, and ample tensioners in the ball head. The counter-weight hook is a real plus for windy conditions or heavier cameras. It has some nice features (bubble level, quick release plate for camera screw-down), though it all comes at some cost: height and weight. It's a trade-off, of course. The tripod is larger than can be comfortably tied down to a smaller slingshot bag (I use Lowepro Slingshot 150) and it weighs 3.5 lbs. Closed, it is 24" long. For more casual toting around, I'm going to look for one that is 15" or so and lighter, though that will impose some limitations on height, what gear I use, and on weather conditions. Still, happy to have this tripod for serious use, including with suitably-equipped binoculars.

Very sturdy. Love the ball head. Haven't used it enough to get a feel for its longevity and such but it seems tough. Much better than the others I've used. Very smooth when adjusting everything. Great so far.