quick-release systems

Overall, this is a decent bargain tripod. The legs appear to be aluminum, and most of the rest of the unit is plastic or PVC. It has a quick-release head for attaching your camera but it only comes with one quick-release attachment, which sort of reduces the utility of it, although I'm sure you can buy more somewhere.

The BAD news is that this unit is cheap, light and flimsy. The GOOD news is that it is that it is cheap and light! For the price, I would call it an excellent value, especially for someone who needs to carry it around with them since it is so light weight.

Many ultra-light tripods feature a hook on the bottom of the centerpost that allows you to tie a bag of rocks or dirt or whatever to weigh down the tripod for steadier shooting. Although the picture of this item shows such a hook, my unit did not come with one. Fortunately you can always tie a weight on with string if you need to.

If you have a slightly higher budget I would recommend looking at the various tripods by Sunpak first. And if you can afford them I would also look at Slik brand tripods as well.

For [$$], you can't go wrong with this tripod. For the casual photographer, this will do the job. It's a solid design--using strong, thick plastic parts and a light weight frame--that is easy to use. Functions exactly as advertised. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a firm foundation for their low to mid-end camera.