Easy to set up and easy to take down, stable
I use the tripod to take sports videos. The height that this tripod can reach is excellent, which results in nice aerial view videos if there are no high stadium stands at the field. Typically, I don't use the maximum reach of the tripod because I keep the clamping knob for the bottom 5' section unscrewed. That lets me rotate the tripod tower freely to track the game action. I still get probably up to about 17'-18' feet (5' per section x 3 sections, plus the height from the unfolded tripod legs). The tripod is easy to set up and easy to take down. The sections are air cushioned when the clamps are unscrewed to collapse the tower. That way, the sections collapse slowly, rather than telescope back down full force. I've used the tripod in winds up to about 30 mph. There was some sway of the vertical tower from the wind. I opened up the tripod legs to make a very wide base and the unit seemed steady (I weighed it down with about 10 lbs at the base and kept my hand on the tower just in case). Technically, I think that this tripod can reach up to around 24 feet, not the 20 feet advertised. There are four 5' sections, giving a 20' tall tower. The tripod legs when deployed add more height, varying maybe from about 2'-3' high (if you have the legs spread wide) to maybe 4' if the legs have a narrow stance. I use an old ski bag to carry the tripod. Update: I recently used the tower during a very rainy game. The telescoping sections retained a fair amount of moisture when collapsed. I saw noticeable water on the tubes the next weekend when I used the tower again. I also saw that the screw threads for the clamps were a bit rusted. So, it's probably a good idea to wipe down/dry the tower after using it in the rain. I also noted that one of the Allen head set screws that holds the very top section to the tower had loosened and when I pulled that section upward to extend it, the entire tube separated. I didn't have an Allen wrench with me to tighten the set screw, so I depended on gravity and friction to keep that top section in place while videoing the game. The set screw is re-tightened now and everything seems good to go. Read more
























