ZOMEI M5 Camera Tripod Lightweight Travel Aluminum Tripod Monopod Compact Portable Photography Tripod Stand with 360 Degree Ball

I was looking for a small, lightweight tripod to carry in a backpack while hiking. It will be used to support a two pound 10x42 pair of binoculars that I use for birding and wildlife viewing in general. 10X magnification can be used by hand but is so much better if supported to prevent shaking. I wanted a ball style head for fast movements and so that I can hold and move the binoculars by hand. A video style head is just too awkward for me. Also, I was looking for a mono-pod. I have a parade style flag belt holster to support a mono-pod that allows added stability for using binoculars while on the move where lugging a tripod around is not practical. This Zomie M5 is perfect for my requirements as it converts from tripod to a mono-pod! The box contained a zippered case containing the tripod, a product catalog, user manual, wrench, an additional bolt, felt bag to protect the head and cell phone adapter. I think the additional bolt is for if you want to use a different head. The branded felt bag to protect the ball head was a nice touch! I was initially impressed with the overall quality of this tripod. Solid, sturdy, hefty, but still compact and lightweight. I prefer the clip style leg locks over the twist style. The clips are plastic but seem robust provided you don’t force them. The legs don’t move even with excessive downward force applied. There are three locking positions for the legs. The possible setup options are endless! This is perfect for uneven terrain. Even with the legs fully extended I was surprised at how sturdy it is. It might not be professional level sturdy, but for me it is plenty good enough, especially considering the price. There is some movement when the main center post is fully extended but this is true for all tripods I have used. I usually sit when viewing so this is not a problem for me as I just keep it in its lowest position. Converting to a mono-pod is very quick and easy. One of the legs (it is marked) unscrews. The weight hook on the bottom of the center post unscrews. Remove the center post and screw the leg into the center post. That’s it! The ball head was a little tricky to figure out. There are three knobs. One is for panning separate of the ball. One is for tension on the ball. The other locks the ball completely. The locking knob only needs about a half of a turn to work. The panning feature is stiff at first. Make sure the head is attached securely or it will unscrew from the base. For me, to use with binoculars, I found keeping the tensioner knob loose for scanning and only using the lock when I wanted to focus on an item hands free worked best. This will vary depending on your particular use. The controls will become intuitive with use. The ball locks securely and will support quite a bit of weight. The locking plate is very solid and secure the way it attaches. It uses a screw in style lock instead of a spring loaded clip. There is no way to accidentally unlock the plate. I recommend this tripod. Overall I was impressed with the quality for the price. I think this will last for many years. Read more

The media could not be loaded. I had two tripods, one low priced tripod, Quantaray QT II-550, and a Fancier FT-717b video tripod. Both tripods do serve me well in certain occasions, but I also found their limitations. Therefore, I started looking for a new tripod, and here are the reasons I choose ZOMI M5 as my new tripod. 1. Functionality: a.Ball head tripod. b.Legs can be widely separated. c.The centerpost can be placed upside down. d.It can be transferred to monopod. Compared to my old tripods, ZOMI M5 is much more flexible. 2. Size: The size of Zomi M5 is good for normal use and also small enough to be carried with my lowepro slingshot camera bag after picked (shown in photo) 3. Price: At lower $60 (after discount applied), this is one of the best prices I can find for the tripod I was looking for. After weeks of use, I'm really happy with the quality of ZOME M5. It is strong and sturdy, and I'm impressed with the smoothness of the penning it gets. Actually, the penning is better than my video tripod. I am satisfied with the quality of ZOMI M5. It is a strong and sturdy. I'm also impressed with the smoothness of the penning it gets, it's better than my old video tripod. Overall, I think this is a very nice and well built tripod. Read more

This M5 tripod arrived quickly. Package was simple not as overly excessive as a lot of other deliveries from other sellers. I however don't like the idea of being in Original box only for everyone to see what I ordered. Tripod arrived undamaged. The feel of the tripod was that it was well made but light and quality materials. Yet to be seen how it holds up after long term usage but as of now it seems a quality product for the price. I did not care too much for the phone holder as I had to struggle a bit to get phone to stay intact but eventually got it to work. God Almighty is awesome. All in all seems to be a reasonable economical tripod. Read more

Great!Really great !!Really impressed !!!with this tripod! Great value for the price range and certainly here to compete in the market! Have put it through its paces a few times now and results are brilliant! Happily holds the Canon 5D and everything is very smooth on it, especially the clips, I love the clips! When you are out in the cold and dark this suddenly becomes very important to you! Really good height, something my previous one lacked and traditionally tends to bump the price. Overall hard to fault this tripod, it’s sturdy, really good quality, great height, great clips, great colour, great customer service! GREAT! Read more

Solid tripod. A bit short for the monopod feature, or maybe i'm just tall for it, but the tripod is amazingly well crafted. Strong, and has lots of features. It has helped a lot with my nature and low light photography. Read more

I bought this tripod because I needed a second one to keep in the car for when I go on trips and for that purpose this one is perfect. It folds up very compact, comes with a carry bag, and is quick to adjust. I prefer having the snap locks on the legs instead of the twist locks because it is much easier to set up. The ball head is much nicer than I expected and holds the camera perfectly still when I take long exposures, even with my T5 and 55-250mm lens. The tripod also has a detachable leg that becomes a monopod and although I don't see myself using it it's nice to know that it has that feature. The tripod also comes with a snap on holder for the allen key which can be used to tighten the joints so you will always have it on hand. Overall it is a very well built and versatile tripod for the money and I can see myself using it for many years to come! Would recommend it over any of the cheaper Manfrottos or other overpriced brands. Read more

Came with some extra parts that I'm not sure what they do, but the tripod is sturdy and sound. Read more