Pros: Ball head, metal construction, weight, stability, price.

Cons: Plastic leg adjusters, slightly cheaper lowest leg sections

Overall Review: This tripod is unreal for the price. If you don't have $150+ to spend, this is the next best tripod. Compared to what $40 buys you at best buy or walmart, this is an absolute steal. It has a full metal ball head and mounting plate. Legs are very adjustable. This thing is very stable and is rated for up to 13 lbs!! at least 10x more stable than any other >$50 tripod I have ever seen. If you put a manfrotto decal on the side you would probably fool 9/10 people. The only slight letdowns are that the leg clamps are plastic and the lowest leg sections are not as stable as the rest of the tripod. Not unstable, just a bit less stable if that makes sense. Honestly, you'd have to spend 4x as much to do any better, though. If you have a big lens on it, you can hang your bag from the hook to make it even more stable. Again, an incredible buy and should cost at least $100.

Pros: Very stable head, cheap!

Cons: none so far

Overall Review: I received item with a cracked rubber foot. Newegg wanted me to pay shipping fee to send it back for replacement so I contacted Dolica for a warranty support. Not only they sent me a new rubber foot right away, but also the customer service representative (His name was Brian) actually called my phone to walk through the repair process! Wow! that was an amazing experience! I would not second guess on purchasing Dolica product anymore. I'll buy their product knowing that they will stand by their product! Kudos to Brian at Dolica but Newegg, you should follow A m a z o n to pay for the defective item's shipping fee.

Pros: Its cheap and gets the job done so that isn't to say there aren't improvements(read below). I have used this for about 5 months now and it has been able to handle my camera just fine with some heavier glass. The previous commentor mentioned that it can't handle a 4lb camera. I have not found this to be true. The ballhead is in my cons list but the tripod seems to be able to handle quite a bit of weight.

Cons: The ball head on this tripod is not designed very well. It gets sticky when moving it unlike the more expensive ball heads out there but for the price this setup is hard to argue with. Also it is very easy to over tighten the ball head nob which makes it very hard to undo in the field. But that is great if you are doing landscape or portriat when you don't want it to move. The tripod rubber feet which conceal the metal spikes don't stay up all the time. When out on a hike they seem to release themselves. The center shaft doesn't allow this tripod to get very close to the groud which I had to remove the hook at the bottom to get a little closer to the ground.

Overall Review: If you are looking for a "cheap" tripod without spending over $150 this is it. Fairly light weight and definetely sturdy. This is a great addition to a budding photographers quiver or for someone that just likes to get by with the basics. The legs of the tripod I recieved didn't pull out very easy this was solved with an allen wrench at the pivot point, a 2 minute fix. I will probably add some grease or oil to the ball head to see if I can get it a little smoother. Carrying case is nice but haven't used it.

Pros: The tripod is solid enough for an SLR with a medium-sized lens. The scalability of the tripod makes it useful on any terrain. The ball head can adjust to the minutest measurement.

Cons: The ball head makes it impossible to pan with a video camera or for a good action shot; it's only good for stills. Also, the level is not the most accurate. Either bring your own or rely on your eyes.

Overall Review: I bought this tripod for use in a photography class. It was exactly what I needed! While this is a fantastic choice for a still photographer, those with video needs should look elsewhere.

Pros: -Inexpensive: best new tripod you'll find for under $100. -Lightweight: fantastic for long hikes. -Sturdy enough: easily holds my D80 with fully extended 18-200mm f3.5 lens and I'd feel comfortable mounting something the size of a 70-200mm f2.8. -Highly versatile: lots of leg configurations. Center column reverses to get camera inches from the ground. -Foam grips on the legs: if you've ever shot in cold weather without gloves you know how nice this feature is. -Best value you'll find anywhere for a ball head photo tripod.

Cons: Let's be honest, the build quality isn't the best...but only if you are comparing it to something that costs over 5 times as much; Bogen/Manfrotto, Gitzo, Really Right Stuff, etc. From reading other reviews here and elsewhere, it's clear that there are some duds. Still well worth the hassle of getting a replacement. Lightweight: while great for long hikes it's not great for professional studio or sports photography where you use a pro DSLR like a 3DS paired with long fast glass. Legs do sometimes mildly resist full extension. Easily remedied with a little spray lubricant. Ball head on mine has a minuscule amount of vertical play after it's locked down. It's rarely a problem and only when using a long lens. Not enough to be a nuisance. Spirit level on my ball head arrived glued in at an angle, aka, not even close to level. The quick application of a pliers corrected that....they shouldn't be used for anything more than a rough guide anyway. Built in compass is worth

Overall Review: I bought this tripod from another online retailer over a year ago after lots of cost:quality research. I wanted something sturdy enough for a mid grade DSLR and long glass but lightweight enough for hiking. For the price it was well worth the risk and I'll never look back. There are a few haters here and on the other retail site who have written unfair reviews and I'd wager they are the sort who would whine about getting a free ice cream because it wasn't their favorite flavor. For $25 you're just not going to get the quality of something that costs $400. Others, it seems, don't know the difference between a ball head and a pan/tilt head or complain of shakes and vibrations (try using the timer or a cable release or a faster shutter speed).

Pros: Handles my heavy 7D with 70-200 lens without trouble. Has lasted me about 3 years now. Good adjustments, easy to extend legs. Light. Easy to take with me when hiking to waterfalls.

Cons: Used it once at the beach and now I have to throw it away. There's so much sand in the legs and head it's unbelievable. Extending a leg is like grinding rocks together. So, it's not very sealed against dust like they claim.

Overall Review: I've been shopping around for a new one since destroying my last one and I just can't find anything better for even double the price! I'm going to buy another one.

Pros: Inexpensive for the quality. Easy to adjust. Nice Carrying Bag. More stable than other inexpensive tripods Great customer service

Cons: Plastic locking tabs - can break easily

Overall Review: One of the plastic locking tabs finally broke within a year and I wrote to customer service. They were quick to respond and filing an RMA was very easy.

Pros: Holds Canon 5d Mark II with 17-40mm lens or 24-105mm and lens. Has held up for over a year of very frequent use. Lightweight. Convenient carrying bag. Legs spread wide for low shots. Hook at bottom is great for holding camera backpack and anchoring the tripod in high winds. Spikes in feet allow more stability, but can be twisted in for transport and for inside use.

Cons: The carrying case recently got a rip in the seam - but this is after approximately 150 trips with the tripod. I am pretty hard on equipment since I am generally shooting in mountain terrain and constantly taking tripod in and out of the carrying case on each hike.

Overall Review: I have used the tripod fully extended to its full height, and I have used the tripod spread out where the camera is just inches off the ground. I have also used the tripod in tidepools, on rocky ledges, and sandy beaches, and felt my camera (5d Mark II) was safe. I am 6 feet tall, and when the tripod is extended it is the perfect height for me. I liked the tripod so much (after about 6 months of use) that I bought another one as a backup when i saw it on sale (just in case).