Vista Explorer 60" Lightweight Tripod with Tripod Bag

Thought the handle on the side was a elevation crank handle. It's just a handle. Without head elevation you have to adjust the height using the 3 legs which is very cumbersome. At this price it should have had one.

Am a novice photographer and didn't want to invest much into the tripods. This I found after lot of research and reading user reviews and ended being a happy shopper and user. Great Product for awesome Price!!

This is an excellent tripod for my use. It seems to be sturdy and versatile enough to serve quite a few situations beyond mine as well. It is well-balanced, has all of the features I can imagine for my needs, and every adjustment for rotation and connection is quite secure without the wobbly feel that some exhibit. One principle reason I purchased this tripod was the fact that it extends to a good height to facilitate viewing through the finder. It also collapses into a nice size and fits well into the supplied carrying bag. All in all, the quality of the unit for the fair price make it a very good value.

We bought this to do some family pictures and it worked great! We did a bunch of pictures on the sand dunes at the beach as well as by the water and the adjustable legs were really helpful in keeping the camera level and stable. I was using a Canon Powershot SX110 IS so it wasn't too heavy. For the price, I was extremely pleased. It was very easy to setup, tear down and the free carrying case was a nice bonus and handy to have on the way to the beach.

I wasn't expecting too much from a tripod at this price point, but I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. The build quality is decent, and it easily holds my Canon Digital Rebel XTi and moderate sized lens. Generally speaking, my thoughts are:

Pros:
+ Value
+ Quick release mount works great
+ Nicely adjustable legs

Cons:
- Doesn't collapse quite as small as I'd like to make it really portable
- Legs can be a little sticky
- Leveling bubbles are next to useless

All in all I wouldn't have any problem recommending this tripod. If you're a pro photographer getting paid for your work, maybe upgrade a bit (or use this as a throwaway). If you're a prosumer like me, then I'd seriously consider this model.