Sunpak - Platinum Plus 59" Tripod

I bought this on sale and it works great so far! The only thing negative is the geared center column. The handle is slightly ackward and requires you to hold the tripod with one hand while cranking with the other. Then, once it's fully elevated, there is a slight catch in the gears when trying to crank it back down to the bottom. Not a big deal... you just have to get used to the way it handles. I would probably not buy this at the full price, so if you are interested in this tripod, you should wait for a sale.

I received this tripod for Christmas. I am impressed with the quality of the tripod and how lightweight it is. I anticipate getting years of use out of this item. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a quality, lightweight yet sturdy tripod for both still and video cameras.

Use this for my sony H5 during macro and or night shots. Very Sturdy and very easy to use. I like how light it is easy to cary around. Very Dependable! Would recamend for any family.

I really like this tripod. I bought a JVC Everio and wanted a tripod that I could use to mount this camera for interview shots. It has two release plates so that you can quickly switch one camera out for another. The pan action was a little jerky until you loosened up the release knobs a bit and got used to the feel of how it handles. It came with a carrying case, and weighs about 3 pounds. The case has a shoulder strap as well. There are levels on the camera plate as well as a tiny bubble level near the legs. For someone who is a true professional, I'd spend more money, but if you're an amature Cecil B. DeMille and want something that will give you close to professional look without big bucks, I'd reccomend this tripod. You just have to be patient with it and work with it, and you should be fine.

The swivel motion isn't very good for video-taking, but this tripod makes the perfect photo-shoot angles. It can take extreme highs and lows without much hassle, and the two adjustable levels are perfect for all kinds of terrain.

The unit is a great little tripod. It is lite enough to carry, and quick to setup. I bought this unit to replace a tripod that was shaky at best. This unit seems to be solid enough to hold my Nikon, with 70-300 mm lens. I thought the pan head was solid in the store, so buying this unit and getting it home did not give me any surprises, the head is smooth. My only con is the fact that the bubble level is not accurate, so setting it up for panoramic is a bit time consuming getting it right. I think knowing that I would still buy this one again.......

Excellent product. This was originally bought just so I had a platform when recording plays, school games, Christmas, etc. I was amazed at how easy it was to use and how durable and dependable it is for the money. I was hesitatant at first considering the price of this one and the prices of the more expensive ones. Trust me, if you are doing amature stuff with it you definitely want this. Probably useable by pros too!

I am very please with this tripod. It telescopes high enough that at the top of the school football field, I can be over even the heads of jumpers, is sturdy enough to stand up to people jumping up and down next to me, and very durable (I have been abusive). Of course, I have lost the instructions, but this is very easy to use and intuitive.