Ravelli APLT4 61" Light Weight Aluminum Tripod with Bag Includes Universal Smartphone Mount

First off I bought this as a gift, but as a long time camera-person thing...whatever that's called - I can say that I went pretty nuts over this when it arrived in the mail. So much that I might buy one for myself, too.For the longest time i've had so many issues with tripods...most of which happen because the tripod is made of a material that is too light. Light tripods - at least in my experience - seem to break so easily...especially when they don't have the coverings like this one does around it (i.e. the plastic leg coverings seen on this tripod).Now mind you that makes the tripod weigh more - but not by much to make it unworthy and causing immense shoulder pains for the rest of your picture-adventure. To me that's what makes it worth it: because you can go out on a windy day and not worry as much about your precious and possibly expensive (or personally valuable) camera falling over and then breaking. Now that doesn't mean it will not fall ever, but you can breathe a little bit easier. For extra security its got this great hook on the bottom that you can use to attach it to things: its just a nice little security bonus, really.It has a level on it if you want to use it for nice, even and level photos. The top part has all the standard tripod features really, and you can take a photo in any which way you really want to...sideways, angled, whatever fancies your artisticness.It comes with a handy little transport bag and its really, really easy to change the height of the tripod...and it can get really REALLY tall. Which is great because its variable to people of various different heights and angles and what not. It works for anyone, basically.Now what I really, really love about this tripod above all else is the feet on this tripod. They're sturdier than any other tripod i've used as of yet (meaning other lightweight aluminum tripods that don't even have plastic, sturdy covers and do have little, delicate rubber feet). That's an added bonus in my boat because of the whole sturdy image that this tripod design has. Its literally meant for those people who might be roughing it a little bit in the great outdoors, but then you can take it inside just as easily and do your family photos. Anyone can use this product easily - its not like an annoying map to figure out how to use its features.Admittedly also - it said it came with a mini tripod on the box...but luckily I read the amazon description which specifies that it does not. Maybe they'll fix that label on the box - because it irks me a little bit.When all is said and done, I would say it surpasses other tripods for the price you're paying, especially if you're a hobby photo taker that doesn't earn money for this sort of thing. It can go anywhere - be used for pretty much anything...which is just great.Just remember - the tradeoff is a bit of extra weight for a lot of extra sturdiness that is essential in outdoorsy areas.Happy shopping!!!

I bought this to take pictures with my sony point and shoot. It is light weight, sturdy, and it comes with a case. The legs have the snap locks which are way better than the old screw type locks that the older generation tripods used to have. It also has the camera quick release to switch between mounting it on the tripod and actively taking pictures on the go. The construction is solid, yet lightweight. I believe it is mostly aluminum with a bit of plastic to join the pieces together. The main swivel is not a ball joint, so if you're looking to get some smooth horizontal pans, if you have a good feel, you may be able to pull it off, but doing those kinds of shots is not what this tripod is designed to do. This tripod is probably the BEST bang for buck. I spent 2-3 weeks researching tripods, because I'm the type of guy who likes to get the most out of their money. This one does not disappoint. I also used it to mount a Pico Projector for an impromptu movie night! It is very versatile and from what I read, a good number of professional photographers use this for their paying gigs.Complaint: It's not really a complaint, but more of an inconvenience. The bag fits the tripod EXACTLY and nothing else. If you wanted to store some extra stuff in the bag, you won't be able to. I managed to fit one of those octopus mini tripods in the bag so I can keep my tripods together, but besides that, the bag ONLY carries the tripod.Update: Ravelli really cares about their brand image. They go the extra mile to provide "Nordstrom-like" customer service. They noticed that I had a minor complaint about the tripod bag being too small, so they called me up and listened to my feedback. They also sent me a bigger back just for the inconvenience! +1 star to complete get the 5/5! I already told 4-5 of my friends about my user experience with this company. I definitely recommend getting products from this company. Even if you don't completely like the product, you know that you're definitely supporting a company that understands the meaning of quality customer service.

I received my Ravelli tripod quickly and in perfect condition.I have used the tripod many times, including in the middle of the night, in a foot of snow to take some long-exposure sky photos. It is very light, has metal legs with rubber feet and plastic components. It has so many different adjustment options that I'm able to set up the camera exactly how I want to.There is a crank lever to allow the threaded center bar to go higher, a large swivel handle that goes up and down and side to side, a hinge type plate to do vertical or angled photos, and of course two levels of leg adjustments. Since there are a lot of adjustment knobs and levers you really have to be aware of what each one does. That way you don't accidentally add too much pressure to an adjuster when it doesn't do what you want it to and breaks. The product is all plastic, so I can see if handled roughly where this could happen. I haven't had any problems though. There are also two bubble gauges to make sure everything is set level.The bag is handy and durable, but since it takes a bit of time to squeeze the tripod in and out of it, I usually do without it. The tripod has a handle on it which makes it easy to carry anyway.I also always just leave the quick release plate attached to my DSLR. It makes for a quicker set-up. If I forget to check if the knob on the bottom of the plate is tight, the camera plate does slowly move downwards if I'm taking vertical photos. I use a Nikon D5100 with an 18-55mm lens and the tripod doesn't have any problem holding it that way... if it's tight. There is also a hook in the center of the tripod which can be used to hold weight for added stability, which a lot of the previous reviewers didn't mention. I haven't needed to use it though.All in all I was happily surprised at the quality and design of the tripod for the price.