PRO 340 DX Travel Tripod with 3-Way Pan Head

If you're anything like me taking a picture without a tripod; that is, always looking for surfaces to put the camera on for long exposures, for group photos that include you, for macro shots under lighting conditions that are anything but enlightening, and folding camera shoulder straps to tilt the camera; then this tripod, or for that matter of fact, any tripod, is a godsend!Okay, so I have only ever owned those 6" mini-tripods before this, and have nothing to compare this tripod to, for a first full-length tripod this little thing satisfies my need for a tripod and my review will be about finding that satisfaction more than "buy this as opposed to whatever else is on the market".The requirements I had for a tripod were to have a short tripod when collapsed, with decent max height when extended, and for it to be lightweight but durable. If that is what you are looking for, this tripod is great! With my heaviest lens on my camera + camera hood (Rebel XTi + 17-55mm IS USM), fully extended, the tripod is plenty steady without any bending in the feet. This tripod stands just under 1.5m when fully extended and weighs just over 1.5 kg.Forget the instruction booklet. As soon as I got the toy I began to explore it on my own. The first thing I noticed is that just about every piece of this tripod is adjustable. You can extend the feet at three sections, the center column, you can rotate the pan 3-way pan head, or hold it steady and move the top along one direction (e.g. rotate along the horizontal without moving the pan-head), you can shorten the center column or completely remove it and reverse it (have the pan-head hanging up-side down.) The legs can be spread to three different stops, setting up the camera to different heights but also increasing stability as the center of weight gets lower.For the legs:Changing the leg heights is a snap. Literally. It's that easy. In fact, with the exception of the center column, every bit of this tripod is childishly easy to change.For the rest:The sponge covering on the tripod legs looks cool and makes carrying the tripod nice and comfortable. On the pan-head there are two bubble level columns built in. These are awesome, and were unexpected.I'm not sure I would change anything about this tripod. No, not that I don't know what to change, I could change a few things, like have the maximum height be higher and the weight lighter, I'd also have liked a light carrying case to come with it. What it is, is that knowing the specs in advance and having accepted them for the price range and overall weight, there is nothing I can think of to improve on this tripod. It is exactly what the specifications indicate, and it is also a pleasure to handle.If you want something with a higher maximum length, that tripod exists from Slik. But you will have to sacrifice weight and a longer collapsed height to the tripod -- an exchange I am not okay with, considering I travel and hike extensively.I would highly recommend any tripod for anyone who is into photography. While I don't have any reason to recommend this tripod versus any other one of similar specs (especially knowing this is my first), I would highly recommend it just for the fact I am far from disappointed with it; In fact I am very pleased. And it's not so much that I love the tripod, but that with the tripod, I love using my camera much more! The ease with which the tripod can be used just makes taking pictures that much more of a pleasure, it takes little time to setup and adjust everything to just how I want it.*Note: You can also begin to experiment with HDR, panoramas, and other cool camera techniques with a tripod among your camera equipment*If you don't have one, go get a tripod!If you want one that has the specs of a Slik 340 EZ and are not sure about how user friendly it is, rest assured, this thing extends to your will.

After looking at dozens of products all over Amazon and other photography supply websites, I decided to get the Slik Pro 340 EZ and am exceptionally happy with it. I've had it for over a year now and still love it. Each of the legs can extend out to varying degrees and heights for full customization when shooting in uneven flooring conditions. The head allows for both angled and complete 90-degree portrait shooting. It's not a smooth-pan head though, so if you're looking to shoot videos (which I don't), I'd think I'd look elsewhere. This tripod is exceptionally compact, sturdy, easy to use, and lightweight considering all of the options it comes with and I very much enjoy the padded legs. Living somewhere where it's cold five months out of the year, this is a big plus. Even the head handle unscrews if you needed to cram it into a large backpack. Attaching my Canon 60D with the kit lens (18-135mm) is a breeze and stability is superb. I'm not a nature/hiking photographer, so I can't say how it handles in windy/severe weather conditions. I typically do urban, portrait, event, and studio photography. This is my first tripod, however, so after comparing reviews across the web, this appeared to be competitively priced and for me, worth the $119 price tag after using it in varying situations over the past year. Here's a really helpful video that I came across on YouTube (great resource BTW) during my research for the ultimate first tripod (that I have no intention replacing any time soon): [...]

The 340DX is an excellent travel tripod. This is the AMT and not the Able - the only discernable difference is just the metallic rather than black finish. My purchase was through Adorama which meant it was enroute quickly and well-packed (as expected).Adorama has product ratings on their site with more detailed specs for this product - I'd suggest going over there to review any camera products if Amazon is lacking. I've included a stat readout at the end of this review for your information. NOTE: The manual included indicates it only bears approximately 6 pounds although specs list 8. I wouldn't put 8 pounds on the unit w/ the included panhead. The difference may be due to the included panhead's max load? I'm not sure.Legs[...]The legs have very simple outward locking mechanisms (no smashed fingers) and can extend close to horizontal. The legs lock in 3 outward angle positions but nothing in between. The center column can supposedly be altered so it is shorter to get very low to the ground. I haven't tried it and don't plan to - haven't had a reason to do this so I can't attest to its performance in this area.Foam-padded upper legs are nice. Rubberized leg tips are okay - not gimballed, no spikes or any other all-terrain features.HeightThe unit is a bit short (remember, portable) and probably inadequate for taller individuals: 4 feet, legs extended, column down, not including head/mount. The unit comes close to 5 feet tall with the included panhead and a viewvinder may be 61 to 64 inches with camera mounted. A very slight extension of the center column puts the unit at eye level for most people around 5'6 and is very steady/solid. I can state that if you are close to 6 feet in height *and* don't like to hunch that this is a poor choice for you.WeightI wouldn't call it heavy but I won't call it light: 4.5 pounds or so w/ the panhead. I'd classify it as a solid travel tripod. I have a much lighter tripod but I'd call it crap - unstable, cheap plastic, P&S use only. Carbonfiber is slick (no pun intended) but manufacturers often design them heavier than the alloy tripods - defeats one of the major purposes of carbon fiber and it doesn't help they're insanely expensive. I'd tote this Slik on a trail with my other 15 pounds of camera equipment but everyone's opinion on "light" is relative.Mount/PanheadThe included panhead is "average" and buying the unit w/o the legs doesn't fetch much of a price difference so I'll take it. The panhead does well to get anyone started as it is all metal except the handle grips (uses a high-quality plastic like on screwdrivers). A pro would go ape#### but they shouldn't be considering this w/o already owning several respectable ballheads. The unit bears my 5 pounds of equipment (XSi/450D, battery grip, 150-500 Sigma) without issue - impressive for the price. A bit of drift on tightening but forgivable. Panhead movement isn't the smoothest but once again, adequate. The quick release lever isn't the greatest either as it requires a small push into the plate when attaching (for me to be confident my camera is locked). Higher quality quick-releases make a "snicket" sound with no follow-up on attachment.The horizontal panning lever needs to be unscrewed for proper storage in a bag and can be screwed into the back of the vertical adjustment lever so you don't lose it. Thoughtful.I'll ditch the panhead later when I set aside $[...] for a good ballhead pistol-type grip but this serves well enough for now.Other Notable ItemsNo carry bag. I have one already so not a loss to me. I wouldn't considering buying a bag unless you have a specific reason for wanting one.This unit easily attaches to the back of my Lowepro Flipside 300 - almost as if it was made to be carried on that pack.No bubble levels.340DX SpecsHead Type 3-Way Pan HeadTripod Head Mount Thread Size: 3/8 & 1/4"Quick Release YesTripod Material A.M.T Super titanium alloy legsMax Height with extended column 57.9" / 147 cmMax Height with closed column 45.7" / 116 cmCenter Column Type SlidingColumn Sections OneCenter Brace NoMinimum Height 18.1" / 46 cmFolded Length 19.3" / 49 cmLeg Sections FourLeg Lock Type Flip leverMax Load Capacity 8.8 lbs.Weight 3.5 lb / 1.58 kgWarranty Slik 3 Year