Tripod Reviews

Don't expect a nice product for $25, the tripod does not look very solid (made in China). The bubble is pretty useless because it is not very precise (up to 5 degrees of angle it won't detect it). The head is very inaccurate, when on the horizontal rest position, it has a 3 degrees error (which means you have to correct it by slightly raising one side). I would have expected a level position when on the rest.
I sent back my tripod presto and I will save a little bit more to buy a used Bogen/Manfrotto tripod on eBay (they can be found at ~$80 with head).
Don't waste your money on these cheapo tripods.

I bought this MK-4 tripod when it's about 60% off. I throw away my old tripod I bought 5 years ago right after this one came out of the box. It's very well made. It has all the position I need for the studio. The quick release shoe is well designed too.

I decided to buy this MK-4 instead of VANGUARD's another nice product MK-3 because this one is several inches higher. I really need something higher.

I was looking for a tripod that I can take with me anywhere. But I was wary of flimsy construction of the most compact tripods. The sturdier tripods, even the ones that claim to be COMPACT, fold down to the vicinity of 13 to 14 inches. The Vanguard Tourist-2 folds down to 10.5 inches. I decided to go for the Tourist-2, not really knowing what to expect since I bought it online, sight unseen except for the pic. Here is my assessment:

My first impression is that the tripod felt much heavier than I expected, even though the box states that it is only 1.1 pound. This may be a bit too heavy to loop around your belt, but it would work fine in a back-pack. The legs are on the flimsy side, as I expected. They are pretty much like large extendable antennas on cars. Construction is fairly nice, but I'd have to doubt that the longevity of this tripod is very long when it is used extensively. This tripod would work well for occasional use out on the road, as intended. However, I would NOT pay it's list price; it is not worth it! Fortunately, I got it for a lot less. Since it is still too heavy to loop around the belt and has to be toted in a back-pack anyway, I think I would prefer now a 13" tripod that extends a bit higher with much sturdier legs. Oh well...next time.

I am an intermediate digital photographer, and this is my third tripod. I travel frequently, and wanted something that could come anywhere. My first tripod, inherited from my father is exceptionally sturdy, but heavy and immense. My second is smaller, folding up to about 15 inches in length and nearly 3 in diameter. It's light enough to be portable, but large enough to be combersome. The Vanguard Tourist 2 is not designed to be a primary tripod. It's small and lightweight (it actually does weigh about a pound). It isn't very tall at full height, but it will due for those moments when you need to have either A: a steady camera in a low light or night shot (a tripod is a definite must here) or B: to use the self timer and hold above a crowd. It comes with a small travel case, so if you already carry a camera around with you, throwing this into a bag or hooking it to your belt (although a little weighty and sure to raise eyebrows at security checkpoints), it's an excellent choice to have. It's not plastic or flimsy, it feels surprisingly sterdy considering the size and weight, but don't expect it to take too much abuse. If you need something better, get a real tripod.

This is a very inexpensive combination, but you get what you pay for.

I really bought it for the tripod, so I can't complain too much, and the tripod itself is moderate... Could be sturdier.

The bag, however, is WAY too small, and only has two pockets to place things.

I got this combo when I got my videocamera, and although glad to have them, I find them less than perfect. The tripod uses screws to tighten the several axes you can rotate your mounted item (whether still or videocamera), but it is way too stiff, even with the screws loosened, to pan very effectively. It may be a function of its being new, but I have had it for two months without a lot of improvement.

The bag itself can hold your camera and gear, but not everything you normally would need- remote, TV cables, charging unit, and extra tapes/batteries.

This would be hard to accept on its own, but as a free gift it is apparent why.

Like the previous reviewer, I also got this package as a free bonus for purchasing a camcorder. The product met my needs exactly. My tripod was easy to work with and functioned smoothly. Since my camcorder is a Mini DV camera, it fits into the bag very well and I still had plenty of room for cables, remote, charger and extra tapes. Getting this for free was great but if I had to pay the [low]price it would still be worth it, considering many other tripod/bag purchases can add up to over $100.

it's fit for travel, but i don't need film.

I just bought this case for my canon powershot s45 digital camera. it fits great and has an extra front pocket for accessories. comes with a tripod 35mm film and a battery. the tripod is good for nightshots or when you need the camera to be still the film im using in my 35mm camera and the battery I threw away. for the price you cant go wrong 35mm or not.

Bought this at walmart, OMG, this pos sucks nuts. Its too flimsy. Everytime I press the shutter button the camera wobbles, so its useless.

I bought this tripod elsewhere for $8, and I still consider it the best eight dollars I've ever spent. I can tuck this tripod into my digital camera case and take it with me everywhere. No more propping my camera on top of my car or a rock, and living with the picture being at a slight angle. I've used it for two years, and some of the paint has scraped off but it still works as well as the day I bought it.

While this tripod seems to be of reasonable quality, it is so unstable in the field as to be virtually useless unless a counterweight is hung from its bottom. What's even worse is Sunpak's customer service. After multiple phone calls and an email I have received absolutely no response from Sunpak. My advice: stay away from this company - I intend to.

After purchasing my first digital camera (Olympus C-770) I starting looking for a tripod to steady the zoom lens. I saw the Sunpak Fieldmaster at a local camera store listed at $79.95 plus 8 1/4% sales tax. This store where I frequently purchase camera accessories carries quality products and offers excellent advice. They highly recommended this tripod for normal use conditions.

I was impressed with its stability, compactness and light weight. I immediately began searching for this product on the web and couldn't believe the price from Amazon. After ordering it, I received it within a few days with no expedited shipping.

I have used the tripod several times and even took it to Maui while on a family vacation. I experienced great results using both the manual shutter release and the remote controlled shutter. It can be easily packed in my 24" luggage or in my golf travel bag. Only weighs approx. 2# and compresses to about 12". It is easy to set up and take down. It can be adjusted to stand on its own, collapses so it will stand on a table and further collapses to facilitate maco photography.

This is a great product and great buy. As an advanced amature photographer, I highly recommend this tripod.

I ordered one of these tripods and it did not have a leveling bubble as described. I was disappointed.

I got this particular tripod for one of my zoon cameras and it is a good sturdy tripod that does not have the "loosening effect" of the swivel head like most tripods.

Get It!!!

Quick release is a poor design. The plate is difficult to tighten, and even at that, slight camera movement loosens it off. The interface between plate and tripod is poor too, made of plastic, the tolerances to fit are sloppy and there is a little snap mechanism to hold the securing latch that loses tension over time, rendering it useless. As a tripod, it is very unsteady with center mast extended and lowest legs extended. If used with just the legs splayed and the camera bag looped over the legs for weight/ballast, it does a fine job, and in that respect, better than nothing. All locks work well with the exception of the plate latch/lock which is the most important one. This tripod is relegated to holding a flash for me.

Save your money and buy something more substantial.

Tripod serves it's purpose. For those of you who are just playing around with photography like I am, this tripod does the job. Built decently for what you pay for. The movement seems pretty smooth to me. The only thing I did not like were the legs. They're quite troublesome to extend and they sometimes got a little stuck. Other than that a great buy for the price.

This is a very lightweight, standard still camera tripod. The carrying case isn't big enough for much else then a still camera. Take it for a back up if someone gives it to you for free.

Bag: Best deal of the bunch. Reasonable quality. Not too big, but (just) big enough to hold the Sharp digital camcorder, battery, charger, cables, 2 tapes, and a smartmedia case.

Tripod: [Not very good]. Thin aluminum. Somewhat wobbly. Definitely not on par with even a low-end SLIK or other quality tripod.

Cleaning kit: Nice to have some cleaning solution, wipes, and a lens brush. Probably would cost a couple bucks at Wal-Mart, and this was free, but nothing to write home about.

Overall, no complaints because it was free with my camcorder. If the free deal runs out, here's what I'd recommend: Go to your local discount department store. Buy a bag (similar bags go for $10-15). Buy the lens stuff for a couple bucks. With your remaining cash (or for $5-10 more), buy a quality tripod. [Amazon.com] has an Ambico V-0566 57" for $29.99

I wouldn't buy the tripod for any amount of money (it will probably end up in a garage sale - maybe somebody else will pay a couple bucks). I was hoping that the quick release shoe would fit in my SLIK, but it doesn't.

But hey, it was free.

You can't go wrong buying this camera kit. The camera bag is the perfect size for a small camcorder or a SLR camera and all the accoutrements. It is easy to carry- shoulder strap and handle included. It is very well padded to protect your equipment. And it looks good, too! The tripod has three telescoping legs that are sturdy and easy to extend and retract. It does not wobble or tilt and holds the camera or camcorder well. The middle bar is plastic but that piece bears no weight so I doubt it will be a problem. The tripod is light weight and easy to carry. This can be invaluable as camcorders are difficult to steady by hand for any length of time. The cleaning kit (tissue paper, fluid, and air brush) is fine for quickly clearing lenses, eye pieces and screens of dust or light smudges. At the current price this is a steal.

I received this tripod as a birthday present. I set it up and used it to take one family photo. My daughter then walked by, slightly bumping one leg of the tripod. I was quite surprised to look at the tripod and find the leg badly bent. Tried to straighten the leg and it snapped right off. "Sturdy steel leg construction" the package says. HA! Straight into the garbage it went after being out of it's package less than 10 minutes. I'll get a different brand next time.

Just a bit confuse by this company product's description. Does NEW mean the package opened and have scratch on it? Although it is works, I totally lost my joy. Anyway, it maybe an "exceptional" case, but I won't buy from this company again.

I love this tripod. I own 2 other much larger tripods but this is the one I take everywhere. Setting up this tripod is very quick - just pull each leg and twist to lock. Taking it down is even faster - twist each leg to unlock and then pound the tripod against the ground to collapse all 3 legs at the same time.

However, make sure you can live with the following limitations before getting this tripod:
1. The extended height is either 10.5" or 40". Any other height in between is very difficult to setup and not as secure.
2. The maximum height of 40" is quite low. There will be times that you wished you brought along a regular tripod.
3. It has only a 2-way head. It can only pan and tilt forward/backward. It cannot rotate clockwise/counterclockwise.
4. The build quality and tolerance are not top notch. When you pan, the head rotates slightly clockwise then counterclockwise. Camcorder and digital photographer using panning or stitch panoramic mode will find this objectionable. For my particular tripod, I have to remember to setup the tripod leg with the Ambico logo to my right in order for my pictures to line up with the true horizon.
5. It looks flimsy (but to be expected for this type of tripod). The plastic head probably will not survive a direct drop to the concrete pavement.