I was looking to buy a ball head for one of my tripods to use in conjunction with a shooting rest for my rifles, and then I saw this tripod with ball head that cost the same as just the ball head I was almost ready to order, so I decided to get this instead since it was like getting the tripod for free. This tripod is a decent weight for its size to use as a shooting tripod at over 3.25 pounds (52-ounces), so I wouldn’t consider this a lightweight tripod.

Pros:

- Very compact at 17-inches by around 4-inches, with a moderate weight of approximately 3.75-pounds.

- Flick Lever Lock adjustments on the legs.

- Foam lining on one of the legs for easier carrying in cold weather.

- Included zippered carrying/storage case with strap instead of a cheap storage sack with drawstrings (although it’s kind of crinkly sounding).

- Broad range of adjustability.

- 2 Quick-releases plate for quick removal or re-installation of cameras or other items, and it makes it easy to switch them out.

- Includes a Basic Smartphone Mount with both wide and narrow jaws and a Bluetooth remote.

- Built in Bubble Level at one of the leg shoulders.

- You can get very low to the ground in the lowest position: 21-inches and extends camera up to 75-inches high.

- Spring-loaded clip on the bottom of the tripod allows for low angle macro shots, or you can flip the legs so that the ball head is close to the ground.

- Has the ability to convert to a lightweight monopod.

- Conforms to the Arca Swiss standard ball-head dovetail mount, so you can replace the quick release plate with another one of any brand of the same specs if you need to.

Cons (Deducting one star for these):

- The tripod is a little wobbly, that is, the slightest vibrations do make it shake a bit when fully extended. This is because there are not stabilizing braces connecting the three legs to each other.

- Excluding the shafts, most of the tripod is made of plastic components that could cause long-term durability issues. Even the camera mounting interface is plastic.

- The feet on the tripod are not self-adjusting/leveling, which would have been preferred for uneven ground.

- The Ball head is mostly plastic except for the ball itself, so I question its long-term durability.

- I question the longevity of the spring-loaded shoulder adjustment clips that allow the legs to pivot out the 180-degrees.

The cons are relatively benign based on the fact that this is a tripod of under fifty bucks at the time of this writing. I think it is a good deal and recommend it for anyone looking for a compact light-duty tripod that is of the ball-head style.