Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)------EDIT BEGIN
All, please note that it looks like this tripod has gone through a design change since my posting this review in 2009. The new version appears to no longer have a level, plus other potential changes (I don't have the new version so I can't comment on the newer one)
Please keep all of of this in mind when reading my review below. tnx
------EDIT END
I ordered this tripod to replace one from a manufacturer that rhymes with Hogan :-) Figure it out. LOL.
Pros:
--Weighs in at 2 lbs 4 oz.
--Extends to 67" from ground to platen.
--19 inches collapsed, so it can fit in a backpack (with a few inches sticking out)
--Padded booties on the upper most segment... a joy for walking around with the tri in your hand.
--3 Lockable leg positions. Narrow, wide, and super wide for getting the tripod near the ground.
--*invertable stem*! Just unscrew the stem in the middle, pull it out, invert, screw back... and HELLO... you have a tripod for doing close-up macro shots!
--Separable stem- can unscrew lower portion and leave it off... so you can collapse the tripod down near the ground.
--3 leg segments. While it limits how short it'll be once it is collapsed, you can extend/retract fewer segments faster (i.e., 9 clips vs. 12 for a 4 segment design)
--Head can adjust pitch by about 300 degrees, roll/tilt by about 90 degrees, and 360 yaw**(with caveats, see cons)
--Ability to hold a Canon T1i *with* a 200mm lens fully extended without droop.
--Has liquid-level.
--Hackable: most parts on it have obvious ways of removing/dis-assembly using screws or threads rather than being punched or welded in place. If you're creative you may be able to do some interesting things with this feature. In my case, I unscrewed and drilled the plastic cap at the bottom of the stem, installed a J-hook, and pow! I can now hang my camera bag from it. My other tripod is well constructed, but quite a few of its components look like they've been welded or heavy-pressed in place... so no dis-assembly and therefore diminished mod-ability.
Cons:
--Yaw is the most odd part of the design. There is a 1mm hex screw that locks yaw in place. If you loosen this, you can have "free-er" yaw, but on mine, its still very tight even with the hex bolt removed. If you adjust the yaw clockwise while holding the stem, its fine, if you adjust yaw counterclockwise the head unscrews (unless you torque it down really tight which I don't want to do).
-Platen lock mechanism: There is a plastic pin in there thats designed to assist in mounting the cam. It'll hold the latch open until the platen is dropped in. Mine is already wearing and has failed. Not a big deal... I just hold the latch open before I mate the platen into the head, but I think the design for this can stand to improve... at a minimum change the plastic pin to an aluminum one.Summary:
If this was a $200+ tripod, I'd give it 4 stars given the cons. For a sub-$100 tripod, it easily earns 5 stars. You want a portable, sturdy tripod, here it is.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Slik Sprint Pro II Tripod in Gun Metal With Quick Release Ball Head & Case
Designed to travel, the SPRINT PRO II is a compact tripod with 4 legs sections to collapse down to less than 19 inches and weighsjust under 2 lbs.An updated version of the popular SLIK SPRINT PRO series the new SPRINT PRO II has padded leg wraps for more comfortable carrying. The new tripod also has a new SLIK SBH-100DQ all-metal compact ball head with quick release system for faster, easier mounting of a camera.The SPRINT PRO II is a full sized tripod when it is extended to its maximum height of almost 64 inches. The adjustable legs angles can be used to splay the legs out and lower the tripod. When used with the built-in short center column, (the included center column unscrews into two pieces) the camera is just 6.4 inches off the ground for extremely low angle or macro photography out in the field. Another way to get the camera low is to reverse the center column which could be used for macro photography or copy work.
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