SLIK PRO 500 BHX with PBH-525DS Ball Head, for Mirrorless/DSLR Sony Nikon Canon Fuji Cameras and More - Black (613-500)

I am just getting back into photography after a couple of decades away from the hobby. I am therefore rebuilding my kit and I am in in the process of buying all new tripods, bags, lenses and camera bodies. When I was younger I always used a Slik and the one I had held up for many years with no issues. Straight out of the box, the only assembly required is to screw in the 2 handles. ** Note that one of the handles has a much longer thread than the other, the adjustment handles will not tighten properly if you screw them into the wrong holes, as I did. ** No worries though, just screwed them into the right slots and they both tighten up quite well. I played around with it for a half hour and the up/down left/right adjustments are easy to make and nicely weighted. The pan adjustment is made via a collar lock that is easy to grab and adjust, and I imagine it will be easy to work even wearing gloves. The tripod is REALLY well made in my opinion. All metal except for the leg locks with aluminum legs. The foam grips on the top are really nice and will be a welcome addition in cold weather. My only two concerns with this tripod are 1) the weight, and 2) the leg angle adjustment locks. On concern #1, buying one that is too heavy is my fault, not Slik's. It's just my recent lack of experience. The weighting will be fantastic during breezy conditions or on slippery surfaces, however, this thing is too heavy for me to want to travel much with it. This weight -vs- strength concern is one that we all have to balance, but I do wish I had gone for something lighter. On concern #2, the leg angle adjustment locks are not easy to get right. You pull out a tab, move the leg, and push that tab back in - it's not like the leg automatically "clicks into place." I can tell this is really going to annoy me! Another note: the description lists this as 5.9 lbs, but the instruction manual lists it as 6.1 lbs. Not a huge difference, but you might notice if you were hiking around with it. You can slightly offset that by removing the bottom half of the center column, which screws on. Might save you a few ounces. As for the height, I am short (5' 6") and at full extension, with the center column at it's lowest bottom position, my eye is almost directly in line with the viewfinder, which I really appreciate. Overall thoughts: well made and should last a long time, great for a studio, probably too heavy to take on long trips.

For a couple of years I have taken pictures with an inexpensive (about $60) tripod. For the most part I only used the tripod when there was no way around it. Long videos or photos that required a tripod. Mainly I did this because the old tripod did not adjust easily or accurately and could not be adjusted when shooting video without ruining the take. With the purchase of a Canon 6D it was time for an upgrade.What I wanted was a good solid tripod that allowed easy precise adjustments and could handle some weight from a telephoto lens. Oh yes, and I did not want to pay hundreds of dollars for it. Upgrading to this tripod opened up a new world of photographic possibilities.My first use was to shoot video. It pans smoothly. Adjusts with ease. And, it helped produce a very sharp professional video with everything framed perfect. The quick release allowed me to take the camera off the tripod to review the shot while someone else set up the tripod for the next shot. Camera goes back on with a nicely designed snap that closes when the camera is set on the base. Quick and secure.Since it was Spring, my second task was flower and blooming tree shots. Also some time shooting multiple exposure HDR shots. No camera movement for either. I really love the separate adjusting arms. I can lock in the horizontal plane then adjust the vertical without having to recheck level. This is a huge time saver.Summary of benefits: Legs adjust height quickly, legs easily change angle to accommodate low or add angle shots, one hand operation to attach camera to tripod (once quick mount is attached to camera), solid build, can adjust tension on all adjustments, easy to switch from portrait to landscape, adjusting arms allow for locking on plane while adjusting the other, nice carry bag

I have used this tripod about three times since I bought it and it almost brings me to tears how much I love this thing. I have gone through several Revellos and other lower quality gear and I have to say this is probably going to be my go to and I may buy a few more.Pros: Its Heavy and DurableIts easy to use with clip telescopingEasy to clean with wide thick partsNice Pan / Tilt Feature when you figure it outHolds a lot of weight- So far I have a 6D with bat pack/ flash / large lens.Cons: Its heavyLimited instructions.Its a tad short for a 6 foot guy but its workable.I needed something durable that could do what I needed to get done and one that would not rust out immediately and break from slight pressure and this one foots that bill. It feels solid, quality, durable and with some TLC I am sure it will last me a very long time. I cannot say enough about this tripod. I love it. Before I think I spent roughly 1,000 on various mid level and entry pro tripods and they have all failed (except a Targus for some reason... That thing has been beaten to near death and still works fine, would not trust it with my Full frame but yeah)Fantastic Product (I included a bracketed panorama I took with this by using the panning feature)