Heavy, stable platform for long lenses (500mm plus) without image stabalization features. See: Austin outdoor party venue

The trade off for the convenience of the multi leg adujsting mechanism is that it can stick if not clean and lubricated lightly.

For years I used a rugged aluminum Manfotto that worked well, but it clanked a bit and weighed as much as my 300mm f/2.8 Nikkor - ok, that's an exageration, but not by much. I was in the market for a light weight tripod that would offer moderate loads and would not cost more than a professional lens! Nashua Mobile Truck Repair

None . .

Lightweight, fits in backpack. Might be okay if you want a disposable tripod.

The U5000 looked strong when I bought it thinking I would be more likely to carry a lightweight tripod than a heavy one. It did not hold up well at all. After three days of shooting, one of the legs became loose because it was attached with unexcusably flimsy plastic. I was left with a "bipod" in a situation where I really needed a sturdy tripod. Attempting to adjust it was frustratingly difficult. It was almost impossible to switch it to portrait position, and it was always slipping out of adjustment even when tightened to the point I couldn't even turn the knobs. The knob holding the camera to the tripod is hard to reach and turn. I'm sorry I bought it.

I would not recommend this to anyone.

Head broke as described in many other reviews, so there are no strenghths

Units head is made of plastic and cracks easily

Junk

Easy to adjust the legs, light weight for the price.

shoddy construction at the head.

Overall, I have to say a disappointment. I had barely over a year of infrequent use and the head snapped off while routine tightening. I won't be buying another tripod from this manufacturer

Easy and very quick to set up! Stays very still and sturdy even when leaning against and puttin pressure on.

Cheap, lightweight, easy to adjust

The quality of workmanship. I'm pretty careful with all my photographic equipment--there is no reason for the head to have cracked on this tripod, except for poor materials or shoddy workmanship.

Can a product be too average? If so, this is it. It's fairly small, fairly light, fairly stable, and fairly easy to use. In fact I'd be fairly happy with it if the head hadn't cracked and rendered it pretty much useless. I didn't pay a lot, but at the time I was steadying a small CoolPix. My new digital SLR flops the sucker right over. It's almost funny, in a useless sort of way. I'm sure there are other Sliks of higher quality, but I'm distrustful now and may change brands.

Light weight, small size, quick leg-lock method

Flimsy head

I agree with the others that this tripod is lightweight but of flimsy construction. The head broke for no apparent reason. It appears the pan & tilt handle was twisted too tightly which caused the head to crack. But it's highly unlikely this happened. I did like the size and light weight of this tripod, but I was forced to replace it with the U9000, a much more rugged unit. Actually, it is far more than is needed to support my digital camera smf miniDV video camera, but it surely won't suffer the same fate as the U5000.

Customer Service

Didn't even bother.

Similar Products Used:

Slik U9000

cheap small lightweight quick setup (love the quick release mount)

lightweight - a small SLR is the top end for this tripod could be sturdier - not for windy conditions

Wow, everybody just seems to hate this tripod! I do mostly handheld work, but also dabble in night photography. Admittedly, I'm only using the tripod occasionally, but am perfectly happy with it when I do. I am using the u5500, so perhaps we're talking apples and oranges. Lots of comments on how flimsy the construction is - and true, it's not a bogen - but I carry the tripod around with the camera attached to the top all the time and have never been concerned about it breaking off while in transit. I do use a fairly light rig: Rebel 2K with a Tamron 75-200 mounted lens tops. I definitely wouldn't recommend anything much heavier than that. It's an adequate low-end tripod, but that's all it is. Botton line: If you plan on using a tripod a lot, this isn't the tripod for you. Buy yourself a high quality, heavy duty, professional tripod. If you just need a tripod occasionally, like me, and don't have a lot of cash lying around, the u5500 is perfectly adequate for snapping pictures of the sunset or at that family gathering.

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

bogen monopod, canon studio tripod

nice smooth design, compact.

cheap. Not worth buying since it falls apart!£

The nut connecting a leg to the head just broke. I didn''t even have the (questionable) pleasure of throwing it across the room.