

It doesn't have individual locks on the sections: they lock internally as you extend them, starting with the lowest/smallest diameter. Otherwise, it's not a big deal, as I can use the flash shoe level on the camera.Īs a monopod, it's not easy to adjust the length. I also have a leveling head (what Adorama called a "claw ball") bought on eBay, that can go beneath a 3-way head for panoramic shots, where the vertical axis of the head must be plumb. I have used a flash shoe bubble level (set on a flat side) on the top of the column (with the head off). + The base for the tripod head is about 2-1/4" diameter with three locking screws, so it can fit substantial heads. It's not ideal, but it can work for ground-level shots.

When I've used it that way, I folded up my jacket and laid it on the ground beneath the camera, just in case, even after tightening the lock as much as I could. HOWEVER, that can be risky, as you are relying upon the column lock to keep the camera from falling. Thus, you can hang the camera upside down beneath the tripod. + The minimum height (about 17 inches) is limited by the length of the column: with the legs retracted and at the maximum spread (you wouldn't want to have the fully extended at that angle-they would tend to bend), the bottom of the column can touch the ground. The maximum height without extending the center column is about 49"' with the column extended, Amvona says it's 64.3", but that's a bit iffy 63" is more like it.

+ The legs can be individually set to three angles. You can remove the rubber feet and screw the balls up to reveal spikes. + The feet articulate to match the floor. Amvona does give you a small tool that you can use to adjust the latches, among other things. The latches on one of the legs on mine are hard to operate, but do work. The flip latches on the legs are metal (good), but not the best I've run into. (I have a 2.3 lb Amvona carbon fiber tripod for carrying around.) This is not a tripod I would want to take backpacking. The legs can certainly hold a lot more weight. However, I suspect (cannot be certain) that this is with the center column fully extended. + The tripod is heavy (almost 7 lbs) and has a maximum load rating of 6kg/13 lbs. It's not up to the quality of Manfrotto, but it's certainly worth $40 or more. I have the Amvona 12T, bought for under $40 on eBay.
