Review on 📷 AOKA 54.7 inch Carbon Fiber Camera Tripod Monopod: 360 Degree Ball Head, Quick Shoe, Supports 33lb by John Kennedy

I came across this brand from AOKA a few weeks ago while looking for a more powerful alternative to my trusted Ultrapod II. The first AOKA tripods I ordered were the smaller 15.7" and 28" compact carbon fiber tripods, the last of which I returned, but the first - albeit larger than intended to accommodate the Ultrapod to replace – was the manager. The quality of AOKA is really worth the price and the shining star is the compact and durable ball heads. However, when it comes to tripods, AOKA uses an unconventional design where the center column isn't actually part of the tripod, but a separate piece that screws onto the baseplate. Unfortunately, this type of center stand is even less stable than the standard built-in center column found on most other tripods. At first I thought a 28" tripod might be an alternative to my current Tycka hiking tripod, but decided it wasn't tall enough. - with or without non-traditional B-pillar. I then decided to try this 54.7-inch carbon fiber tripod, which unfortunately shares the same unconventional design as AOKA's smaller tripods, save for a larger size. This 54.7 inch tripod is quite unstable when fully extended. It takes a good 20 seconds for my Canon T3i with a Tamron 100-400mm lens to stop shaking noticeably when touched. Also, I couldn't get a clear shot with a slower shutter speed. This tripod is slightly stronger when the ball head is attached directly to the base plate, but the working height is not ideal. As an added disadvantage, if the ball head is attached directly to the legs with no center post, the legs will not fold as compactly due to the impact of the wider head. This tripod is most useful without an inadequate main stand, but the tripod cannot be folded to its maximum compact size in this configuration. AOKA tripod. The case that comes with the AOKA 54.7-inch tripod looks ridiculous as it looks like a kid's backpack with lots of "ropes" hanging all over it (see the attached image for reference). Good quality product. The tripod design definitely lacks practicality. However, AOKA ball heads are very good as they are extremely compact and strong with Arca compatible clamps. To be honest I wish I could just buy these KB series heads. These are the best little heads I've ever used. However, I ended up returning this 54.7 inch carbon fiber tripod to AOKA as it is awkward to use and barely lighter and smaller than the Tycka.