Review on FTF GEAR Compact Aluminum DSLR Camera Tripod and Monopod: Supports up to 20 lbs for Exceptional Stability by Maurice Stavros

This is my first serious tripod that I have bought after using a cheap best buy tripod for a year. This is a definite upgrade over the Best Buy tripod. For me, when everything is tightly packed, it's 15 1/2 inches long and 4 1/2 inches wide. I used it for family photos and when I took some sea shots at the beach. I used it for a few long exposures and it was very stable. The legs feel solid and I can tighten the connections very firmly with screw fittings rather than the levers found on cheap tripods. The head is very stable, I can pan videos with this tripod quite comfortably without too much jerking. It looks like it's a ball head rather than a liquid one, but it's still very smooth. I've never had a liquid head tripod, so I can't compare. I'm 5'10" and can raise my camera a few inches above eye level. It would be interesting if the tripod had an extra foot of reach for creative purposes, but then it wouldn't be as compact. Overall I think this one is a very high quality product and I plan to use it for several years.