Review on 📷 Lightweight Aluminum Travel Tripod/Monopod - MeFOTO Backpacker S with Twist Locks, Dual Action Ballhead, Arca Swiss Plate for Mirrorless/DSLR Sony Nikon Canon Fuji - Aluminum Blue (BPSABLU) by Jamonte Hamilton

I did a lot of research before purchasing this tripod. Read all negative reviews and ask questions. And I finally decided on this tripod. What were my criteria? The tripod should allow me to take sharp long exposures. It should be easy. It has to be strong enough. He has to pack small. And it should use my existing camera plates and L brackets. A little background about me so you know I'm not just a random user. I take photos professionally. I have quite a bit of gear including 4 other tripods. So why do I need another one? I have a large Gitzo G1220 MkII tripod with an Arca Swiss B-1 monoball head and an RRS quick release. Another tripod was my travel tripod. This is a Gitzo G026 with a Kirk BH-3 ball head. MeFOTO compares the photo of the three tripods with my two Gitzo tripods. You can see how small MeFOTO is compared to my others. It meets the criteria for a small package, but I have one small complaint that I'll mention later. Gitzos are known for being rock solid and come at a price to match. I'm used to using a tripod that doesn't move when set up. No drop. Even my smaller Gitzo will hold anything I put on it without bouncing. To put it mildly, I have high expectations. Given MeFOTO's size and cost, it has been relatively stable. It contained a full-size professional body with a 70-200 f/2.8 (6 lb 9 oz) lens in multiple tilt positions with no ball head movement. I'm pretty confident he'll last. It will accommodate the road unit I will be using which weighs 3lb 14oz. with filters. (shown in another photo) I'm sure it works great with small mirrorless systems. However, this does not mean that MeFOTO has no movement. The legs are thin and bend. A lot of. And further expansion of the center column is out of the question. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. I'm 5ft 9in and without the center column popping up the camera is high enough for me to lean over and look through the viewfinder. If you're using an LCD screen, it works even better. As a workaround, I agree that I didn't lengthen the smallest (and longest) leg sections, which were also the springiest. But that wasn't the real culprit. The problem is the fixed extended center column. Any strong wind or small impact will swing through the center column and down through the legs. It wouldn't move as much if the center column could be lowered, but then the extra hardware in the form of another dial would add weight. If you want to use this tripod to take temporary pictures, be sure to use a remote shutter release. There is a retractable hook on the bottom of the center post to hang the camera bag as a weight. I find that the extra weight doesn't make much of a difference, and depending on the bag it can even smack the wind and make things worse. Also, the legs fold and snap further apart, but due to the fixed center column, the minimum height is 16.75 inches up to the top of the quick coupler. Not quite ground level for macro photography. The ball head is small but strong. The quick release mechanism works great with my existing L brackets and Kirk plates. Some reviewers complained that the quick-release knob was difficult to turn. I don't know if they're referring to the screw on the bottom of the QR plate or the handle used to tighten the QR clamp on the ball head. In any case, camera plates are usually designed to stay on the camera. You don't need to take them off even if you don't use a tripod. If you have more than one camera, please buy another QR plate. When you properly attach the plate to the camera, the quick release knob is easy to remove and rotate. I can tighten it heavily with no problem. Just to be clear, the plate goes in such a way that the camera moves side to side, not front to back, when the QR is slightly relaxed. (see photos) I let the QR handle face forward so I don't hit it with my chin or face. Another complaint I read quite often has to do with twist locks. I'm not sure what the problem is. Yes, you need to loosen, tighten, then loosen and tighten them again to use the tripod and then put it away. To get used to something. It is not that hard. You don't have to over-tighten it for it to hold up enough, just make sure you really tighten each latch before you put your camera on it. With any tripod I use, before trusting it to hold $4,000 worth of gear, I usually test that the legs will hold by pressing on it first. I like that the legs don't rotate when I loosen the twist locks. This means that with just one twist I can release all the latches on each leg and then straighten the leg. It is just as comfortable if you bend your legs. One twist and they're all tight enough to hold. Easy. So here's my other complaint. This is a design complaint and quite picky. When the tripod is folded and folded, the design of the ball head does not allow the legs to be folded tightly. If you look at the photo you will see what I mean. There is a small gap because the quick release is in the way. Ideally, with the vertical alignment slot, main and swivel knobs located on the body of the ballhead at 12, 4 and 8 o'clock (120 degrees apart, see release), all legs can be folded into the vertical alignment slot, the only alternative being one Slightly tilt the side of the quick release upwards. (see photo) When folded, the tripod is exactly 12.5" long and about 3.5" in diameter. And by the way, with the QR pad, the tripod even weighs 2 lb 9.5 oz or 1175 grams What else you need to know Fit and finish are of the highest quality despite the "Made in China" label Leg buckles on the corners have the right resistance Screw caps are rubber coated and the legs have rubber tips Ball head with spirit level on top and circumferential markings for panorama mode. Quick release clamp can be removed with included hex key a if you want to use another quick release. The entire ball head can be removed if you want to use the pan and tilt head for videos. The leg buckles and ball head come in a variety of colors, but I chose black because it doesn't stand out against my bag and draws undue attention to my gear when traveling. It comes in a nice zipped nylon case with a carrying strap, but I doubt I'll be using it as it takes up too much space. In general it is very well made and worth the money.