This is a really flimsy, lightweight stand, but it meets one important requirement: it must be short enough to fit in a standard airline suitcase. When fully extended, the pipe connections may sag - as shown in the photo with degree of inclination. In addition, they cannot withstand a lot of weight. I had an S-type flash clip and a standard top-mount battery flash, fully deployed, and I could get it to swing back and forth at least 6 inches. As such, I would only recommend it for indoor (no wind) shooting with light gear. Although not as stable as I expected, I will still leave the stand because it fits in my suitcase.