I needed a slim, light, durable and affordable mini monopod and gimbal and this worked. I think it's made of durable plastic, which I like better than metal because it's lighter and doesn't add weight to the gimbal. I also like that the ball head is detachable as I can always use an extra ball head as I will only be using a tripod. Eventually I see similar products but I chose this one because it is all black and has no logos.