Vista Explorer 60" Lightweight Tripod with Tripod Bag: Customer Reviews & Product Details

This tripod is fairly light weight so it is good for carrying around. It comes with a bag which makes carrying even easier.

However, it is not steady as a rock, so you'd best hang something heavy to its hook. The plastic parts are cheaply made so I don't expect them to last very long. The tilt panel is a bit rough and it takes some effort to position the camera into a portrait position. The rubber feet have different tension in them, and the looser ones may not work well when the ground is not level.

It is best to use this tripod in a windless condition, using bulb or self-timed shutter.

But then again, this is only a $30 tripod, and the product is quite good for its worth. That's why there are other tripods cost more than my camera.

This a good, lightweight tripod. I would recommend this to anyone looking for something very portable and easy to use.

This is my second tripod. My first was a Vanguard traveler that I bought for my Canon S1000 Point-and-shoot. It was a very compact tripod (16"-54") that worked out great for the P&S but was completely unusable when I got a Canon Digital Rebel XSi DSLR. That's when I got the Vista Explorer, for around the same price as the Vanguard. Its been about 6 months now with the Vista.

Pros:
1. Very inexpensive given features and weight rating. Was genuinely surprised with its build quality and features when I received it, given the price.
2. Holds the Xsi very securely at most of the orientations, heights and tilt angles. I have only the starter lens (18-55mm) on it and no attachments. I'm not sure how it would handle with heavier lenses, but I suspect it should do fine with most of the standard ones.
3. Has relatively smooth rotation, tilting and height adjustment, with locks abound.
4. The feet extensions have held very securely so far, which is more than I can say for the umbrella type extensions on the Vanguard.
5. 60" is a very good height for most purposes, and makes a world of difference from the 54" on my previous tripod.
6. Has built-in spirit levels which have proved very useful for ensuring level placement.
7. All of the adjustments and locks are quick and easy. Takes less than 2 minutes on average from bag to fully set-up.
8. Very light-weight, though sturdy.
9. Has a very convenient carrying handle built in.
10. Has a hook for weight attachment. I was planning to tie a bag filled with sand to it when taking pictures at the beach, but ended up not having to since it seemed to hold up to the breeze quite well even without it.
11. Comes with a bag. The Vanguard's bag was much better quality, but this one does just fine.

Cons:
1. The Vanguard easily fit into my backpack while flying. This is too tall to fit into a cabin bag.
2. The screw clamp for the sideways tilt doesn't quite lock the tilt however tight I screw it.
3. Rotation and tilt adjustments are smooth enough for adjustment purposes, but not quite smooth enough for video panning. But I hardly ever shoot videos anyway.

Overall, excellent value starter tripod for your starter DSLR.

I HAVEN'T USED THIS PRODUCT VERY MUCH YET, BUT SO FAR, I THINK IT IS GREAT! IT IS WELL CONSTRUCTED, DURABLE, EASY TO SET UP, STABLE, LIGHT WEIGHT, EASY TO USE, AND EVERYTHING IT IS ADVERTIZED TO BE. I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE. I HAVE SEEN LESS VERSITILE TRIPODS AT MORE THAN TWICE THE PRICE. AND THE TOTE BAG IS A GREAT PLUS.

A good lightweight tripod for its price, well designed for convient universal use. If you don't know exactly what tripod you need, buy this one.

Its major drawback is the cheap plastic head: panning and tilting are not smooth (the steps are less than 1 degree); after you tighten the tilting axis and take your hand off the tilting angle drifts a bit (1 degree at moderate load). However you will not find a good head in this price range.

Additional tips:
- because of light weight the tripod is continuously vibrating even at moderate wind (10 km/h);
- 20x (at wide-field) is the maximum usable magnification for scopes mounted onto this tripod.