I bought this as an upgrade from my free-be, but I've handled some very nice tripods in my photo classes. We live near the beach and I don't care what it's made out of...EVERYTHING will rust with some time in our salty air, so I'm reluctant to speend too much on one of those nicer tripods. This is a good alternative for me. I've already used it off the beach for long exposure with success. It's easy to pack into the bag that fits nicely on my rolling bag. It's VERY easy to adjust height and angles. It has a smooth turn for filming. I really like the round level. If fully extended, some one who is 5'10 could look through my camera without bending/slouching.Not a 5: The bottom section of legs are just not where they should be in quality, and I will have to purchase a sand bag separately to get the stability I need. The "quick" release requires at least 3 turns to get it off and dose not fit my vivitar (secures the camera to my hand), so there is nothing quick about me going from tripod to hand shots.All in all, I am happy with my purchase and will use it, but I may shop around to see if I can find a better quick release next time.