After years of using a $25 tripod that was total garbage, I finally upgraded to this. I wish I would have bought this tripod years ago instead of the cheap tripod I did purchase back then.First off, this tripod is light! Lighter than the cheap tripod, but it feels much more stable and sturdy.Having a ballhead (and a removable one at that) is a huge upgrade from the cheap tripod I was using. The cheap tripod had a mounting plate that often came unlocked, causing my camera to fall off my tripod. The ARCA-Swiss plate with this ballhead is metal (just like everything on the tripod) and is very solid. It securely locks in place and I am confident that my camera won't fall off like it did on my cheap tripod. Also, because the head is ARCA-Swiss compatible, I can use an L-bracket on my camera instead of the included plate.Due to the leg-lock design, you can get the tripod quite low to the ground, very useful for landscape and astrophotography.The tripod compacts down to a small size for travel, which means I'll have an easier time fitting it in my luggage when I fly.Overall, this tripod is amazing and probably the best value on Amazon right now.