This tripod hit the nail on the head for the exact purposes I was looking for! I produce content via YouTube and for a long time now have been looking for an economical and safe way to record top down video and take top down photography. After visiting this items product page off and on for months I decided to buy and I do not regret a thing.Packaging:Very well put together. The unit comes in a single box with beautiful yet minimal branding. Inside the box was a very nice carrying case which contained everything else. The bag itself is very durable and I will certainly be using it as my full time travel companion thanks to the included shoulder strap. The tripod itself packs up inside and takes up a very small footprint when fully compressed to it's smallest sizing.Tripod:Everything on this tripod is built from high grade aluminum, ranging from it's legs, latches, and locking nuts. At full extension, meaning the legs and both inner pieces, it is honestly taller than I could ever find a use for. At this height I still found the unit to be very stable. If you are worried, there is a pull out hood on the underside of the center column that allows for the hanging of a sand bag for extra protection from tipping. The legs extend with the twist of a collar, making it easy to do while holding the tripod with your other hand. the center column locks in place with an aluminum locking collar and I had no issues with any slippage during my testing. What made this a MUST HAVE for me was the fact that there is an inner cylinder within the center column that comes out and can be positioned at a 90 degree angle, allowing for some very unique positioning not found on other products. This is perfect as it allows me to shoot video from a top down perspective without the need of building a fully dedicated rig. The column also retracts as depicted in the photographs for added stability and shortening of distance from the tripod base. Lastly, one leg easily unscrews for use as a mono pod!Ball Head:This was a nice added touch and something not found at this price point, especially from such a niche product with little market competition. The head easily locks in place and stays very secure. I had no problem mounting and using a DSLR, cage, grip, and Rokinon Cine lens attached which all together has some weight behind it. The quick release plate stays in place well and is very small, which is a huge plus for individuals like myself with bottom mounted SD card slots! The fluid motion is quite nice as well and allows for smooth panning. Lastly, there is a level on the ball head which will allow you to position the unit with a centered horizontal position.All in all I find this to have exceptional value and will be strongly recommending this tripod for all content creators I speak with.