I'll start by saying that I've burned through seven other tripods. Cheap plastic parts and bolts that would strip while holding my bulky equipment have become the bane of my existence.Recently, I purchased a new Canon and had little left in the budget for a high-end tripod. Fortunately, the Sunpak has been a tank since I took it out of the box. The pod is lightweight and easy to carry, but very sturdy and quick to set up. The mounting plates (yes, two plates) packaged along with the tripod fit all of my gear and easy to use.I'd highly recommend this to anyone looking for a great tripod in a salary-man's price range.