CK7300 Tripod Kit with 3-Way Quick-Release Head and Built-in Spirit Level

Last year I was in need of a new tripod for my camera after the cheap one I had for years broke.I did a lot of research. I wanted something that wouldn't break the bank, since I'm not a professional photographer, but something that was well built and had decent features. I was originally planning to spend around $50, but after looking up various tripods and reviews, I settled on this one. It may be double the original budget, but to me its worth it, and far less than the big brands.It's construction is very sturdy. Most of it is made from metal, as opposed to plastic. It's not a featherweight, but that's ok. It feels substantial, and the foam pads on the legs make it comfortable to carry. All the parts feel well damped, and while the legs don't lock, they're stuff enough that they don't feel at all flimsy or like they need it. The locks feel well constructed and have a key to adjust how stiff they are.As far as features go, this one has quite a bit. The legs have three locking positions so it can adjust to a variety of terrain and heights, as low as 10"! To aid this, the height adjustment shaft is two piece. The lower half can be unscrewed so you can get the tripod lower than would otherwise be possible. It also comes with a cap to protect the upper shaft's threads while split.Then there's the head, which has a metal quick release shoe for the camera that can be locked onto the tripod. The shoe itself has rubberized grip to hold the camera steady and keep the bottom of it from being scratched. What I really like about it is the three-way pan/tilt feature. It moves from side to side but also vertically up to 90°. However, unlike most of these tripods in the price range it can be adjusted anywhere between 0° and 90°, as opposed to being limited to 3 positions. As said before, the controls feel well damped...nice and smooth and the handles have rubber grips. It also has a bull's eye spirit level which makes it easy to level the camera. Finally, the head itself can detach from the base of the tripod..something normally found in more expensive tripods. This means you can use a variety of head to suite your needs without needing different tripods.I've had this tripod for over a year now, and couldn't be happier with it. It has a quality feel to it and a nice feature set at a reasonable price. I've used it many times both for professional shoots and for casual photography. Highly recommended!

Am not pleased at all with tripod. The little safety switch is way to small and and is a pain to maneuver. Also it's poorly made. With safety in lock the camera still comes off. Just dropped my new 6d after I checked to see if it was secured. Also the center pole comes off very easily. If I could return it I would do it in a heart beat. Very poor so do not buy

Was expecting a lightweight tripod, Heavy duty and compact. Pretty great for panoramas.

I fell in love with this tripod as soon as I saw it. I got it for Christmas and when I pulled it out to film with it, one of the legs came off. Fell right out of it's fitting. So I had to put it back in and use it like it was. Then I noticed my camera wasn't staying upright. It was falling slowly in a clockwise movement. I went to tighten the screw that keeps that part in place and there is no screw there to tighten. You can see where one should be, but that part was missing. Now I have a broken leg and a box of tooth picks keeping my camera in an upright position. Nice.I am calling Calmulet after New Years Day and asking what they can do for me. $179.98 and $15 to ship is a lot to pay for broken parts and missing parts. I will keep you updated. Today is 12/31/09

NO WARRANTY - DUE TO BANKRUPTCY - CAN'T REGISTER PRODUCT

Got this tripod delivered to me yesterday, wasn't expecting a great tripod but was blown away by what I recieved! Great tripod and feels incredibly sturdy in my hands. It is a bit heavy but with a max load of 11 pounds that's definitely worth it. The fluid head was the selling point for me when deciding on this tripod and I was not dissapointed. The fluid head gives amazing shots for the price and is very easy to use and very smooth. I love the mobility of this tripod, lowering it all the way to 27cm and raising it about 6 feet was a great tool for me knowing I could use the tripod at any height. Overall an amazing tripod and I would highly suggest this over many other $100 tripods.

I love this tripod so far! The pan is very smooth and the legs seem to be very steady. At this price absolutely worth it!

Maybe I just got a bad copy, but I purchased one of these tripods directly from Calumet, but listed as new on eBay. The first time I used it, one of the legs fell out at the first extension joint. I pushed it back in and used the tripod for a few photos, but later, at home I took a good look at it. It appears as if the only thing keeping the leg pieces inside of one another is a single piece of double stick tape around the top and a set screw collar. I did contact Calumet via email and a fellow there was very nice and said to just send it back for repair. But, when I asked for an RA number in the next email, I never heard from them again. This is all very unfortunate because basically, I love the tripod in terms of the four extensions, the flip locks on the legs that work easily, the nice head with circular bubble level and quick release plate, the cushion wrapped legs. This is almost perfect, but the design flaw in the legs is a deal breaker. And Calumet's service response did not make me any happier. I can't prove it, but I suspect they were selling the ones on eBay that had problems. But, I bid close to the new price since I was not aware of the new price at the time. I have had over a dozen different tripods over the years and this one could have been ranked right near the top, were it not for the leg problem. My boyfriend fixed mine, but the way he did it was to tighten the adjustment collar so much that the one bad leg will not close up into the main channel all the way. That leg works, but it's always 2" longer now when the tripod is closed up and rather than sliding out when setting up, I have to tug on it pretty hard.

Feels very solid, and the height is great. Everything is quite easy to use even to collapse the legs so they are open for low angle shooting. the swivel head seems to glide smoothly in every direction needed . Have to say I'm quite happy with this. If I could ask for any thing different it would be just a simple travel bag to carry it in, but that's beside the point.

Allgemeines:Ich war auf der Suche nach einem Stativ welches meine Alpha 35 und ein Tamron 70-300 zuverlässig hält und mit welchem ein genaues Ausrichten der Kamera möglich ist. Da dies mein billig Stativ nicht kann, zog ich los und suchte lange nach einem preiswerten aber guten Stativ. Das Calumet 7300 hatte meine Anforderungen erfüllt also wurde es bestellt.Versand:Ich habe am Wochenende bestellt und die Lieferung am Mittwoch erhalten. Auch die Versandkosten sind mit 3€ für ein 3,5kg Paket sehr gering.Das Stativ:Ich finde das Teil ist top verarbeitet und super geschmiert. Es hält die Kamera verwackelungsfrei und lässt auch bei Videoaufnahmen sanfte Schwenks zu. Die Kameraplatte rastet sicher ein und die Bein Arretierungen lassen sich leicht bedienen. Das einzige Kritikpunkt ist die zwei geteilte Mittelsäule, welche beim Herausziehen etwas hakt. Durch die Schaumstoffüberzüge am obersten Beinsegment fühlt sich das Stativ auch super an.Der Kopf:Der mitgelieferte 3-Wege-Panoramakopf hält die Kamera sicher in ihrer Position uns lässt genaues Fokussieren zu. Außerdem lässt er sich bei bedarf auch schnell gegen einen anderen Kopf tauschen.Alles in allem bin ich vollkommen mit dem Stativ zufrieden und kann eine klare Kaufempfehlung aussprechen.

Have been really impressed with this tripod - a brilliant piece of kit. Fully and easily adjustable, not heavy and with an excellent quick release. Amazing value for money when compared with equivalent tripods on the market. The only downside - that I waited so long before I bought it.

Best Tripod ever

Sturdy, easy action pan and tilt head and leg locks.Best thing about it is it is very tall. So very comfortable to use.THe quick release part that fitts to the camera is only half good. Why? It only fits securely one way. If you fit it into its housing the wrong way round(Which is very easy to do) The camera can come away from the tripod surprisingly easy.The quick release camera fitting has a faint arrow telling you which way to fit it on the camera, but ????? which way is front on the tripod head. Once you learn and dont forget between uses then you camera is secure. Forget and your camera could fall out.Dont let this put you off buying this tripod, though. Once you have learnt to use it properly( and dont leave it until your trying to photograph a wedding in the church during the ceremony, Yikes) it's lovely.A good piece of kit.