I love this tripod. I have quite a few tripods that i've collected over the years. I've had plenty of Manfrotto tripods and would consider them to be my go-to for anything photography related where weight is a concern. I also have a large Neewer video tripod, Sirui and a tiny Smallrig travel tripod. I love all of them for different reasons but I haven't purchased a travel tripod in at least 5 years. I've also been feeling less enthusiastic about Manfrotto ever since I switched to Arca plates, they just work better in my opinion. I was a bit hesitant to order this Falcam as I know they're a bit more video centric but I'm very glad I did. This tripod is a real treat to use. Its just about the same size and weight as my Manfrotto Befree travel tripod but it feels WAY more sturdy. The carbon fiber legs are incredibly stiff unlike the aluminum manfrotto uses. I've been using that Befree for about 6 years or so and it has plenty of dents, I highly doubt this carbon fiber will have the same issue. The one caveat worth noting for this specific tripod is that It doesn't have a telescoping center post but even without it, the legs are longer than the Befree so they end up at around the same level. I also never liked using this feature since it feels like the one on my Befree could give out at any minute. I wish this model was lever lock instead of twist but the 1/3 twist lock is easy enough that it really doesn't' bother me. I absolutely love that it comes with a center mounted hook for sand bags so the weight is evenly distributed, the one on my Manfrotto is offset to one side which sucks for stability. This tripod also has tons of mounting points for things like flashes, monitors or anything with a 1/4" arri screw mount. The feet also have very well implemented hidden spikes under the foot caps. This tripod also comes with an incredibly nice bag that feels like a robust mix of neoprene with some sort of strong nylon, it also has two spots to attach the bag to D-rings or Molle attachment points. Overall, this tripod feels like a total knockout for my uses. I plan on using this as a travel tripod mainly for photography but also some videography as well. I love that I can attach my heavier wildlife lense and beefy ball-mount without worrying whether this thing is going to give out. It's quite a bit more expensive than Manfrotto but I believe this is well worth the extra cost. This kit does not include the center column as previously mentioned but I believe it can be purchased for around $25 from Falcam's website or amazon.