have been using this tripod for several days now, in this time I have gotten a good understanding of the features of this tripod and its strengths. I live in Alberta and got this mainly for using it while hiking to capture scenic landscapes for the upcoming summer. I am thinking about using this as a tripod for a side photography business and I wanted to invest in a good quality tripod which would last me several years. I chose the aluminum material since it is lightweight and it will be easy to carry this while hiking/camping. This one also comes in a handy bag which protects the tripod while it is not being used. While using this tripod I immediately noticed how stable the tripod felt with my heavy DSLR on it, this is very important as I need this to achieve professional quality photos which are not blurry, which can ruin the image altogether. The adjustable knobs and legs are user-friendly and well made. The ball of the head is great quality and was useful for videography purposes. The price point of this is decent as I wanted to get a tripod that was great quality as opposed to something cheap which would only last me a short time. Overall satisfied with my purchase and would recommend to budding photographers/videographers.