MagnusVT-400 Aluminum Tripod System with 2-Way Fluid Pan Head

I bought this tripod in September 2018 and am now just reviewing it in September 2020, so this is my perspective after two years of regular use. First, the good:1. The tripod is sturdy and held up well in all but the most windy conditions. It should have no problem carrying anything up to average DLSR and lens combination.2. The adjustable spreader allows the user to lock in variable spreads in the legs, which is very useful in situations where you don't have a lot of room to allow a full spread.Now, the not-so-good:1. After a year of use, the retract and extend on the legs became sticky, to the point where it became a struggle to extend the legs on some occasions. I often found myself playing tug-of-war with one particular leg.2. The locking clamps also developed an irritating squeak that I couldn't get rid of, despite trying several lubricants. It made the tripod hard to set up in situations where I wanted to be quiet. When people's heads turn to look at where that squeaking noise is coming from, you know it's too loud. Wildlife shooting? Yeah, right.3. In the past six months, the head developed an annoying habit of drifting for a few seconds after setting up the shot. I do a lot of telephoto video that requires quick resets so this became especially intolerable as the head drifted after each reset. I lost more than a few shots/clips as a result. No amount of adjusting the tension controls seems to fix the issue. (Note: My gear is well under the stated weight limit for this tripod.)4. Finally, after setting up a week ago, one leg simply came out of the tripod while I was extending it, probably as a result of the tug-of-wars I had with it in the past. A cheap plastic sleeve inside the leg which acts as the stop broke into several pieces. I was fortunately able to patch it up long enough to finish my shoot, but this ended up being the final straw that is making me abandon this tripod.Overall, I was very happy with the tripod through the first year of use. So arguably I may have gotten my money's worth, as I did use it quite regularly during that first year. I even got a lot of use out of it in the second year when the faults started appearing. So if you only want an inexpensive, but sturdy tripod for occasional use, this may fit the bill... and may end up lasting longer for you than it did for me. If you want something for regular, longterm use, I would recommend something else. In the end, you get what you pay for.September 2021 addition: A little while after posting my review a year ago, I found myself buying another VT-400. Why? Because there was nothing else in the price point that matched it... and more expensive tripods (2-4x the price) simply didn't give me the performance I wanted or were too heavy to lug around. Most lacked the adjustable (and lockable) spreader legs or were a little too "fluid" in the head... where I noticed the image drift after I established the shot. So I settled for another Magnus VT-400 with the understanding that it might last me 1-2 years and then I may need to buy another. (Plus, the "retired" tripods can be used for parts.) At the price point, it seemed like a good value for what I got. Plus, I tend to use my tripod in a wide range of conditions... heat, cold, rain, snow, etc... so realistically getting 1-2 years from a $100 tripod is actually a good deal. Therefore, I bumped my rating from 3 stars to 4 stars.

Although I had a little problem with the tripod head lock release lever which unscrewed a day after I started using the tripod, I eventually figured out how to screw it back in. The screw has a catch inside that it screws into, which got pushed in so the screw couldn't reach it. If you have this issue, don't return the whole thing and waste time and money. Put the tripod head lock release lever screw in without the lever and screw it in, then pull it upwards so the catch that you're screwing into will reach the screw when you try to screw it back in with the lever in place.Aside from this issue, I love this tripod and it is awesome and light and extends high over people's heads so they don't have to duck when they walk across the camera.

This a great choice for someone who needs a relatively portable and stable tripod that’s durable and has a good fluid head!

Researched specifically for best video tripods on Google. Found this in the middle price range. Solid tripod.

This is a great company, but buy the VT-4000. It is more durable, has a fluid/level head, is more durable, and taller. Not much more expensive for a huge upgrade.

Great sturdy tripod well worth the price and able to hold heavier lenses

Well built and easy to manuver. Great price