My first impressions of this product was very good. When taking the product out of the box I was surprised that the bag that covers and protects the tripod was very high quality. The tripod itself is compact when packed away, and as I was first setting the tripod up I was impressed with the feel, weight and the quality of the product. It is reassuring that I will be trusting my camera equipment to a well built and sturdy tripod. The versatility of the tripod is a photography dream. The ease of the twist locks on the telescopic legs make setting up to the desired height a breeze. The monopod as an extra feature is a bonus that many more expensive tripods just don't feature. Being able to set the camera mount up in multiple positions is great. The ability to mount my camera as low as possible brings with it an amazing way to shoot low level pictures that suit wildlife subjects. The boom arm was needed to undertake macro photography and this was sturdy without any shake. Just what is needed when their is limited access for the tripod legs. I did like the hook that lets you add weight to the tripod, not that its needed unless the weather conditions are severe enough.Overall I am more than pleased with this tripod. It will be a great addition to my equipment. Will it turn me into a world famous photographer, no (unfortunately) but it will give me more opportunities to improve the quality of my photos and bring different perspectives to photographing subjects.