Others say...

"Fantastic value!"
The good:

* Incredible value - a great tripod for the money
* Solid construction. I don't have to baby it.
* Head is marked in 10 degree increments making 360 degree stitch shots (for Quicktime 3d, etc). a snap (assuming your optics are centered).

The not-so-good:

* Some backspin at the end of pans, especially slow pans
* The remote zoom in-out control on the handle seems backwards to me (push forward to zoom out.)
* I miss the ability to quickly adjust side-to-side tilt from my el-cheapo unit.

The verbose:

This tripod is a fantastic value. When I first got my Sony HDR-HC1 camcorder, I needed an ultra-portable tripod for a trip to Asia. The one I picked up was about $40 and pretty wobbly, but it fit in my backpack and was suitable for static shots and very basic movements.

Recently, however, I was asked by a client to do a quickie promotional video (my first time "doing it all" from concept to shooting to editing). After reviewing the results of my first day of shooting (mostly buildings and equipment shots), the limitations of my budget tripod were all too apparent. Pans were jerky, and camera shake was really bad, particularly at the beginning and end of shots as I started and stopped tape. That afternoon I ordered the VCT870RM for next day delivery.

My next shoot was a night-and-day difference! The head provides very smooth vertical and horizontal pans. The tripod feels solidly built, has enough mass to be stable, but isn't too heavy to carry (I even got a low-end steadycam shot with it), and the integrated controls make life much better if your camera supports the LANC standard. I was able to get some great shots that utilized pan, tilt, and zoom all at once, and without any shaking.

The only negatives I've found include a tendency for it to make a slight move in the reverse direction at the end of slow pans. I worked around this by holding a little pressure on the handle and making the end of the shot a little longer. Additionally, the remote zoom control on the handle seems backwards to me. You push forward to zoom out and backward to zoom in. I still haven't gotten used to that.

In the "things to be aware of" category, this isn't an overly large tripod (though it can get the camera around 6' off the ground), but it isn't super small either. It comes with a fairly nice, unpadded carrying case with strap, but you're not going to be fitting it into your backpack between shots. It also doesn't have a side-to-side tilt, which my cheapo tripod did. I'd rather have to adjust the legs more often and get great image stability, however, than to have side-tilt and shakes.

I definitely recommend this tripod for people new to video (and maybe even as a 2nd/3rd budget unit for pros) - it's amazing how much you can improve the quality of your shots for just a little more money. If I could give 4.5 stars I would (1/2 star deduction for the pan backspin).

I'm extremely happy with this purchase and would get another one if it were stolen (or if I started doing two-camera shoots). I also have a suspicion that I won't be able to go back to a non-controller tripod anytime soon!

For comparison:

As I said, I'm a newcomer to video and don't have direct experience with more high-end tripods. The other models I looked at included the Sony VCT1170RM ($365) and a few different Bogen models. I didn't see an overwhelming reason to spend an additional $245 on the 1170, especially given the low weight of my camera, and I couldn't find an affordable Bogen that also had an integrated remote control interface. If you do go this route, Sony's RMVD1 add-on controller will run you about $35. I prefer having an integrated unit, however, as the controls are bigger, easier to use, and it's one less thing to lose.

"Very nice lightweight tripod--good traveler"
For it's price, which i in the mid-consumer range, and well below the pro range, it's a very nice little tripod.

The legs lock firmly and are easy to latch and unlatch, the leg brace is at the bottom of the first set of leg tubes, which puts it off the ground even at the lowest height, overall manufacturing quality is very good--including the carrying case which is tough enough to last a while, unlike most such bags included with consumer equipment. It's a mid-weight nylon canvas with a self-repairing plastic zipper.

I'm shooting with a moderately heavy camera (VX1000) at 4+# additions for a total weight of around 6-7#

It is a LIGHT tripod. With the tripod fully extended it has a tendency to wobble a bit under the weight of my gear. Weighting this one in windy conditions or when shooting fully extended (especially with telephoto,) is a necessity.

As others have noted, the zoom control moves the reverse of most camera zooms which is a pain to get used to, but can be gotten used too. (Hey LANC controls generally cost more than this tripod with it's controls!) If it continues to bother me, I may disassemble and reverse the control.

With a lighter 1-2# consumer camera it is a VERY nice tripod, with less weight on top it is extremely stable.

The carrying bag is very nice bonus. It's deigned to slip over your head and arm and run across your back--I'm 6'4" and have no trouble with it binding, and it is light enough to be barely noticeable. Very nice if you're traveling.

As a consumer tripod its an excellent choice esp. if you are shooting with one of the newer small cameras, The LANC control helps stop a lot of camera wiggle and makes for smooth combination pan/tilt /zoom operations.

The fluid head is of very good quality for the price, and has a nice range of adjustable drag.

For heavier gear it needs added bottom weights outside, but works pretty well indoors.

Besides the backwards zoom my only trouble has been that I accidentally hit the on/off button a lot--but that's mostly due to my height which tends to make me grip the handle in a choke grip.

The LANC control should also be improved had they made the I/O a standard LANC plug rather than the molded relief permanent cable--it's too easy to forget to disconnect the cable when removing the gear, and I have some concerns about the longevity of that built in cable.

THe LANC control handle is removable which opens up the possibility of using it from some distance away from the camera (I have a 20' LANC extension cable for use when the camera is mounted outside a vehicle

I've shot about 7 hours of a documentary with it to date, and it has performed very well.

I recommend it for consumer lightweights and reservedly recommend it for heavier prosumer cameras. You're not going to want to put a camera, lights, additional mic, transmitters and sound mixer on the head, but it does perform very nicely as a camera & mic support.



"Decent tripod, bad QA, OK return policy"
I ordered this from Warehouse Deals as a returned unit. When I got the tripod, it was decent quality for the price, with the head being decently smooth and the legs were stable and a little stronger than others lead me to believe. Unfortunately, the LANC cable, which is what set this apart from other tripods, was obviously cut in half and not user-servicable, so I had to return the unit. I got a "full refund" which apparently means the price of the unit but not the shipping costs. Shipping a unit with a cut, external, and fairly obvious defect and not refunding the shipping seems a bit less than I expected.

"Decent lightweight tripod with lanc control"
I purchased the VCT870RM after reading it was as good as a professional bogen of which I have five.

It isn't, not even close, but it is a good tripod for the price, weight and size considerations and the built in lanc control is very nice.

The tripod easily collapses to a nice compact size with flip locks (I like those far better than friction turns) and is very, very light.

The lightness works against the tripod in regards to unwanted accidental motion, but is great for travel and moving around and this is an acceptable compromise in my opinion for many situations.

I really like the built in lanc remote control (far less clumsy than add ons which I also own) with which you can turn the cam power on and off as well as the record (and photo) on and off, but most importantly it gives you a very controllable variable power zoom that allows you a slower zoom than you can manage with many of the newer Sony cam's on cam zoom controls.

The mounting plate is large and solid and the built in turn key is far handier than those that require a screwdriver or even the bogen's turn knob style.

The tilts and pans, while not as fluid or controlled as the bogens is completely acceptable.

There is one negative, there is a slight resistance to any beginning tilt move (both up and down) which resolves itself at your end motion with a "resetting" just a tad back in the direction you started in.

While you can account for this in your tilt motion to end where you want you cannot avoid the "back off" movement short of maintaining a manual rock steady(not easy to do)end pressure.

This is disappointing as it makes the tripod less than ideal in situations where precise movement is desired often or continously.

Considering this entire tripod costs significantly less than an add on lanc remote controller alone it is a very great value within it's limitations.

For on the go I will use this tripod often, for critical movement jobs the bogens will remain the tool of choice.



"Awesome Tripod"
I tried about 5 other tripods for my Sony HDR-FX1 video camera before purchasing this one. All the others had an issue with jerky motion when panning after the camera had been sitting still for a moment. With the others, there was always a slight jolt as you began to pan, which would ruin many shots. This Sony VCT870RM is the closest thing to a true fluid motion as is possible in a very affordable tripod. Having the remote operation on the tripod handle has made shooting much easier and provides better results because there is no awkwardness when trying to zoom and pan at the same time.True one handed operation of the camera. For being a lightweight tripod it is also very stable and it comes with a handy carry bag. It is well worth the price. I would recommend this tripod to anyone.