SIRUI AM-284 Carbon Fiber Tripod for Travel, Professional Camera Tripod with 4-Section Legs, Twist Leg Locks, Detachable Metal Spikes, Loads up 33LB, Max Height 47.2“

This is an exceptional tripod and ball head, and for the money in particular. Strikes a great balance for leg size, weight and sturdiness while maintaining a very manageable size . The absence of built-in a center column (which can be purchased separately please note) is a positive to me, because the "fold-up" size is much more compact and with flip out screens on DSLRs/MFTs these days working at chest height is easy. The carbon legs and leg locks are very good medium size and feel very high quality and durable. I like the A-10R ballhead and use it with an L bracket where the panning function of the head seems great allowing both rough (lower) collar ring and fine-tuning (upper) ring on the ball adjustments with plenty of capacity load for a full frame DSLR and a beefy lens like the Sigma 14-24. The tripod can easily be slipped into a small carry on bag for travel, especially if one removes the ball head it's very light and svelte. I looked at a number of other tripods in this price range and candidly nothing came close in my opinion looking at alts like Mefoto, Manfrotto, Benro and even other Sirui tripods (in terms of value).

I bought this in 2023 and for the last two years it has been my primary, go to, tripod for hikes and backyard photography. Because its small, it packs easily for the longer distance walks or hikes I take. Im 5’10” and I have to crouch down a bit in order to look through the viewfinder of my camera. So I normaly just sit, or kneel and keep the camera low while using it.The legs extend and retract easy and the entire design feels SOLID.If you want a tripod that wont break the bank and will give you maximum value, look no further than the Sirui AM-284.

Exactly what I was looking for, it works perfectly with my iOptron astrophotography mount. The tripod is rock solid, light and portable.

I think tripods are my single most important piece of gear and own 5 of them. 2 are Sirui, my other one being one the largest they make. Base on the quality of the large tripod, I purchased this one. This tripod is solid enough that I can use it under a Sony 200-600 zoom and still get the support needed to get sharp shots. It extends high enough that I don't have to kneel down to see through the viewfinder, and even when it's fully extended, it's remarkably solid. I was prepared to buy a different head for it, and when I first used it, almost resigned myself to doing so, but the wobble I was feeling was due to the QR mechanism not having been seated correctly at the factory. Using the provided hex wrenches, I removed the QR, and re-mounted it, solving the problem. The ball locks solidly, moves smoothly and is very well built with really nice precision machining. The case is nice, but I really won't be using it much. Folded, it easily attaches to teh side of my pack, and especially when considering how solid it is, the weight is very reasonable.

I have a Manfroto tripod I've been using for years, but I needed a smaller tripod that I could tuck in my carry-on for a Hawaii trip, and didn't want to spend Manfroto prices. This tripod fit the bill perfectly. It's super light, and does compress down to about 17.5 inches as it states, so it fit inside my pelican case just fine with the ball head removed. I'm not a huge fan of the twist to tighten type of legs, but they work well enough most of the time. Overall, would recommend as a small travel tripod.

I have only used them 5 or 6 times, but so far no sand or grit has gotten in even though I have stuck them in mud, sand, and partway underwater. Solid, more so than you would think by the size and price. thankfully NO SHAKY CENTER COLUMN (I cant stand center columns!) they can made great tripods average and average tripods junk. Its easy to unlock all the leg sections with one twist, plenty tall considering how easy they are to pack, haul around strapped to my camera bags.Really happy with these, I was starting to think I was doomed to only use my massive Gitzos. These work great with my Nikon 24-70 and 70-200 2.8 with my Z8 and Mamiya 645, 45mm 2.8, 80mm 1.9, 150mm and are ideal for mid and smallish sized mirrorless cameras... I have shoot with wide angle lenses for several minute exposures and 1/15th-1/30th with the longer lenses and macro.

I am using it for a small telescope (SeeStar 50). It works great. sturdy and at a good height. Highly recommend it.

This is a great tripod, both in the absolute sense, and especially for the money. I paid a hundred sixty bucks for it, and it's worth it. But lately in 2024 I see that it often is a hundred thirty. And its lighter brother the 254 sometimes is just over a hundred. At those prices, these tripods are an absolute steal. Probably 20 years ago I bought a Gitzo 1548 when they were almost a thousand bucks in the US, and I paid over half that from a dealer in the UK. While the Gitzo is extremely well made, so is this Sirui. There is simply no reason to spend more, if this diameter and load capacity meets your needs.