About once a year, I get annoyed with my Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod and go shopping for a replacement. This time, I tried the popular Ulanzi + Coman Zero-Y - which is not nearly as good as everyone raves about. I also tried several from a brand I had not really experienced before but was getting some attention on YouTube - Fotopro.I ordered three different Fotopro tripods:1. The Fotopro X-Aircross 3 Lite which seemed to be the new trend in PD tripod alternatives. The Aircross 3 was lame. Basically a toy. Not sturdy with internal leg locks that sounded like they were breaking with every turn.2. The Fotopro X-Airfly is about the same size as the Ulanzi but a bit sturdier. Still, not good enough to replace the PD tripod.3. This Fotopro X-Airfly Max impressed me to the point that out of the 8 tripods I tried out, it was the only one that I did not return. While it is not a short as the PD tripod when collapsed, it expands to the same height. What surprised me is that the X-Airfly Max is incredibly sturdy - even more than the PD tripod. Part of the reason for stability is the use of 4 leg sections instead of 5 - which is why it doesn't collapse down as small. The leg tubes are also quite beefy and have a wider stance the the PD or really any tripod I've tried in this size range. The leg locks are mildly spring-loaded and are very easy to open and close while also being comfortable to handle. The inverted ball head is a little taller than typical but works flawlessly. I'm also a sucker for accent colors and the orange version of the tripod looks really cool.So, although the Fotopro X-Airfly Max hasn't necessarily replaced the Peak Design Travel Tripod in my collection, it has replaced an aluminum Slik tripod that was bigger collapsed, smaller expanded, heavier and less sturdy. I've used the Fotopro X-Airfly Max several times already and it continues to impress with its stability.
