Ok, so I don't hate this tripod. That's probably an odd way to start out a review, but here we are...First of all, let me give a bit of background so you know where I'm coming from. I've been a professional photographer for over 16 years. I do a LOT of off-camera lighting and it's not really an exaggeration to say that I've owned dozens of light stands over the years from a variety of makers. Some of them I still have (and use), while others have not survived. I know what works for me and what doesn't.The closest comparison in my collection to this unit is a Manfrotto 5001B Nano light stand that, when folded up is almost the exact same size and weight as the Fotopro. I do like how compact this style of tripod/light stand is versus some of the other styles I own.With the legs extended, this has a smaller footprint than the Manfrotto. This is a good thing when not extending to its full height, but the much smaller base make this feel unsteady fully extended. Also, there is a LOT of flex in the pole when fully extended. The Manfrotto has proven itself capable of supporting a heavier speedlight (such as a Godox w/ trigger), but attaching a Godox to this Fotopro is just not a good idea at full height. It claims to be rated to hold more weight by almost twice than the Manfrotto, but it is just way too unsteady at full height with a light attached for me to trust it.Also, I absolute hate the twist knobs for locking. I've never had a tripod or light stand with that style of knob that didn't fail. To test it out, I put one of my studio strobes onto this stand and, sure enough, the pole started to collapse on itself from the weight (and I should note that the strobe I attached is within the rated weight limit stated by the manufacturer). There's just no way to tighten these knobs enough for them to reliably hold without the knobs breaking or stripping. The product photo that shows a full size strobe, with softbox, AND a weight supported by this stand is highly unrealistic.One of the legs of this stand is extendable. I presume this is to help level the stand on uneven ground, but the choice to only make one leg extendable is a very odd one. It's like a half-thought out feature.Despite the criticisms, like I said at the start, I don't hate this light stand. I think I can find uses for it. For example, I sometimes have need for a stand that can hold a light fairly close to the ground -- something not all of my light stands can do. The small form factor when folded up and the light weight make this a very portable option, especially if I have an assistant who can hold onto it to help keep it steady.I'm going to be generous and give this 3 stars, but what it really deserves is 2.5 -- right in the middle of the road.The question is, would I buy it (this unit was sent to me free for review purposes)? Honestly, I doubt it. While this isn't a bad light stand, there are just too many shortcomings for me to be happy with it at the current price point. The Manfrotto I compared this to is more steady, has proven itself to me on multiple shoots, and is less expensive.
