Camera Gear Review: The Slik Tripod

If you've ever wanted to upgrade your average tripod to something a little more professional, then you'll love the Slik tripod. While it may not be a true "professional" tripod, it is a great tool that will suffice for most types of lenses and slr cameras.

What is it?

The Slik tripod is a better than average tripod that will not break your budget. It is well built, stylish, and it feels like a professional tripod. So if you're looking to upgrade your old flimsy tripod to a Slik tripod, then you've made the right choice.

Why Buy it?

If you do a lot of outdoor shooting in a windy environment, then the extra weight of this tripod will help to stabilize your camera. This will help to prevent any blurriness from occurring in your pictures. Plus, if you're using an expensive dslr then you'll probably feel a little more at ease about leaving your camera on your Slik tripod. Cheap tripods feel so fragile that many of us stress out about our expensive cameras falling off and shattering into a million pieces. The solid construction and added weight of this tripod also makes it a fairly decent weapon. Muggers beware. Just kidding folks. Sort of.

How it's Different -

If you're used to using a cheap tripod, then the first thing you'll probably notice about the Slik tripod is the weight. At around seven or eight pounds, this tripod may be too heavy for some individuals. You don't have to be Superman to carry this tripod around, but you do need to realize that this tripod is going to weigh a bit more than the cheap tripod your used to. Also, the Slik tripod can actually be lowered to just fifteen inches off the ground. This can aid you with angling your shots better.

The legs on a Slik tripod basically branch out to an almost horizontal level, which helps enable the tripod to be lower to the ground. What about the height, you ask? If you're a relatively tall person (6' 2"), then you'll appreciate how high this tripod can be. At its tallest height, the Slik tripod is about seventy-five inches high. So if you are fairly tall, then you will no longer have to crane your neck when you're shooting your photographic subjects.

Durability -

This camera will last for years or more without any problems. It's really that well made. The tripod is made of a titanium alloy substance that makes it really strong. There are plastic parts to this tripod, but it's mostly comprised of metal. A few people have stated that the plastic locking mechanisms on the Slik tripod have broken off, which made their tripod useless. But overall, this appears to be a very limited problem. And for the price, well, it's worth the risk.

Price -

As of October 2008, you can find the Slik tripod for around one hundred thirty dollars on online sites such as Amazon. After shipping it may cost around one hundred forty to one hundred fifty dollars. But it's well worth the money.

As you can see, the Slik tripod is a great tripod for photographers on a budget. It may not be a true professional tripod, but it definitely acts and feels like one.