AOKA 15.7in/0.97lb Mini Carbon Fiber Tripod, Lightweight Compact Travel Tabletop Tripod Stand for Phone, SLR, Digital Camera,Projector, Webcam, with Metal Phone Mount & Extended Center Shaft Rod

This is really a fantastic tiny little tripod.I'm not sure whether it's better than the competition because it's the only tiny desktop tripod of its type that I own. The only other stable one I own is the Manfrotto one that is also solid, but doesn't have height adjustment.To help keep the tripod narrow, the center extender is actually detached, which normally would seem like a problem, but the include bag has a special pocket for that extender, which works great.There's also a screw in carabiner for helping to lower the center of gravity with some extra weight and improve stability. However, with it installed, you can't close the legs. Another item to just leave in the bag.The device is not stable with a mirrorless camera if a heavy lens is attached. So if using an f2.8 24-70 or 16-35, or f4 or f2.8 70-200, this little tripod is not really trustworthy.But if using a mirrorless camera with a lightweight lens, like a cheaper prime lens, or very light zoom (e.g. Sony's new FE 28-60 lens), this tripod is very stable.It comes with a smart phone mount.It also comes with the attachment for connecting regular cameras, so you could bring this tripod with you on a variety of trips (business, travel, backpacking) and it should serve just fine as a dual purpose.I also own larger travel tripods, which are excellent and can hold greater weight (DLSRs and mirrorless with heavy lenses), but even the lightest ones are about 3.5-4lbs.This little tripod, by itself, is so light you could throw it in a backpack and never even know it's there.Some other little characteristics that I found interesting.- the tripod leg locks are not spring-loaded. you have to pull them outwards, rotate the leg to the next lock point, and push the locking tab back in. Not a big deal, and feel like a solid mechanism.- one of the bolt/hinges has inner screw lines that you can attach something to. If you attached a cold shoe mounting bracket (like the ones that Smallrig sells), you could attach a monitor to a mirrorless, though that would make it unstable. You could also attach a light. My guess is that attach a shotgun mic is the main purpose for it. Though, it would have been nice if Vanmoss included a cold shoe mount from the get go.- The included ballhead mount uses a quicklock lever (really just a quarter turn screw tightener), but so far it has proven very stable. You have to unscrew the ballhead mount to attach the extender just a side note).All in all, this is an excellent little tripod with multiple uses, a lot more versatile than the desktop tripods that don't have height adjustments.Highly recommend it.

This tripod exceeds my expectations. I am so happy with it because it is very light and very compact, which is important to me, because I’m not that strong, and I want to be able to carry it with me when hiking.The latches that are released to move the legs of the tripod are easy for me to operate, unlike my previous tripod, and it truly is able to sit all the way down on the ground.I also like that the knobs for the head are not real small. Little knobs are not easy for an older woman like me, so I’m real happy at how easy I can loosen the head to adjust it.The quality of everything seems quite high. I’m feeling a little spoiled. But I have needed this for a long time.I don’t have a need or plans for using the extension, I will be fine using it with just the basic configuration. I have another tripod for when I need more height and or more steadiness. I don’t typically need that when I am hiking.

This is a very well made small tripod. It’s a great fit for a compact camera kit, working well with my Canon M3. For landscape and nature shots this offers a fine stable mount, but it’s a bit short for portraits and work where a near eye level position is required. The smart phone mount is well made and allows for selfies without needing a dedicated selfie stick. One minor irritation concerns the white lie in the advertising. The tripod only weighs 15.5 oz WITHOUT the top extension. With the top section attached it weighs in at 1 lb 1.5 oz (not the claimed “.97 LB”). This is a small tripod already and the top extension is half (or much more than half with the legs splayed widely for stability) of the total height, so the top extension is not really optional. The bubble level was a bit of a puzzle, no instructions and initially appeared unusable. However if the ball holding the camera clamp is rotated to 90 degrees (full over) and the lettering in photo #1 is used as a guide to place the shoe in alignment as in photo #2 then the bubble level is in a position to level the ball head as in photo #3. The system isn’t perfect but good enough to shoot a series to stitch together for a nice panorama. And if you’re wiling to take the time, better alignment can be checked and adjusted by rotating the ball head around the vertical axis and watching the bubble...when you’ve got it perfect the bubble will stay centered.

The media could not be loaded. This little tripod is so much better than other “ mini “ tripods that I have used in the past. This very sturdy yet small enough that I can slip it into my back pocket.There are limitations because it is a small tripod. Instead of a rising center column there is an extension included that one can add onto the tripod. This extra piece stows neatly in the side pocket of the bag. To add this you unscrew the ball-head from the top and assemble the extension in between. It’s not awful as it may sound. Once the legs and this center extension are fully extended the whole unit is rock steady for small camera or a phone.The whole thing is really good quality and I expect years of use. The twist locks are sound. The ball-head is very well made.There is a phone clamp that is included that is also very well made.I will still use my larger,” compact tripod “ on occasion, but I see this tripod as the one that I can always have handy.I had a cheap mini tripod that didn’t extend, had a bad phone clamp and a ball-head that would become loose. That mini pod cost nearly half as much as this one. So “ cheap “ is relative.Buy nice or buy twice. I am sure that the readers of this review will really appreciate this little tripod.The time lapse video that I added was taken this morning while recording twenty three minutes with my iPhone while I ate breakfast on the Illinois Tollway. I had my phone in one pocket and my tripod in my back pocket.