Opteka 70" Full Size Professional Photo / Video Tripod

by Opteka

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4 x 4 x 25.5 inches ; 3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• ASIN: B0002XQDSS
• Item model number: OPT-7000
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (168 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 24, 2006

Product Description

Opteka applied their legendary craftsmanship and state-of-the-art engineering to create a unique professional tripod made for today's photographer/videographer. Compatible with most digital, film or video cameras.

Follow the action and keep your horizons true, shot after shot. When you move your camera for a different view, you can reset it level in seconds. No more fussing with blurry pictures or tired arms!

Features
~ 3-Way Panhead
~ Quick Release Plate
~ 90 Degree Vertical Platform
~ 2 Bubble Levels
~ Thick 1.13 inch Legs
~ Gear Operated Center Column
~ Reinforced Center Brace with Carrying Handle
~ Lower Bracing System with Locking Feature
~ Quick release Channel Lock Legs
~ Accessory Hook

Specifications
Material:Titanium Anodized High-Strength Aluminum
Camera Type: Digital, Film, Video
Maximum Height: 70 inches
Minimum Height: 25.5 inches
Leg Sections: 3
Foot Type: Non-Slip Rubber
Maximum Load: 15 lbs
Weight: 61.4 oz
Includes: Carrying Case with Strap

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

126 of 130 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Got a winner here, December 9, 2004

By 

Kyle Cain "Bookaholic" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Opteka 70" Full Size Professional Photo / Video Tripod (Electronics)

Honestly, I really did not have high expectations when I bought this tripod. I needed something for my camping / hiking trip and I didn't want to beat up my $200 Slik. Anyway, I was very surprised when I received this tripod. It is very sturdy and composed really well. It survived my trip with flying colors and I got great shots. Good price + good product = I'm happy =].

110 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bought this 8-06 ... (with revise), August 11, 2006

By 

Heather M. Ostrom "Heather O" (Roseville, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Opteka 70" Full Size Professional Photo / Video Tripod (Electronics)

I am 6ft tall and this is such a perfect tripod for someone who is a beginning/novice photographer for occasional to moderate use (would be my guess). My forté is post-production, as I am a graphic designer and needed something to use with my new dig camera. I did a lot of research for tripods and this seemed to have what I needed for my usage. The plastic clips concern me somewhat with durability for the long haul, but I would love to be surprised and that is just my nerves and luck talking. How can you beat the price regardless?

I am so happy with this tripod so far. I love how tall it is for me particularly and how easy it is to use. I did so much research online and found this 70" one and said "screw it" I am tired of looking and bought it. I knew I needed something that accomodated for my height and there isn't a whole lot out there for us tall folks that have decent ratings and is in the hundred and below dept. I didn't have the pesos to make another "hundred+" purchase and took a risk here when I rated the cost versus quality (in my head). I feel as though I have won this battle for now.

I like the two "levels" (that i have noticed) to make sure I am squared up on this piece of equipment. Equipment has a smooth pan and I will be using it for my own photo work, video tours for my husband's realtor work and recreation/family photos. I am excited to use this more with my dig Rebel. Legs extend easily. Metal (light weight) body with plastic clips and pieces. Comes with a black bag to hold your tripod also. Easy snap-off piece to remove your digital camera and to attach. In fact I just leave it always on my camera as it expedites the process when I am in a hurry.

Tripod feels quite sturdy with my Rebel attached. I think this is a really good-looking tripod. It is so SO light weight and portable. I love that it is NOT clunky and loud to assemble when pulling it straight out of the trunk/car for quickly assembly.

I would've liked to seen a manual for recommended usage and ways of maximizing longevity of the product, but I am over it and the product is great so far.

(revise 10-09-06) Still LOVE LOVE this tripod. I use it ALL the time. So easy to use and it is SO lightweight and I can just toss it in the trunk. So quick to set up too. Love it ... it ROCKS (from a tall gal).
: )

October 2008: I did lose one of the footings, but found it and snapped back on. Still works fine and I am pretty rough with my tripod. No other parts broken yet. For the price, I am still so glad I have this tripod. The panning is "so-so" for those doing virtual tours now at this point in it's tripod life. Still I make it work. I am not a professional in the sense of photography, but for what I use it for (home photos, virtual tours) it still works and does the job pretty darn well. I don't have experience with other tripods. This is my first one and the only I have had thus far. It doesn't work as well for a panning camcorder and/or flip video. Just too jerky with the plastic pieces and 360 rotation. This tripod lives in my car so I have always ready to go. I am sure to a degree I am lucky I haven't bashed it with kid toys and/or grocery bags, but you get what you pay for, and I have definitely seen my money out of this piece of equipment and then some. Maybe I have gotten lucky, and if so I am glad.

11/10: I believe in edits to a review to add dates ... this stand is still going strong for me. Unbelievable. It's nothing fancy and not good for smooth pans, but for the average joe looking for a good steady and/or someone that is tall (I don't write this to discriminate, just calling it as it is) ... this has been such a nice stand to just keep in my car.

112 of 124 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Bad ... for the money, January 17, 2006

By 

Steve E G (Sunny California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Opteka 70" Full Size Professional Photo / Video Tripod (Electronics)

This is the seond tripod I've purchased in the last 12 months, the other being a Bogen Manfrotto 728B (cost over $110). The Bogen is very nice because it is truly sturdy and well built (rated to hold several pounds while most tripods are not), and works very smoothly, but it lacks a gear crank on the main tube, does not have the weight hook at the bottom of the central tube and did not come with any bubble levels. My wife and I are both amatuer photographers, and my camera weighs over a pound. Having used both tripods, I still prefer my first one. The Opteka is made of much cheaper materials (obviously), and came out of the box looking used. It had scratches on the legs, the pan head is poorly made of cheap plastic, the central tube had been dented right at the bottom end, and I thought it was missing the weight hook. I found the weight hook in the included carrying bag, and I bent the tube back into a roundish shape so I could shove the weight hook into place. Mind you, the weight hook is plastic, and it's not threaded into the tube (it's ribbed), so it's not going to hold more than a few pounds without getting yanked out. I attached the mounting plate to my camera, and tried out the tripod. The motion (on all parts) is not terribly smooth. The legs do not glide nicely as you extend them, the controls on the pan head are not smooth and gentle, and the crank to raise the tube is not terribly smooth either. They all function just fine, but if you're looking for something that feels substantial and works smoothly, this isn't it. PROS: It's cheap, fairly light, and has a lot of features for a tripod under $40. CONS: The materials are very cheap, and the parts don't always work smoothly together. Overall, it is a great option if you don't want to risk losing or damaging a more expensive tripod, but go to a camera store and try some tripods out to see what really matters to you. Another thing I like about the Manfrotto, the legs are in four sections (the Opteka is just 3 with longer legs, too), so it collapses down to a smaller size. ON 47TH STREET: WHen I initially thought I had been denied the weight hook, I sent an e-mail to two different e-mail addresses I found for them. It took them a week to respond, and the repsonse was "call us". I found that very disappointing.