Customer Reviews

Sunpak 620-092 9002DX Tripod with 3-Way Quick-Release Pan Head

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The tripod has excellent maximum height when fully extended. The weight anchor provides more than ample support on a windy day - use your own judgement if the winds really pick up. The build quality is above average. It may not be suited for the Professional but is more than sufficient for the casual user. There is a handle to carry the tripod when the unit is fully collapsed. A good buy - don't be fooled by the low price.

This tripod replaces a lightweight slik tripod that became loose after seven years of service. This one is study, higher, and weighs just a little bit more. I am using it with Canon 30D, and the support is definitely sufficient.

When I saw this item on Amazon, I was pretty excited. A decent tripod for little money. But don't be fooled. This is a cheap tripod. Granted, it has some decent features and it's functional, but it's fairly flimsy and it the motions are very poor. I've tried using it with my camcorder to get some decent pan shots and it's very difficult -- the tripod has enough flex in it that any pressure I put on it moves the camera, and the motion of the head is very unpredictable. If you're just planning on setting a camera on something and occasionally moving it between scenes, it's probably fine. But if you intend to use it as a platform for basic movie-making, it's a very poor choice.

I wasn't expecting very much when I purchased this tripod, seeing as it was about $40.

I was surprised to find that the height is wonderful, and the bubble levels are great for making my shots straight.

It also comes with a second quick-release head, which I don't have any use of right now, but probably in the future and I don't have to screw and unscrew them to switch off cameras.

Overall, it's a great product for the price.

I bought this tripod in spring of 2004, and it's been with me these four years now through thick and thin on all my adventures (including the 10'000 mile North American road trip over two weeks in mid-December, including driving through all of Yellowstone right after a -40 degree cold spell). I'm 6 feet tall, and I've used it on my film SLRs (light ones like the Ricoh XR7 and heavy ones like the Canon FTb) with decent-sized lenses, and with my point-and-shoots (Canon A620 is probably one of the larger p&s, also an early little Nikon Coolpix) with fabulous results. Just fabulous. I wouldn't want to use it for movies because the panning is not the best for that but this is great bang for the buck for the photography enthusiast (which I'd much rather do than making movies). Comes with two detachable mounting plates (you do own two bodies, right?). Someday I'll upgrade to a Bogen or something and will probably wonder how I lived before, but this is the best $20 I've ever spent on artistic gear.

My good, but old Bogen tripod was stolen, so I purchased this one in a hurry for an upcoming shoot. The Sunpack has many nice features for the price, and it is VERY light weight. Thus I can pack it around (I bought the case too) all day without a problem. But, it is lightweight because of all the plastic connectors and such.
So despite what the specs say, it just isn't sturdy enough to hold my Nikon D80 DSLR. I should have paid more and gotten a heavier and heavier-duty tripod. I couldn't even get the plastic Quick-Release tightened satisfactorily. However, if you've got just a small lightweight camera, this tripod has great features at a great price!

This tripod is sturdy, easy to use and has great height. The controls are large enough to be easy to use. I ordered this on the 18th and got it on the 19th. Don't know how they did that. The only complaint I have, I was a bit disappointed when I did not get a case in the box. Under "Technical Details" it clearly states that there is a carry case in the box.

excerpt: In the box: Tripod, 1/4 x 20 thread mount, two quick-release platforms, carry case.

Because it said it had a case I did not buy one.

Mine arrived with the ball head broken off. The packing was awful, but that even wasn't the mail reason - the inner Sunpak box was barely deformed. I truly understand that I shouldn't have expected much for 29 bucks, but I expected it at least not to fall apart. The overall quality was very bad as well, the whole thing wobbled too much. And this model does not come with the carrying case. Shortly after I returned it I accidentally came across a similar quality level no-name tripod in Ross, but there were three key differences. First, it costed $5.99 (that is - six bucks) - a fair price for this. Second, it was WAY more stable and sturdy and did not break down so far (couple weeks since I bought it). And third - it came with a nylon case. It is still a very cheap and low quality tripod, but unlike this one, it works, and it costs 1/5th of its price. Hope this helps to make a decision.

I purchased this tripod for a hand-held video camera. The lightweight aluminum structure does not seem sturdy enough for video filming, but the weight anchor makes the tripod stable. Although it does not advertise to have a fluid panhead, the adjustable head has the proper flexibility and control for the camcorder to rotate freely and fluidly in all directions (360 degrees horizontally and 180 degrees vertically). The platform and the quick-release mechanism are rather basic and delicate. The bolt knob underneath the platform is difficult to lift and turn. The bubble leveler on the platform is one-dimensional and hard to read. Nevertheless, the tripod works well with the small camcorder for occasional casual yet quality video filming.

I ordered this Sunpak tripod and the Slik U9000. I decided to keep the Slik tripod because it felt smoother and more solid. The size, price, and weight of the two tripods were similar. Here are some other observations:

The Sunpak tripod has two bubble levels. One at the top of the tripod base and one on the tripod head. This is a nice feature. The Slik U9000 only has one bubble level on the tripod base.

The Sunpak handle is slightly awkward because it is not at the center of gravity when the tripod is collapsed. The Slik tripod has no handle.

The Sunpak tripod has a plastic hook that feels somewhat flimsy. The Slik unit has no hook. (but I can still tie weight around the center post if i really need it)

And finally, some links for reference:
Slik Heavy-Duty Tripod with 3-Way Fluid-Effect Head and Built-In Bubble Level
Slik U9000 Video / Photo Tripod with a Soft Carrying Case