Customer Reviews

Vista Explorer 60-Inch Lightweight Tripod with Tripod Bag

5 star:		(149)
4 star:		(65)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This low cost tripod came up as a promotional offer when purchasing a camera so I really wasn't expecting much since the price was so low. I figured the tripod bag would cost nearly that much so decided to give it a try. While by no means is this a professional model, it is an excellent value for an affordable starter tripod or spare.

Features:
Relatively lightweight - certainly not in the lightest class but sturdy and still manages to remain light enough to not tire for standard use.

Ability to rotate in all directions.

Quick connect/disconnect feature.

Able to hold decent sized DSLR not just super light weight point and shoot models.

Decent little canvas bag.

Quick hang hook.

Good spread - fairly steady.

Ability to set-up on non level surface.

All in all, this is a terrific starter tripod or spare you can toss around, leave in the car etc for a very affordable price. Not sure about durability since I've only had a short period of time but like I mentioned before, at the current sales price a tripod bag will cost you nearly the same amount. This should have a little life in it and can double for other uses later. Better than expected at this price!

This is my first tripod purchase and my biggest priority was portability because I know that if my tripod weighed too much, I just wouldn't bother carrying it. I shoot with a Nikon D80 and a 18-200 VR lens so stability was also important. I'm in the midst of a 365 project (1 self portrait every day for a year) so the freedom of a tripod has greatly expanded my photo possibilities. I was concerned that my camera body and lens are heavy enough that I wouldn't be able to use it in a portrait orientation without tipping over. Honestly, cranked up high, its a bit rocky but doable, at least on a flat surface in my house. I'm not sure I'd trust it on a rocky slope. I sort of wish I'd gone with a ball-mount tripod rather than the 3 way adjuster but most ball mounts were beyond my desired price range. The adjustments achieve all the same motions of a ball, it just takes a little more effort to perfect it. So far so good though. I have yet to encounter a shot I couldn't get.

PROS:
-very lightweight and portable
-bag is a great bonus even though its minimal
-possible to use in portrait orientation with a Nikon D80 and zoom lens (just be careful!)

CONS:
-less stable than I was hoping for
-3 way adjuster takes some getting used to

Overall, I am fairly satisfied with the tripod. It's a nice starting point. However, down the road I'm sure I'll desire a more substantial pro-style one.

i also got this tripod with my camera on a promotional offer and didnt expect much but i was surprised in how versatile and sturdy it is!

you can point it in any direction and orient the camera how you like. big plus for me because i like to point my camera at the sky.

the locking mechanisms allow you to control how tight or loose you want to be able to move your camera very well. at the appropriate tightness, you can move the camera very smoothly and it will stay in place when you let go, but make sure its not too loose. all the tightning nuts can all be adjusted by hand too, including the piece that connects to the camera(ive seen some tripods that require a screwdriver).

this tripod is sturdy, and can be set up very quickly. and it packs up nicely. i can attach it to my rebel camera bag with no problems.

Im very happy with this tripod.

Pros: Good height, quick detach, fairly good construction, lightweight, low price.

Negative: At full extension the lower leg segments are a little flimsy.

Still great features for the price. No real complaints.

This tripod is light and definitely for the amateur photographer, not for a pro. As others have stated, it's fine as a first tripod, and if you're looking for one on the cheap.

Features:
-The extendable legs are adjustable, and allow you to level your camera/camcorder, even on slopes or uneven surfaces.
-The included tripod bag isn't terribly fancy, but just that it's included is a plus.
-Built in bubble level. It's not much, but at least it's there.
-Pans and tilts - Meaning it goes, up and down, and left and right. Most (but not all) budget tripods do that anyway, so it's not a groundbreaking feature, but should be mentioned for something at this price range.
-Detachable head, for if you want to quickly remove your camera/camcorder.

Pros:
-Tall enough for most people (I'm 5'10"). Unless you are gigantically tall yourself.
-When folded, it's pretty small, and would be very convenient for carrying around.
-Fairly sturdy aluminum. It definitely supports the weight of larger cameras. That said, I wouldn't lean against it.
-It's fairly easy to detach the head, though you need both hands to put it back onto the tripod. (If you have multiple cameras/camcorders, I'm sure you can buy extra heads from the manufacturer.)

Cons:
-The plastic used for the feet, the head, and the handle just doesn't feel like it will last long. I have no doubt that with medium use, it'll start to wear and tear pretty quickly.
-Tilting and panning is not smooth at all, and ends up being sorta jerky.

The panning and tilting is not a problem for just photos, just don't use it for video. There are knobs on the tripod which allow you to loosen the head, but it's more intended for you to reposition and then retighten the knob. Certainly if you don't need smooth panning and tilting, then this one is fine.

For $25 (or less for those who got it on promotion), this is pretty good. If you want to move up beyond the ~$30 tier of budget tripods, the next step up are the tripods that are three or four times the price.

I also had this tripod come up while purchasing a camera and figured it would suffice until I decided to get something better. I was very suprised with the quality of this item. It's light, compact and fucntions very well. Javajunki's review is spot on.

I would definitely recommend this item.

this tri-pod was puchased for a point and shoot digital camera. i was unsure of choice after looking at all the choices at amazon. i paid $80 for my camera and didnt want to spend $100 or more for a quality tripod. this product had only 3 reviews when i made my choice. i am very pleased at the quality. it is stable even fully extended. in wind you will need to and some weight to it though. very light weight for travel. easy set-up and take-down. the bag that comes with it is light-weight and made of durable canvas not nylon. that is a bonus.

This is my second tripod. My first was a Vanguard traveler that I bought for my Canon S1000 Point-and-shoot. It was a very compact tripod (16"-54") that worked out great for the P&S but was completely unusable when I got a Canon Digital Rebel XSi DSLR. That's when I got the Vista Explorer, for around the same price as the Vanguard. Its been about 6 months now with the Vista.

Pros:
1. Very inexpensive given features and weight rating. Was genuinely surprised with its build quality and features when I received it, given the price.
2. Holds the Xsi very securely at most of the orientations, heights and tilt angles. I have only the starter lens (18-55mm) on it and no attachments. I'm not sure how it would handle with heavier lenses, but I suspect it should do fine with most of the standard ones.
3. Has relatively smooth rotation, tilting and height adjustment, with locks abound.
4. The feet extensions have held very securely so far, which is more than I can say for the umbrella type extensions on the Vanguard.
5. 60" is a very good height for most purposes, and makes a world of difference from the 54" on my previous tripod.
6. Has built-in spirit levels which have proved very useful for ensuring level placement.
7. All of the adjustments and locks are quick and easy. Takes less than 2 minutes on average from bag to fully set-up.
8. Very light-weight, though sturdy.
9. Has a very convenient carrying handle built in.
10. Has a hook for weight attachment. I was planning to tie a bag filled with sand to it when taking pictures at the beach, but ended up not having to since it seemed to hold up to the breeze quite well even without it.
11. Comes with a bag. The Vanguard's bag was much better quality, but this one does just fine.

Cons:
1. The Vanguard easily fit into my backpack while flying. This is too tall to fit into a cabin bag.
2. The screw clamp for the sideways tilt doesn't quite lock the tilt however tight I screw it.
3. Rotation and tilt adjustments are smooth enough for adjustment purposes, but not quite smooth enough for video panning. But I hardly ever shoot videos anyway.

Overall, excellent value starter tripod for your starter DSLR.

I have an old tripod (from college.....sometime when the dinosaurs roamed the earth....the 70's) that still works if you are very careful....so why would I want to actually spend this thing called money on something new when mine is not really broken......this new light technology and stuff is neat....it comes with it's own bag....nice.....probably three TIMES lighter than my old one.....i used it the first week I got it....to shoot still shots.....NO flash allowed....for my daughter's drill team...indoors...at a distance....i actually extended one tripod leg onto the lower bleacher level and the pictures were priceless. I would NOT have been able to do it hand-held. Since she is my youngest, and a senior....I will NOT get to do this again. I treasure the pictures I got without a flash....because of this tripod. Needless to say, my old tripod would not have even come close to closing the deal. For me that one day of shots was worth the price of the tripod....but i can still use it for many, many years. For me it was worth every penny....i did get it on sale, which is even sweeter.

I got this as a starter tripod to use with my Nikon D40. It serves its purpose well for taking longer exposures of still objects, for group portraits that I'm supposed to be in, and for self-portraits.
What it doesn't work so well for is HDR photography, something I'd been hoping to do. t's just not quite stable enough, so the photos come out at slightly different angles. No big loss, but something to consider.
I also tried a bit of video with my family's point and shoot, and the tripod moved very smoothly. I don't know how well it would work with a true video camera, but I can't imagine it being terrible.
Overall, I'm quite happy with my purchase. It's fairly sturdy, it looks good, and it comes with a nice little bag so I can carry it around. I'm happy with my purchase, but I'd probably buy a more expensive (and better) one if I could do it over.