Altura Photo Phone Tripod Stand, Tripod for iPhone & Camera – 55” Monopod for Cameras, Vlogging Tripod, GoPro Tripod, Cell Phone Tripod, with 360…

I’m not overly impressed with this monopod. Its not the sturdiest monopod out there, but it should do the job for lightweight cameras/smartphones/GoPros. Personally I wouldn’t trust it with a heavy DSLR camera, but lighter mirrorless cameras should be fine. I purchased this for my Panasonic GH4 mirrorless camera and it’s “ok”. I like that it’s very compact and fits easily in my camera bag. I’ll more than likely purchase a higher end unit that’s a bit more sturdy. As long as you intend on keeping one hand on it at all times, it should work out just fine for you. Good luck!

I put a lot of wear and tear on all of my gear. Used this with an Olympus OMD EM5 and Panasonic GH5, for both photo and video. After the 2nd shoot, the twist-and-lock mechanism started to fail. And all of a sudden, I wished I had a more reliable (even though heavier) tripod with me. There just isn’t enough tactile feedback to know exactly when each of the monopod’s individual sections are fully locked, so I had a tendency to over-tighten it.

Second gripe – the feet don’t spread out further than 45 degrees. I find that silly – you could gain a lot more stability (wider base) if they were closer to parallel with the ground.

That being said, if you take good care of it, it might last you 4-6 months, possibly longer.

This is a clever product with multiple uses and an inexpensive (yet surprisingly good quality) addition to your camera equipment. Two concerns:

First, note that it’s shorter than a conventional monopod, which is typically 72″-80″ in length; ie can hold the camera at eye level when standing. It’s advertised (both online and in the packaging) as being 55″ — however, this is only when fully extended AND with a couple of attachment added (mini-tripod legs and ball mount). It wouldn’t really matter because it still wouldn’t be at standing eye level unless you’re a child or an extra from “The Wizard of Oz,” but it’s still useful if seated and if you’re taking a group picture. It wouldn’t work if you’re working a sporting event (ie the sidelines of a football game and constantly moving.

Second, it can hold most consumer-grade cameras, but I’d be cautious using equipment that was too heavy. The stand should be able to support a reasonable weight, but it’s not built to be as sturdy as a tripod. It’s the type of stand you could take to your kid’s Christmas play so you could record while sitting down without needing the floor space of a tripod. It doesn’t replace (nor does it purport to replace) an actual tripod.

One other slight concern is that the base unit extends with some difficulty, and I’m not sure how long the materials will hold up, especially since those moving parts appear to be plastic. However, the price likely reflects this. If it’s not overused and if the equipment isn’t too heavy, it should be fine for a number of years.

Good build quality. The plastic is solid not cheapo. The legs fold and extend smoothly. The ball head secures nicely. The phone holder is good the extension rod is also good. It does not bend fully extended with action or small cameras. The whole thing is a nice little mini tripod kit. Would like to see the price lower though. The tripod is available with a different ballhead under a different label and you can get other pieces that are even more solid for the same price separately. ????