SIRUI AM-25S Video Tripod, 74.8" Professional Heavy Duty Tripod with Adjustable Damping Fluid Head for Camcorder, Cameras, DSLR, 360° Pan & +90°/-75° Tilt, Quick Release Plate, Max Load 22.0lb

I'm a casting director and also offer audition recording services for actors. I use a top of the line consumer camera with an attached boom mic, so nothing too heavy, but this tripod could clearly handle much heavier professional gear. During auditions, and going from record session to record session, the height of the camera is constantly adjusting up and down to accommodate actor height differences, sitting, standing, etc. This has been a challenge for the lighter weight consumer tripods, even with the larger legs, but not enough to justify a big and bulky $600+ tripod geared more towards professional gear. However, the SIRUI AM-255 is the "just right" fit between consumer and professional needs, to include the price. The floating head is a bonus feature I never knew how much I needed and wanted. The added height from previous, less stable 72" options is really helpful with actors over 6 foot. My last tripod was a top price point among consumer offerings, much heavier duty than previous options, but there was an audible sound whenever tilting up and down that was very frustrating. Not so with the AM-255. All is quiet and smooth, and the unit is super stable, easy to raise and lower without risking pinched fingers while doing so. The size and weight are sturdy, but lightweight enough to travel with for remote projects. If I had a additional casting or recording rooms, I'd purchase this tripod again and again, but as one of my actor clients noted while admiring my new purchase - "This may go with you to the grave it's so well built!"

Nice tripot I loved

Stood strong on 2 feature films so far with medium weight cinema rig with heavy glass. Love all the options. Aesthetic is above bar.

Work's perfectly!

I looked at everything else that was available before picking this tripod which was the most expensive, but now that I received it, I think the $50 or $100 difference was well invested. This tripod is metal where it counts and should last if treated well (no over tightening of the screws, not dropping but manually extending the legs when opening, letting locking ones loose during transport, etc). It strikes a good balance between sturdiness and weight and the panning is nice and smooth in both directions. Might be a bit tight vertically, but we'll see how it ages. Now for the criticism:1. I am confident that this tripod will support my 9 lbs, $6K gear, but it still vibrates quite easily. I have not extensively tried it, but I suspect shooting with that 800mm setup will be tricky, especially if there is a bit of wind. Price of lightness, not much to do against that.2. No way to fully balance the system with only the 100-400mm lens and the battery pack. Attaching the camera itself rather than the lens creates way too much stress on the plastic battery pack. The solution is not to use the battery pack, which of course limits the continuous operating time. I do not know if there is an external power supply option.3. I would have liked a way to remove the spreader to setup the tripod on a steep slope. I might have to carry a screwdriver which is not optimal.4. Now for what I think is a big oversight: nor the bag, nor the tripod itself offer a shoulder strap options. For now, I added a spare camera strap to the tripod and that should do the job, but that does not look very good and I have no solution for the bag. The bag is well made and large enough, but it misses an other detail: there is no internal pocket where to store the two allen keys and maybe a few quarters to tighten the mounting screw.I would recommend for heavier gear.

Very nice heavy duty tripod.

I am gradually upping my game in videography and photography. I recently purchased a 160mm lens for my digital camera. I quickly learned that my old tripod wasn't up to the task of carrying this beast of a lens, so I started shopping for a more sturdy tripod. I chose the SIRUI AM-25S Video Tripod because it is rated to carry a heavy camera, and it is tall enough for me (I'm 6'4", and I want my lens at eye level). I just received my SIRUI AM-25S Video Tripod and have yet to use it on an incident, but my confidence is high! If I feel otherwise after using it for a while, I'll amend my review. For now I'll say this is an amazing tripod and a shockingly good value.

Uso este trípode para grabar deportes con una cámara y lente largo, y va perfecto. Es muy estable, el cabezal fluye suave para seguir el movimiento, y la altura es ideal para exteriores. No es liviano, pero se nota que es profesional. Muy recomendado para deportes o filmaciones serias.