Smith-Victor Propod IV

I am looking at a Smith-Victor Propod IV tripod with a Pro4 head. It is rated to hold 22lbs, which would be sufficient for a roughly 15lb camera. The tripod is a little heavy, but I don't do much shooting outdoors so it is not a problem. My concern is that it is selling for a pretty low price, which is why I am interested in it, but the price seems like it could be too good to be true: $149.95 A search on the APUG forums turned up info on their lighting, but nothing on tripods. Does anyone have experience with this tripod that would suggest what to do? It seems like a tremendous bargain, but on the other hand it may fall apart after a few months. I'd like to know before I buy it :rolleyes: Thanks again!

- Justin

I've not seen that tripod in person, but in general, Smith-Victor makes good, reliable products. They have been around, doing what they do, for a very long time. Another you may want to consider is the Tiltall, which has been discussed in various threads here. Another approach for an economical tripod is to use a surveyor's tripod, with the addition of a photographic style head.

The original Tiltalls are sturdy and durable. A fifteen lb load might be pushing it too far. I regularly use mine for up to 5x7 cameras with up to 500mm lenses, though.