Insight on a "new" tripod

SecondShot

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Hey guys,

So last week I got a gift from my father-in-law who had dropped off a tripod for me. He'd heard that I was researching tripods and trying to find a cost-effective one that still was able to carry an anticipated load. I was still in the middle of researching joby and some lower-end manfrotto tripods, when he dropped his find at Goodwill. For $5, he was able to snag a SLIK 511QF Pan/Tilt tripod.

I was very happy and surprised because I had never had a tripod, and figured anything is better than nothing. I started to dig to find out more on this tripod. Google, Amazon, Ebay - anywhere that I could think of that could tell me its strengths and weaknesses, reviews, weight limit, anything. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to glean much online. From what I could deduce, it's a discontinued model in a video tripod series. It has collapsible/extendable legs and can extend/telescope up to 57". It's fairly light, but seems sturdy.

I did some test shots, and it seems straightforward enough, but I was curious if anyone knows of SLIK's reputation/craftsmanship or anything that might be useful to know about video tripods, etc.
 
Adorama sells Slik. Here are some of their models, I didn't see the one you listed but you should either be able to find a comparable one or contact Adorama and ask there customer service reps if they know anything.
Category
Or you could just contact Slik
SLIK TRIPODS
 
Slik makes consumer-grade tripods which range in quality from decent down to 'barely acceptable'. Some (especially older ones) tend to have weak/poorly designed leg hinges and locks and use a lot of plastic, however as long as you're not going to hang a full-frame DSLR with a 400mm 2.8 off of this tripod, it should be okay for the near-term. I would be very careful though, to examine all of the joints, hinges and locks/stops and ensure that they work correctly and are not damaged.
 
Here is a link from the U.S. Distributor of Slik. It is likely that yours is somewhere between the 505QF and the 515QF i.e. a 10-11lb capacity. THK Photo Products, Inc.
 
Thanks for the links and breakdown Scatterbrained and Tirediron. I did a cursory check on the legs, and they seem reliable enough - but I think you might be on to something about the plastic - the feet are plastic (where i'd expect rubber feet for better grip). The base seems fine, some sort of metal alloy, but the head is mostly plastic.

If anything, I suspect it may do me fine, and help me determine what to look for whenever I upgrade :)
 
Why do you want to read a review of something you already have? Reviews are to aid to potential buyers make a decision. If anything you should be writing a review!
Have a play with it and judge for yourself.

It's depressing to realise that we've become so reliant on google that we've lost the ability to think for ourselves.
 
Why do you want to read a review of something you already have? Reviews are to aid to potential buyers make a decision. If anything you should be writing a review!
Have a play with it and judge for yourself.

It's depressing to realise that we've become so reliant on google that we've lost the ability to think for ourselves.
He said himself he has never had a tripod so was likely looking for some info on the one he was just given and how it stacks up to others. i.e. should he keep it or keep looking.
 

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