No Regrets!

I bought a new camera last year and figured it was time to upgrade my tripod too. My main requirements were for a tripod I could use in my "studio" (basement :-) and one that could be used for landscape and night photography. I considered stability the most important focus of my search.

I went to the local camera store, which had a nice selection from Bogen, Slik and a few other more generic brands. I wasn't looking for something made of carbon fiber costing many hundreds of dollars so I went to work comparing the several floor models. I brought my gear so I could get a feel for how the camera would act on each tripod. Like I said, stability was my main focus, other features were secondary.

My eyes focused on the Slik 700DX immediately and I was pretty certain that this would be my choice before I even began my comparisons. It appeared very well built, especially compared to the other tripods there. In addition, the pan/tilt head was rock solid when tightened. I was surprised that several other heads at the store could not be tightened to my satisfaction. Before I critique, here are the specs....

The legs consist of 3 sections. The sections use grooves to avoid turning while being tightened. When fully extended, the legs elevate the head to 60" without raising the column. Each leg has 3 angle adjustments that allow them to stay (without getting my protractor) 30'/45'/60' relative to the center column. The last position is not very useable with the standard column because it is 21" long. As a result, you will need to purchase the optional short column (about $20) for low-to-the-ground work. The legs also have a free angle adjustment to allow any reasonable angle for each leg. It can easily be adjustable to rough terrain. The feet are rubberized and do not have spikes. The legs are made of a Titanium alloy and are very light compared to how sturdy they are....with the head, this unit weighs 7 lbs.

The pan/tilt head is very well made and includes dual bubble levels. The 700DX uses quick-release disks available in 1/4" or 3/8". A single 1/4" is included. There is a safety release on the disc that prevents it from being separated from the column without pressing a button. When clamped down, the disk is held very firmly in place. The center column has two adjustments, but is manual and not geared. Construction of the head is very good. There is very little plastic used in making this head. When everything is tightened up the head will not budge at all. Slik claims the whole unit is rated at 15 lbs and I do not doubt that.

What I like about the Slik 700DX--

It is extremely sturdy and will not budge at all if properly set up. The head offers great range of motion and all movements are fluid without any grabbing or unnecessary friction. The quick-release is interchangeable with other Slik heads including their ball head designs. I am convinced that this tripod will hold up to abuse very well and will serve me for a very long time.

What I do not like about the Slik 700DX-

It is heavy (7 lbs) so it will be a pain in the butt on long outings. The smaller center column really should be standard on this tripod, while the long one should be the option. Fully extended, the tripod brings the camera right up to eye level (I am 6' 2") without raising the column, but for low work the center column is too long for the legs. Even with the small column the camera sits 2' off the ground. The standard column raises that to almost 3'. I also wish the head came with an extra quick-release disk.

My Epinion--

If stability is key, this tripod will not let you down. It is more expensive than many of it's competition, but I feel that the construction quality makes up for any cost difference. I give this tripod my highest recommendation.

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as an addendum to this review...I have updated much of my gear over the years but not my tripod. I have now used this beast with every type of camera from 35mm to 4x5 view cameras. I use it all the time with my RB67 ( a 6x7cm med format camera) and have no plans to buy a new tripod. I will say that the 4x5 view ( it was a monorail Toyo G) was a bit of a stretch and gave me hell when used to shoot macros on the ground. The weight balance was awkward. SO I guess the bottom line is that this tripod is suitable for ANYTHING short of a 4x5 or 8x10 view camera.

One shortcoming I have found is in the hardware used to assemble the tripod. While the legs and head of the tripod are made of corrosion proof material...the screws that hold it together are not. I don't think twice about shooting in the rain, snow or on the beach and the tripod has been completely submerged dozens of times...Over the last few years I have noticed rust forming on the heads of the screws. Now it is only surface rust but it is there.

This tripod should have been constructed with stainless steel screws or something similar. It does not effect the durability of the tripod since the rust will take decades to get to the point where it destroys the screws, but it is a little ugly. Of course my 700DX is so well used and banged up right now from almost daily use that it is pretty ugly to begin with. Overall I am still amazingly happy with my purchase and I would definitely consider buying another one of these fine tripods if mine ever wears out.

update 10-10-06

this tripod has had some solid use over the years and it is still going strong. I ABUSE my tripods. I must admit that I have replaced this tripod as my PRIMARY tripod and I now use a composite Bogen and a 3047head... but I still keep this tripod as my backup and it does get pulled out from time to time. I am very glad I bought this tripod. It was well worth the money and it has held up to my abuse very well.