Comments about Benro Benro TRA-169 Travel Angel, Aluminum Tripod with Quick Release Ball Head, Maximum Height 59", Supports 8.8 lbs (4 kg):

First impression of this tripod is small, fragile, not so easy to unfold and my most concern is its small ballhead. I get used with bigger ballhead as Bogen 488 and Giottos. Can it hold up to 4 Kg (8.5 lbs) weight as advertised ?

When it comes to field test, I'm happy with the performance. Yes it's not as easy to unfold compared to tripod with clamp mechanism, but it's OK, one turn to unfold and one reverse turn to lock the unfolded leg.

Ballhead is surprisingly stable to hold DSLR as D300 with 12-24 lens on landscape position. It can still hold my camera in portrait position, but better use L Plate for bigger DSLR. For DSLR as D60, D3000, EOS 500D with smaller lens and it should be OK to placed in portrait position to this tripod (not with 70-200 f/2.8 attached)

I like night landscape and architecture photo. Before this I have to carry bigger folded tripod which is a bit troublesome for casual trip unless its photo hunting session. Now its easy to carry this small tripod almost anywhere inside my backpack.