Out of the box a very well put together tripod. I used a pro's tip and fully extended it up and put weight on it to test response. Incredibly sturdy and intuitive. Very impressed with the 90 degree capabilities and other options. Manfrotto really impressed me with this piece. From the perspective of someone looking to get back into photography you cannot go wrong with this unit. I coupled it with a Manfrotto XPRO Magnesium ball head and am very happy with my purchase. love it.