The Celestron Regal Premium Tripod should be stable yet lightweight and easy to operate, requiring minimal knob twisting and lever flipping. The Celestron Regal was designed to be your perfect tripod. It is lightweight and compact, yet it can hold up to almost 8.8lbs of equipment. The Celestron Regal Tripod is topped with a two-way fluid pan head. The single handle makes it easy to move the head around, while two knobs, located on the same side of the head make it easy to adjust the tension of the pan and tilt. A quick release plate with standard 1/4-20 thread mount makes it easy to attach a spotting scope, binocular, camera, or small telescope to the tripod. The quick release plate also doubles as a balance rail allowing the optic to be balanced when attached to the tripod. For additional peace of mind the quick release plate has a safety mechanism which prevents it from sliding completely out of the pan head without pushing the release button. The aluminum legs of the Regal Tripod are fully adjustable, not just in length, but in their angle as well. Each leg is made up of four sections that can be shortened or lengthened with the flip of a simple lever lock. This makes it easy to make the tripod a little taller or a little shorter as your terrain or needs change. Each leg can also be set to three different angles. If the place you need to set up your tripod is not perfectly flat, the ability to adjust the angle of one or more legs makes all the difference. With the center column fully extended, the maximum height achieved is nearly 69" (59" with the column down). The center column of the Regal Tripod does more than just go up and down. The bottom end of the column holds a retractable balance hook. This simple device can make all the difference in the stability of your tripod, especially on windy days. Just hang something heavy from the hook like a backpack and you'll be amazed at the difference. When the hook is not needed, it retracts up into the center column to stay neatly out of the way. Two of the legs come with padded wraps, providing protection for your shoulder when carrying and making it more comfortable to make adjustments during cold weather. The legs also feature retractable spiked feet with the ability to change from rubber to spiked feet if the terrain requires it with the simple turn of the rubber pad. Other features include bubble levels, located on the top of the tripod as well as on the side of the pan head and a carrying case. The case is the perfect place to store your tripod when not in use and makes it easy to transport via the shoulder strap.