I’ve come across this tripod in my research numerous times. I always thought, well you gotta be a pro making a decent living to want this, or plain crazy. Who would drop over 3k for a tripod and the company’s basic fluid head? Well, I fall into the latter group of the aforementioned as I finally purchased the Sachtler Flowtech 75 MS Carbon Fiber Tripod System with Ace XL Mark II Fluid Head. Funny thing, when it arrived, I put it up beside my Sirui SVS 75 which is a very robust and nice looking tripod. My wife took one look and said she was glad I got something cheaper this time. Not knowing the Schatler is nearly three times the price. This tripod is on the cusp, of being portable enough to take on a shoot without thinking twice (of course this relative to the application) and is large enough to park it in a studio or at home and have a small oak tree living there. I say it is portable enough and it is. They made it just weigh light enough to haul around and set up quickly (which is its signature trick). The handle that is included allows you to maneuver it pretty easily in and out of the fairly nice bag it comes with. Similarly, carrying it, albeit for relatively short distances is alright. Then the magic happens. Set up andrea’s down is not as typical as other tripods. So this makes that process pretty expedited. In use, I find it’s cornerstone to be stability. My kit came with the mid level spreader. This can be removed easily if you want to spread the legs out further or wish to cut a tiny bit of weight off. Otherwise I don’t notice it’s even there. Clipping my rigged out R6Mk2 on to the Ace XL mk2 head is easy but you need to use one off the large manfrotto style plates. I have all my stuff connected with PGY Tech QR plates for ease of compatability. Here, I have to change the plate for an outing using this video head. But, the upshot is, using long lenses or a heavy rig is much better served with a big plate as it gives allot more stability and mitigates lens drooping. Which is really useful on high zoom shots with wildlife for example. While we are on the use of the head, yes, it’s smooth in all directions and has a great counterbalance mechanism. I mean, the Sachtler basic video head is a finer piece of gear than the top models from some brands. Personally, I have used better heads, but most I have used in my years of photography aren’t as well built as the Ace XL mk2. It’s not a pro level head. But certainly can be used for pro work. Hobbyists should be thrilled with this head, in my opinion. I deck out my Flowtech legs with stuff it bags, lens changers, both NP95 and V-mount battery holders the latter two using the 3/8 screws built into the head. This way I make the tripod kind of be a power tripod that gives my camera, monitor even a small COB light all have juice in the outdoors. The tripod handles such weight as if it was meant to. If you can afford it and like nice things, I recommend this kit. Buying from Excellent Photo was smooth and they shipped quickly to Ontario. It’s not my go to shop, but after how they handled this, I’ll be visiting their website more often. I always say, bring on a loyalty program for us photographers. I think we’re a loyal bunch and there’s a market that’s being missed here. Recommended.