Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this tripod as a replacement for my Dolica Proline Ballhead that served me well for few years, so for simplicity, I'll just compare these two side by side. Ballhead: Dolica - somewhat flimsy, takes few months for black paint to wear out before it becomes more or less smooth. Camera plate is unique and should be ordered from Dolica only. Hard to adjust, has a tendency to drift from locked position. Quick release works so-so. Has a bubble level that is somewhat useful. Ravelli - nice smooth head, easy to adjust, stays put once locked. No bubble level. Camera plate seems unique. Still have to figure out where to get extra plates. Quick release works pretty well. Legs: Dolica - very easy to unfold and adjust, has both rubber and steel points on each leg, can be lowered down to almost ground level. Locking is reliable, but the tripod itself is not very stable. Once folded, fits into 21" carry-on (on a diagonal). Having rubber grips on each leg is nice, especially in a cold weather. Also, has a build-in small compass and level. Compass is somewhat useful, level is not. Ravelli - folding and unfolding is somewhat tricky, as well as adjusting the height - or may be it takes time for me to re-learn from Dolica type mount. More stable than Dolica. Can be lowered down to almost ground level. Has only rubber points, so gripping to icy surfaces can be a challenge. No compass or level. Rubber grips on two legs only (why?) Packs to a compact 18", however, big bag makes it look bulky. Bag: Dolica - very well made, nice looking and convenient bag with zipped internal pocket. Easy to carry. Ravelli - not as slick as Dolica's. Zips only on a top, so taking the tripod out or packing it in takes longer time. There is one external zipped pocket. Price: Both are in a close price range, however, with Ravelli, you are getting an extra smaller tripod which is quite usable and well made, too (BTW, legs look like mini-Dolica). With Ravelli, extra camera plate is included, which is not the case with Dolica. Ravelli's carbon fiber version looks, feels and weights exactly the same as aluminum. Overall, Ravelli seems to be better than Dolica both in quality and value.