My two "GOTO" tripods are about 25 years old now, but they are the most used of about a dozen that I still have. They are both Slik 212 U Professional models. I like them for their stability, even when fully extended to almost 7', their crank-up center column with barrel lock, the feet that easily convert from rubber to spike just by turning the rubber feet and their spike extends out of it's center (nothing to loose), The 1/4-20 male stud on both ends of the center column is great so the head can be attached above or below, making a photo shoot really close to the ground very easy, and the ability to adjust any leg to any angle past it's usual stop all the way out to horizontal. One leg also has a 1/4-20 stud on the side of the upper section that allows storage of a second tripod head, a cold shoe, backup flash, or anything else that needs to be kept close when working. Over the years I added stainless eye nuts to the bottom 1/4-20 stud of the center columns and usually add a D ring to these for hanging my camera bag or sand bag for added tripod stability when shooting outdoors. If the wind is strong, Paracord gets used to tie the tripod down to stationary objects frequently using this eye ring too. These are comparatively heavy tripods at 5.5 lbs when compared to most of the rest that I have, but i trust them more than the others, which have many of the same features, but not all of them in any one tripod. I use some of my other tripods for supporting various things, like my fog machine, fans, etc.
In my studio I have two 6' 6" Regalite Six camera stands that I use, mostly because they require less floor space than tripods, and are more stable when their caster brakes are locked. Multiple exposures for focus stacking becomes easy when the camera remains perfectly stable between shots.
Charley
