It's not perfect, but should be useful for some. One problem turns out to be not so bad - but needs a bit of care. In the earlier version of this review I wrote that there is play in the tripod, so that shots could be less than perfect due to vibration and movement. I took the tripod to a practical session at a local camera club, and one the members there pointed out that I'd not tightened up all the various knobs and joints. It works much better with everything tight, though it's quite easy to miss one. It's quite hard to tighten up the plate on which the camera sits if it's rotated into a vertical position, and this might defeat a heavy camera.

I haven't used the Hama tripod you mentioned, but it looks like all the other similar tripods of cheap quality, a bit wobbly. That is to say; just like my own tripod, which is a Velbon CX-300. It will do the job of holding your camera steady. Not much more. But, it is okay, when you know what you are doing and what you can expect of that kind of tripod and what not. Here, an example: For the money it is very good value with lots of useful features. However it has one major flaw in my opinion which is the tripod mount onto which your camera is attached. At 300mm, I don't think it's an OK deal. It still beats handholding for night shots, but the cost of a better tripod is starting to look like a small price to pay to avoid the hassle. To allow you to achieve a range of heights (from 64-160cm) and to capture pictures and videos from the perfect perspective in a variety of situations, the Star 62 comes with a fully adjustable centre column which can be easily altered by using the simple crank, along with a 3-way tripod head which can be repositioned at a number of different angles and smoothly panned for the creation of a smooth and professional film. Furthermore, with its standard 1/4” (6.4mm) thread, mounting your camera no longer needs to be a chore as you can attach it to the tripod and even switch between different cameras in an instant, ensuring that you never miss that all important photo opportunity.

I was taking photos of the moon two days ago, choosing a windless night because wind is a no-go weather with this tripod. I extend the first extension parts of the three part legs, but not the second ones, because the 2nd extension legs are so thin that trade-off between height and wobblyness is not good, and this means I won't be able to stand behind my camera, which I knew beforehand and brought a garden chair to sit on. Also I did not extend the vertical part, but let the tripod head rest at the junction of the legs. So, in favour of steadyness I'm only getting a half of the height that the tripod could offer. No problem, I got the chair to sit on. To allow you to achieve a range of heights (from 66-166cm) and to capture pictures and videos from the perfect perspective in a variety of situations, the Star 63 comes with a fully adjustable centre column which can be easily altered by using the simple crank, along with a spirit level to ensure even alignment of the camera and a 3-way tripod head which can be repositioned at a number of different angles and smoothly panned for the creation of a smooth and professional film. Furthermore, with its standard 1/4” (6.4mm) thread, mounting your camera no longer needs to be a chore as you can attach it to the tripod and even switch between different cameras in an instant, ensuring that you never miss that all important photo opportunity. Become snap happy and produce beautiful professional looking shots with this versatile and ultra portable Star 62 tripod. Suitable for use with both video and photo cameras, its rubber feet permit a firm grip on a range of terrains, with an aluminium structure that creates a strong and sturdy support for cameras up to a maximum weight of 3.5kg whilst also remaining lightweight for easy and convenient transportation and great pictures on the go.

If material or manufacturing faults that are considered to constitute a warranty claim occur during the warranty period, Hama GmbH & Co KG will resolve the fault free of charge by repairing the goods or replacing them a product that Hama GmbH & Co KG deems to be equivalent. A fantastic piece of kit for the money, it even comes with its own travel case which it folds neatly into so that you can carry your tripod around with you safely with no hassle. Whether you are hiking up a hill, attending an important event or jetting off to your next holiday destination, you will always be fully prepared for any photographic eventuality thanks to the Star 61! I'm confident that the tripod won't just tip over. And there's this hook where you can hang something heavy for stabilization if you're somewhere windy.At 300mm, it's hard to manually focus on the moon at night (or anything else, for that matter), since touching the lens causes the live view to shake so badly that I can't tell whether it's in focus or not. So I make one tiny focus adjustment, wait several seconds until the shaking dies down so I can see the result, and repeat a dozen times over. Tedious at best. At 300mm, the imprecise adjustments and head sagging starts to seriously interfere with my ability to do any framing at all. Now it's more like "put the subject somewhere in the middle of the frame with lots of room on all sides, keep my fingers crossed, and do the framing in post".

I have the Hama Star 62, a sibling of the Star 61 you're asking about. The Star 62 has a slightly higher maximum height and is rated at 4 kg instead of 3 kg, otherwise they appear identical.Become snap happy and produce beautiful professional looking shots with this versatile and ultra portable Star 63 tripod. Suitable for use with both video and photo cameras, its rubber feet permit a firm grip on a range of terrains, with an aluminium structure that creates a strong and sturdy support for cameras up to a maximum weight of 4kg whilst also remaining lightweight for easy and convenient transportation and great pictures on the go. Camera tripod for non-jerky images and a steady hold on uneven surfaces, suitable for photo and video cameras. Camera tripod for non-jerky images and a steady hold on uneven surfaces, suitable for photo and video cameras Become snap happy and produce beautiful professional looking shots with this versatile and ultra portable Star 61 tripod. Suitable for use with both video and photo cameras, its rubber feet permit a firm grip on a range of terrains, with an aluminium structure that creates a strong and sturdy support for cameras up to a maximum weight of 3kg whilst also remaining lightweight for easy and convenient transportation and great pictures on the go.