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Customer Reviews for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
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Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Model: RF-TRP47C
SKU: 1062852
UPC: 600603131783
Capture photos with confidence with this tripod that provides stability on flat and uneven ground. Each leg adjusts over 90° for enhanced flexibility.
Average Customer Rating:
4.4
out of 5
(20 Reviews) 20
Rating Snapshot 20 reviews
5 stars
12
4 stars
6
3 stars
0
2 stars
2
1 star
0
90% of customers would recommend this product to a friend
(
18 out of
20)
Customer Reviews for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Review 1 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Really a good value
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Durability
5.0
Ease of Storage
5.0
What's great about it: Solid and well made
What's not so great: The head is a little hard to manipulate
For the money, this is a very good tripod. I am using 2 of them as speaker mounts and they do a good job supporting something much heavier than any camera.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
SOLID VALUE
Customer Rating
4.0
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Durability
4.0
Ease of Storage
4.0
What's great about it: light weight with the carbon legs and like the ball mount
What's not so great: could be a foot taller
YES FOR THE PRICE IT CAN'T BE BEAT. FOR AN AMATURE WHO LIKES TO PLAY WITH HIS CAMERA I found this to be solid and steady for my canon. The only drawback is that it is only 47" tall at its maximum height. For me though, thats part of its value as it colapses to about 18 inches and straps to the side of my camera back pack. Oh did I mention that it only wieghs about 21/2 lbs.! Oh forget it- you probably want to spend a couple of hundred dollars.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
awesome piece of equipment
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Durability
5.0
Ease of Storage
5.0
What's great about it: ease of use and stability
What's not so great: nothing
I love it . . . works very good! would suggest it to others!
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Great buy!
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Sher22
from Tampa, FL
on 01/18/2012
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Durability
5.0
Ease of Storage
5.0
What's great about it: Good price, sturdy and flexible.
What's not so great: Nothing.
I bought this for my son-in-law for Christmas and he is thrilled with it! He checked out several other tripods, even going to the store and trying them out with his camera. He thinks this one is the best. He realy likes the swivel head that allows him to place the camera at different angles.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Great portable tripod.
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Durability
4.0
Ease of Storage
5.0
What's great about it: reasonable price
What's not so great: plastic compression washers
The only thing wrong with this tripod is the telescopic legs are prevented from collapsing by the use of plastic compression washers. These will break if you apply too much pressure on the legs or tightening the legs. Just snugly tighten the legs should be enough to keep it from collapsing. I had to return my first tripod because someone must have over tighten or forced the legs to open or close.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Great for Portability
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
4.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Durability
5.0
Ease of Storage
5.0
What's great about it: Size
What's not so great: No arm for panning
I use this for digital cameras (SLR and long lens prosumer). For the storage size, you can't ask for more at the price. I've used it from fields to parking lots. It is usually stored in the car. Very sturdy, easy to set up, and small foot print when stored. An arm for the head would be a plus.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Great Value Tripod
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: cadman77
from Columbia SC
on 11/02/2011
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Durability
4.0
Ease of Storage
4.0
What's great about it: Price, Stability, Ball Head, Carbon Fiber Construction
What's not so great: Height. i am accustomed to taller tripods.
This just returned form my first trip using this tripod and i love it. for the price that i paid, it is a great value. Carbon Fiber, Ball Head, Solid, compact, multiple angle legs. this was just what i was looking for and the price is great. the next best carbon fiber tripod that i found was over twice the price. i am very happy so far.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
excellent tripod for the money
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: shsmith72
from Brookings, SD
on 09/27/2011
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Durability
4.0
Ease of Storage
5.0
What's great about it: reversible column, ball head, price/value
well built, sturdy tripod that is still light enough to carry. legs extend in short sections, which makes tripod more compact when collapsed and more sturdy when extended. ball head was a first for me, but very intuitive to use. single most important feature for me was the reversible center column, which allows very low shooting for macro/closeups. i also appreciate the hook on bottom of column, allowing you to add weight for stability. all in all, a durable, full featured tripod for the enthusiast at a price that is hard to beat!
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Works, and good price
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: Navybat
on 09/21/2011
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Durability
4.0
Ease of Storage
3.0
What's great about it: Good price, quality item
What's not so great: Takes a bit of time to put away
I needed a tripod with a TOUGH attachment head that could take a heavy, torque-laden item. This fit the bill, and didn't bankrupt me. It's easy to use, easy to set up, and WORKS. What more do you need?
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Great tripod for the money
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: PacketHauler
from Farmington, MN
on 09/14/2011
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Durability
5.0
Ease of Storage
5.0
What's great about it: Lightweight, durable
What's not so great: Lack of additional bubble level
I was specifically looking for a tripod for my stills camera. This tripod more than fit the bill. It's very lightweight, and it fits perfect with my DSLR backpack for strapping it to the side.
The head is a smooth operator, and makes it easy to move it into whatever position you need.
Honestly, you can't beat this thing for the money.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Don't bother with this tripod
Customer Rating
2.0
Posted by: Stormrider11
from Florida
on 08/18/2011
Value for Price
1.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Durability
1.0
Ease of Storage
3.0
What's great about it: Good materials for construction of item.
What's not so great: Mounting head allows the camera to move around.
I purchased this tripod for my second camera set up near the Countdown Clock for the final Space Shuttle launch. Everything seemed great until the camera started shooting minutes before launch. I watched the launch standing near the tripod and looked at the shots later to discover that as the camera was shooting, the tripod mounting head failed to hold the camera in position and my Canon 7D went from having Atlantis centered to barely being on the right side of the image frame upon launch.
To simplify, the tripod completely failed as it allowed the camera to slip and rotate toward the right, despite the fact that everything was supposed to be secured and well within its weight restrictions. What appeared to be a nice design apparently was poorly executed. I would not buy this tripod again, nor recommend it to others.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-7points
7out of 21found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Great Travel Companion...
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: blangton
from Truckee, CA
on 08/18/2011
Value for Price
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Durability
4.0
Ease of Storage
4.0
What's great about it: Compact, lightweight, great price!
What's not so great: Ballhead clamp is not "standardized - Arca-Swiss" but could be with just 5mm more adjustment travel!
I was looking for a lightweight, small sized CF tripod for backpacking. I did not want to spend hundreds of dollars. However, I did need something sturdy enough to support a Canon 1-series body with lenses. (I have a huge Gitzo CF tripod with RRS ballhead for regular field work) After doing some research, I picked up the Rockfish 47" tripod. I was immediately impressed with the legs and they provide a great platform that met my specs above. The small ballhead was smooth and provides enough hold to accommodate even a full sized SLR. BUT - the one drawback to the ballhead is that the clamp - although of VERY SIMILAR design - will not work with standard Arca-Swiss dovetailed camera/lens mounts. Come on folks - the Arca-Swiss dovetail mount is standardized throughout the world. Why not give this head clamp the extra 5mm or so it would take to make it work.
As a result - off came the very nice, compact Rocketfish ballhead and on went a larger, heavier one with a "standarized Arca-Swiss clamp. (in my case - an Acratech which worked great and does not add that much more weight)
So - great little CF tripod that works great for backpacking but the ballhead clamp should be redeisgned to work with more standardized camera mounts. The included, generic camera mount that works with this ballhead is nice and compact, but it limits you.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Great tripod for a reasonable price!
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: ndphotographyenthusiast
from grand forks, nd
on 08/10/2011
Value for Price
4.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Durability
5.0
Ease of Storage
4.0
What's great about it: sturdy, reasonably priced, convenient
What's not so great: leg extensions slip if not tightened well enough
This tripod is perfect for an amateur photographer! It's a convenient size, sturdy, easy to use, the rubber grips on the legs are great, and it's reasonably priced. I always double-check the leg extensions to make sure they're locked (had some trouble with that at first). All in all, I'm very pleased with my purchase. :)
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
unbeatable value
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: photobuf
from Buffalo, NY
on 08/03/2011
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Durability
5.0
Ease of Storage
5.0
What's great about it: well built tripod, great head, compact, great value
What's not so great: not as stable as full size tripods
I went to BestBuy to find a small, inexpensive tripod for traveling. My Manfrotto is too big to fit in my suitcase and I always have to leave it home. When I got to the store I was amazed when I saw the 42" Rocketfish. The ball head is a very high quality, all-aluminum design and alone is worth the price of the tripod. The head is fairly heavy and is the major reason for the weight of the tripod, which is otherwise very light. The legs work well and they are fairly sturdy. The tripod height is a bit low, but that makes it more compact for storage. You can remove the head and the aluminum tube it mounts on to make the tripod even more compact. I compared it with the aluminum tripods at BestBuy and they are toys compared to this one. Although the aluminum tripods are decent, the heads on them are cheap, plastic toys compared to the Rocketfish. They will break quickly. Also, those aluminum tripods have even cheaper plastic cranks for changing the height of the head. If they last more than a few uses, I'd be surprised. This is a great buy if you are looking for a travel tripod that is light, compact and has a high quality head built in.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Extra QR Showa available from PartStore
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Longbow
from MA
on 07/03/2011
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Durability
4.0
Ease of Storage
5.0
What's great about it: Campact, light, durable, extra QR Shoes available
What's not so great: Rubber feet on legs should be harder, they grab, but give more than I prefer
Extra quick release mounting shoes can be purchased from Best Buys PartStore. Go to the Services drop down menu and select PartStore. other parts likely to wear can also be purchased there. The Ball Head can be removed and weighs 8-10oz.. Tripod is not as rigid as a $400+ Bogen, Gitzo, etc. however, it a a great deal for the price and constructed stronger and with more metal parts than a SunPak. Great deal for the price. I will use this for smaller, lighter items, and save my older Gizo 106 for my spotting scope.
I would recommend this to a friend!
-1point
1out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Excellent, Lightweight, and Durable!
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: MrsKaser
from Colorado
on 03/04/2011
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Durability
5.0
Ease of Storage
4.0
What's great about it: Excellent, Lightweight, and Durable!
What's not so great: Nothing wrong.
Excellent, Lightweight, and Durable! It has a weight hanger for weight if needed in a shoot outdoors with windy conditions, It extends and shrinks to all just about any height you would need it. It also roatates for ease of access with motion shoots too even. All around this was a superb purchase and I LOVE it!!!
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Great but additional plates not available!!!
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: Anonymous
from Bronx, NY
on 11/13/2010
Value for Price
3.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Durability
5.0
Ease of Storage
5.0
What's great about it: Great features with the adjustable mounting plate
What's not so great: No spare mounting plates are available for sale!!!!
I'm an avid photo/video enthusiast and this tripod is quite nice as it has an adjustable\shiftable tripod mounting plate on the mini ball-head.
Unfortunately it's listed on the site as having 2 plates but sadly it's sold with 1 plate and additional plates are not available. I've contacted Rocketfish Products and called their support number and was told it's not offered and that I should simply return the tripod.
This is a very unfortunate negative as many photographers and videographers use more than 1 mounting plate for their photographic equipment and sadly additional plates aren't purchasable.
I will stick to B&H for my photographic needs as this is simply unacceptable as a nice range tripod.
The tripod itself is a nice unit and weighs very little and there are few competitors to it for it's features. You can however purchase small CF tripods and get mini ball-heads that will surpass this unit- and additional plates will be available.
Unfortunately it's listed on the site as having 2 plates but sadly it's sold with 1 plate and additional plates are not available. I've contacted Rocketfish Products and called their support number and was told it's not offered and that I should simply return the tripod.
This is a very unfortunate negative as many photographers and videographers use more than 1 mounting plate for their photographic equipment and sadly additional plates aren't purchasable.
I will stick to B&H for my photographic needs as this is simply unacceptable as a nice range tripod.
The tripod itself is a nice unit and weighs very little and there are few competitors to it for it's features. You can however purchase small CF tripods and get mini ball-heads that will surpass this unit- and additional plates will be available.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+6points
8out of 10found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Favorably Impressed
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Starlightpps
from Virginia Beach, VA
on 11/03/2010
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Durability
5.0
Ease of Storage
5.0
What's great about it: Compact design, weight, craftsmanship
What's not so great: Maybe just a tad short, but very useable
I am not sure about the previous negative review as well. I do not believe this tripod is not a re-branded Sunpack. There is no Sunpack anywhere close to this quality and design. The tripod is not a full height tripod, it brings my D90 somewhere close to the center of my chest, but 90% of my portraits are of the subject either seated or in a position that this tripod works well (A slight upward camera angle adds a sense of importance and power to a subject anyway). The twist locks are super secure and the ball head rivals my Bogen's in actual usage. I love the fact that it is lightweight and travels well. I will be carrying this tripod on probably every shoot I do from now on.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 19 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Great tripod for the price
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: speedemon
from augusta, ga
on 10/31/2010
Value for Price
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Durability
5.0
Ease of Storage
5.0
Very high quality tripod. The head is very smooth in both panning and rotating the ball head itself (feels like it is damped, not sure though). It locks in place well, and the quick release is very secure. It is able to pan also, and the head unscrews so you could replace it with something else (though it is a very good ball head, especially for the price).
As for the legs, not sure what the other reviewer was talking about, or how/why they had problems. Apparently he has not used or does understand twist lock legs. The legs are simple twist locks, and are very well built (made of metal not plastic). Quicker than latches and more durable, you can unscrew all 3 at once (grip them all at the same time) to extend the legs. To collapse, unscrew each of them, collapse the legs, then you can tighten them all up at once. I have always used a tripod with latches before, and this is much faster and easier to use with the twist locks. The legs can all swing out to a very wide angle so you can get the tripod extremely low to the ground (if on a flat level surface, you have to extend the center column a bit so it won't hit the ground). Probably about 15" minimum height on level ground, if you have uneven ground and can drop the center column, closer to 12".
Tripod has a hook on the center column if needed. The rubber feet grip well and can't come off (heard that was a complaint about the other rocketfish tripod; these are different). It is very stable with a Rebel DSLR, and could take several more pounds easily, though I don't know how reasonable 15 is (you might need weight on the center support). It wouldn't break or loosen from excessive weight, the tolerances are all very tight and there is no slop anywhere. I've taken it on around a dozen backpacking trips through the Appalachians so far, and it has proved exceedingly durable.
As for the legs, not sure what the other reviewer was talking about, or how/why they had problems. Apparently he has not used or does understand twist lock legs. The legs are simple twist locks, and are very well built (made of metal not plastic). Quicker than latches and more durable, you can unscrew all 3 at once (grip them all at the same time) to extend the legs. To collapse, unscrew each of them, collapse the legs, then you can tighten them all up at once. I have always used a tripod with latches before, and this is much faster and easier to use with the twist locks. The legs can all swing out to a very wide angle so you can get the tripod extremely low to the ground (if on a flat level surface, you have to extend the center column a bit so it won't hit the ground). Probably about 15" minimum height on level ground, if you have uneven ground and can drop the center column, closer to 12".
Tripod has a hook on the center column if needed. The rubber feet grip well and can't come off (heard that was a complaint about the other rocketfish tripod; these are different). It is very stable with a Rebel DSLR, and could take several more pounds easily, though I don't know how reasonable 15 is (you might need weight on the center support). It wouldn't break or loosen from excessive weight, the tolerances are all very tight and there is no slop anywhere. I've taken it on around a dozen backpacking trips through the Appalachians so far, and it has proved exceedingly durable.
I could only think of a few complaints, though you know about them before you buy it if you go and view it in a store (I bought it in a store before it was available on the web). It isn't as light as other competing (probably more expensive) tripods, especially for carbon fiber construction and not being full height. Not being full height can be annoying at times. The bubble level included in the head is really small, not sure how accurate it is either. Would be nice to have a level on the tripod itself, so you could get the tripod level for stitching panoramic images together. Even so, these are relatively minor complaints (to me anyways), and I thoroughly enjoy and use this tripod quite a bit.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+10points
10out of 10found this review helpful.
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Review 20 for Rocketfish™ 47" Tripod
Not quite..
Customer Rating
2.0
Posted by: taylorstl
from Florida
on 10/04/2010
Value for Price
2.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Durability
1.0
Ease of Storage
4.0
What's great about it: hearty ball head
What's not so great: Legs and support
This is a sunpack tripod with the rocketfish logo (bestbuy) on it. Had high hopes for this as a light travel tripod so I did not have to drag my heavy bogen with me on the plane. The head is fantastic, very smooth to pan and a fairly heavy duty ball that locks into place no problem. The tripod itself however is not so impressive. The legs extend by an awkward unscrewing of three sections which is not only time consuming, but hard on your hands. I was willing to deal with it but after 15 minutes of adjusting it ceased to fully screw back to collapse position. Im left with each leg alittle different in length which is not acceptable for an 80 dollar tripod. It's going back to the store.. Ah well.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-2points
11out of 24found this review helpful.
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