Made from aircraft-grade aluminum. The Al-420S offers super lightweight and compact usability thanks to the new Rapid Flip Mechanism locks (patent pending) that allow the legs to invert 180 degrees for more compact storage and transportation. This combined with 4 retractable leg sections means the Slik Lite Al-420S can fold down to only 12.2 inches (310mm) to easily fit inside a carry-on bag or backpack. When fully extended it reaches 39.8 inches (1011mm) or can go as low as 6.2 inches (158mm) for low angle photography. The tripod also has a gearless, detachable and invertible center column that separates to convert to a short column for low angle photography.