Light in weight, light in price, but heavy in value, the SLIK U series of economy tripods have proved to be so popular and successful that they have been knocked-off by many companies, but none have been able to match the quality and value performance of these versatile tripods. Every tripod in the series is less than 2 feet long when completely folded and weigh less than 3.5 lbs for easy traveling. The SLIK U series have many other features that the casual photographer and family videographer will come to love. The U-8000 has a maximum height of 59 inches, a 3-way smooth "fluid effect" pan head, large release plate for fast mounting, and speed release legs locks for quick and simple set up and fold down.