Miller CX8 Fluid Head with Toggle 2-Stage Alloy Tripod System (Mid-Level Spreader)

The CX8 head is incredible. Love everything about it. Sooo much adjustment for counterbalance that it makes it possible to use very lightweight mirrorless setups to heavier full cinema cameras possible. This was a game changer for me versus cheaper heads from Benro, Sirui, and even Satchler. The head is well built and feel very sturdy. I like the drop-in camera plate feature (versus having to slide in only on some heads). I don't like that the plate is proprietary, though Miller does make an optional baseplate that is compatible with Manfrotto camera plates. Where this package let me down was the legs. Don't get me wrong, they are very nice. Fit and finish is stellar. The rubber leg lock knobs are fantastic. The Q feature of dropping the legs with the push of a button... meh. I've owned twist-locks legs like this (mainly Gitzo) for years and don't have an issue with them. The problem is that the leg sections MUST be unlocked first for the Q button to allow the leg section(s) to drop. So if you're like me and are used to locking the leg sections as you go when collapsing the tripod, the Q function is useless. Feels gimmicky and requires too much forethought to actually be useful in real-life situations. Also, if you do have the legs unlocked and held by the Q-button (ready for quick deploy), the leg sections are free to rattle around a bit, which annoyed me. The biggest issue (for me) was the lack of torsional stiffness in the legs. The single biggest thing that helps single-leg tripods (versus traditional tandem-leg video tripods) is the diameter of the leg tubes (carbon or aluminum). The upper/larget leg segment of this Solo-Q is only 36mm diameter. Compared to my Gitzo Series 5 which is 41mm, and the ProMediaGear 42-series which is almost 43mm in upper leg diameter. These last two tripods are significantly stiffer than the Miller Solo-Q legs. You can just see it and feel it by grasping the upper legs with two hands and twisting them. In real-life shooting scenarios, if I'm honest, this probably would be rarely an issue with the Solo-Q. You might only notice it with really long lenses or when using high drag settings and faster movements on the fluid head (which puts more strain on the tripod). But I admit I'm a picky person, and since these legs aren't exactly cheap, I ended up returning this combo and buying the Miller CX8 head separately and paired it with the PMG 42-series tripod legs. The cost difference was only a couple hundred bucks but that tripod is a treat! Just as stiff as a cinema tripod, and incredibly well-made.

This is by far the best tripod I have ever used. Extremely well built and without any kinks in the pan/tilt action. Thank you for the people at Miller for assembling such a wonderful system. Absolutely no complaints and 110% worth the investment