Even though this is a combo kit it came fully assembled and ready for use right out of the box. As expected, the carbon fiber material makes it lightweight yet it is still very sturdy. I placed a Leica spotting scope on top for stargazing and nature observation. The tripod head makes movement of the scope very easy. I have also mounted my Sony HD camcorder on the tripod and was very pleased with the smooth tracking motion possible with the tripod head. Legs telescope in and out smoothly with easy-to-use lock/release levers. It's very expensive for a tripod but if you invest in quality optics and cameras and camcorders then it seems to make sense to mount them on a safe and sturdy platform.