Need Help!!! - Amvona AT-3001 vs Amvona AT-3020

I want some motivation to push the 'buy now' button in eBay.

After going through the forums, I finally shortlisted my options to these two tripods: Amvona AT-3001 and Amvona AT-3020.

Could someone tell me which one is better. My tripod usage is very minimum. I would use it when i want to take my family pictures including myself.

If any better suggestions other than those two tripods, Please keep in mind that my budget is < $100.

I think it comes down to personal preference. The 3020 lacks independent legs and has a gear column...that's enough to disqualify it for me.

The reviews on the Amvona 'pods are mixed to say the least. Some people have good results, but others talk about the darn things falling apart. Personally I would avoid them and get a brand that not only is widely sold, but also has a reputable dealer behind it. The funny thing about Amvona is that the quality of the item is very inconsistent. Buyers both praise and curse the quality, so it is pretty much a crap (can I say crap?) shoot. I bought a large 3'x4' light box and love it, but others have received poorly made, cheap boxes that were terrible quality and a waste of money. There are a lot of good tripods out there so I went with a Giottos, and also have a Bowen/Manfrotto 'pod. They are reasonably priced and sturdy enough to carry most camera/lens loads. I know from personal experience that Amvona is not always reliable about responding when you have a problem.

I'm one of the buyers who is extremely happy with my AT-3020. (Of course the total purchase price with shipping of $18.54 also helped!) Seriously though, I found the quality to be fantastic. Personally I wouldn't use the buy it now. Bid for one in there regular auction.

I agree, bid on them instead of using B.I.N. I just ordered an AT-3002, so I'll review it once it comes in. They should be okay quality and especially since you are not using it that much for critical work, they should meet your needs. You don't need a $300-700 tripod just to win some pissing contest, when all you need is a basic tripod. I've seen AT-3001's go for between $18-35 shipped on eBay auctions:

http://cgi.ebay.com …ZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcm​dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com …ZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcm​dZViewItem

I've found their QC to be a bit iffy at best. Last year I won one of the tripods for next to nothing and later noticed that one of the legs was about 2/3-1 inch longer than the other two. Nothing I couldn't live with mind you as I hardly ever use a tripod but something you may want to think about depending on your usage.

The worst part is I live about 35 minutes from them so I called to see if I could go and pick it up.

Sorry, our policy doesn't allow that, we've gotta ship it out. In the end it took about a week to get to me.

Good luck.