New promaster XC-M

[Pronghunter]

Have used my PM XC-M 525C for more than 20 back Country hunts now. Montana to Alaska with the Sirui VA5 head. Absolutely no issues whatsoever with stability under say 3.5’ and the head hold tight! Extended all the way extended.....of course wind will affect most every lightweight tripod when fully extended. But still does great.
And this is with the monster Swaro 95 ATX. To date my favorite tripod and I’ve owned most of the Sliks Carbons.

 

[Englishjc]

Does anyone know the difference between XC M 525C and XC M 525CK?

 

[strongarm]

Have used my PM XC-M 525C for more than 20 back Country hunts now. Montana to Alaska with the Sirui VA5 head. Absolutely no issues whatsoever with stability under say 3.5’ and the head hold tight! Extended all the way extended.....of course wind will affect most every lightweight tripod when fully extended. But still does great.
And this is with the monster Swaro 95 ATX. To date my favorite tripod and I’ve owned most of the Sliks Carbons.

Ran across this old thread. Ditto @Pronghunter. I’ve used the Promaster 525C with an 85mm spotter for a number of years and it performs just fine. I bought a smaller Manfrotto pan head for it as I prefer a pan head for my spotter vs. the factory ball head. I most typically use it while seated. I’d use it standing without strong wind conditions. You’ll get some wiggle when extended, but it exceeded what I expected at taller heights.

Is it as stable as some of my larger tripods I’d lugged around for years before? No. Is it better than the Vortex Summit carbon? Vastly. (I almost bought that one and glad I tested it in a retail store … I wouldn’t trust a point and shoot with that thing, much less a long, heavy, expensive spotter).

It’s a relatively solid piece at a good price point for the compactness and weight. I take it on most of my western hunts as it’s very pack-friendly. Just understand the niche it fills and balance expectations of size-weight-stability-load capacity. It’s a decent unit that may surprise others, too.