Promaster 8421 Hitchhiker XL Convertible Tripod

This little tripod has become my go-to for quick video calls and phone snapshots around the house. The conversion to a handheld stabilizer is surprisingly smooth and really easy to switch on the fly.

The twist-to-lock legs on this thing are surprisingly quick to deploy, which made switching from a low-angle shot to a handheld stabilizer mid-hike feel effortless. I mainly use it as a phone boom for overhead cooking videos, but the fact that it collapses small enough to clip onto my bag means it's

The 4-in-1 boom mode was a lifesaver for getting overhead shots at a family gathering without dragging along a heavier rig. Swapping it from a tripod to a stabilizer takes seconds, and the phone clamp feels secure even when I’m walking fast.