One of the tripod legs was quite difficult to loosen so that it would extend so I had to wrap the tight end in a piece of protective cloth and carefully applied pliers until it finally loosened. Also one of the metal interior clips inside the horizontal header was not attached but I was able to install it. The tripod is indeed very lightweight but I'm hopeful that it will allow me to write on the 2' x 3' white board for online lessons via Skype. That said a heavier easel would probably offer a more secure experience.