M002CX-D2 Mount System

4.5/5
Had the Denali one and set it up for my grandkids and son out east. The improvements are subtle but impactful. Really solid for its weight. Only works with SV M2 type columns. Wish it had a flat surface adapter. Great tripod. love the rails.

Basically a piece of functional art. This is built rock solid. Highly recommended.

I received this tripod along with the extension column to use with SV's M2 mount.
It was packed with Armageddon in mind in a thick-walled cardboard box containing another smaller box "floating" within by a set of styro separators to protect it from over-zealous delivery drivers.
Setup was easy and intuitive if you've ever set up a wooden tripod. You only have to look at the tray/spreader to realize how it goes together. The knobs are also nice and hand-friendly as opposed to smaller ones that tend to hurt when you apply a little torque and they tighten everything without struggle.
After the tripod and tray were together I checked the built-in bubble level (love that feature) to find that it was perfectly level; nice, but that was inside on the carpet, we'll see what happens on the uneven patio pavers when the skies clear.
The wood feels soft and smooth throughout, no roughness, and the legs slide smoothly without binding at all and once locked into place they held solidly.
The extension column attaches with 3 screws on top and bottom and once your head is attached it is rock solid. I attached my SVM2 onto the column and gave it a good shaking with movements locked and unlocked and there was minimal play anywhere.
Once I installed my SV102 Access and all it's goodies, all it took was a quick adjustment to the dovetail balance and I was able to pan and tilt to my hearts content without worrying about stability at all.
The tripod itself is fairly light , I can lift it with one hand, - that Applyply stuff was a good move!
I am completely happy with this system and would urge anyone looking for a good upgrade to go for the complete system that I have since you get a break on pricing. Vic and his team did a stellar job on this and I look forward to years of enjoyment with it.
Thanks SV TEAM, hope ya'll have Happy Holidays!!

Solidity is first rate. However attachment of the tray to the tripod is badly designed. The knobs that attach it to the 3pod cannot be turned when the 3pod is unextended. This is nonetheless an improvement on the attachments on earlier metal 3pods.
I would also have liked the top of the tripod to have a deeper socket to receive the column.

Nicholas: You purchased the first iteration of our Denali Tripod which did use a different knob and column. The new tripods use the same knob as the others. If you want us to help you retrofit your tripod to one that is like our current model feel free to contact us. We want to make sure you are 100% happy with your purchase. Thank you for Choosing Stellarvue. Vic Maris

Mine arrived yesterday along with a cold front and generalized rain. So I've not had it out for a session but it mounts both the M2C and DM4 easily and it looks like this is going to be a very rigid system. Carrying 4 and 4.5" refractors on those mounts or my UniStar Deluxe I expect the system will deliver near-zero second settling times. The tripod is minimalist and good looking. It may be the last tripod I'll ever need.