Vanguard ALTA PRO 2+ 263Cb 100

£349/$370

the vanguard combines style and substance

This Vanguard tripod kit stands out from the crowd, with a smart gunmetal grey finish for both the legs and head, rather than black. It plays the numbers game with great success as well, with calibrated markings for rotation on the four-angle legs, 7-angle pivoting centre column, and 360-degree ball head with its pan-release lock.

The tripod looks slim and, indeed, the diameters of the three leg sections are modest at 26/23/19mm. Still, the max load ratings of 7kg for the legs and 10kg for the head should prove more than sufficient for the heaviest combinations of DSLRS and lenses.

With legs that don’t swing upwards, and have three rather than four sections, the tripod is quick and easy to set up. The same applies to the pivoting centre column which, like that of the Benro Go Plus Travel, can be locked at various angles through a complete 180-degree arc.

Another nice feature is that, as in the Manfrotto tripods, there’s a 3/8 inch threaded socket on the spider for attaching accessories like an LED light or microphone. Bubble levels are also fitted to both the tripod spider and the ball head, the latter featuring an Arca-swiss type quick-release plate.

Performance

Operation of the twist-locks for extending the leg sections is great, with a quarter of a turn being all that’s needed for movement or solid clamping. The sliders for adjusting the leg angles are similarly well implemented, and the ball head is solid yet compact. Rigidity isn’t quite as impressive as with the Benro Mach3, Manfrotto 055 or Novo T20 tripods.

Key features 1. A full 180-degree arc of rotation is enabled by the centre column’s pivot mechanism.2. The spider incorporates a bubble level and 3/8 inch threaded accessory socket.3. Without swing-up legs, it’s one of the longer tripods on test, when folded.