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I just acquired a VANGUARD Alta Pro 263AGH Aluminium Tripod with GH-100 Pistol Grip Ball Head on Amazon Vine, deciding I needed to replace my geriatric Velbon, and I am gobsmacked!

This is the first time I'll use a tripod where I need to read the instruction manual!
It's an amazing piece of kit, solid, and weighty (3.5kg), and the pistol grip makes it very controllable.
Thank god it comes with a sling bag, as I'd hate to be carrying it by hand!

The beast with three.... legs....

Looks like a nice tripod. I've played with a few Vanguard tripods and the higher priced ones are good I like them, but their budget range isn't very good (v other makers) by budget I mean £50 odd around there, not good at all the ones I tried. But for the £120+ range I think they are worth checking out.

Anyway well done for not being "a crowd follower" and buying a Manfrotto they are good but there other alternatives out there.
Quite like the pistol grips too. This is a sensible price range for a "decent tripod"

Nice camera strap as well

Birma wrote:Nice camera strap as well

It goes well with the camera! (Dynax 600si Classic!)

bfitzgerald wrote:Looks like a nice tripod. I've played with a few Vanguard tripods and the higher priced ones are good I like them, but their budget range isn't very good (v other makers) by budget I mean £50 odd around there, not good at all the ones I tried. But for the £120+ range I think they are worth checking out.

Anyway well done for not being "a crowd follower" and buying a Manfrotto they are good but there other alternatives out there.
Quite like the pistol grips too. This is a sensible price range for a "decent tripod"

It is an excellent, sturdy beast, Barry, comparable, IMO, in quality with a Manfrotto of the same price band. I was joking when I said about having to read the instruction manual... I'm not joking when I say now that I DID have to read the instruction MANUALS, as there are two of them, for the tripod and the head! The head is fairly straight forward, but the centre column of the tripod definitely needs reading up on.

It hasn't had an outing yet, due to the weather, but as soon as things clear up, (Next April?), I'll be out shooting some 35mm IR.

I was looking at a new tripod and am looking at the Vanguards. I had a Manfrotto 055 but it didn't survived an experience in a salty sea. I rinced it with clear water and dried and oiled it, but the hinges and clamps failed.

I have a Vanguard monopod with ballhead and it faces a lot of abuse but holds its own. I also have a Vanguars Nivelo 245BK for travel which is great for my RX100, flash and traveling needs. Both are excellent quality. The Nivelo is overpriced new, but I bought it second hand for 40% the new price.