I was pleased to test the Vanguard VEO 3+ 263AB Aluminum Tripod with a ball head. This tripod comes complete with a tripod bag. It is a sturdy tripod capable of holding any medium sized camera rock solid. The “normal’ uses for a tripod all worked well for this tripod. I would not use it for long telephotos, however. I noted it is capable of lower angle photography by lowering its legs and moving the center post to the horizontal position. I, however, wanted to test other uses for this tripod.
This aluminum tripod is useful for a wide variety of applications. I found the horizontal position of the center post to be especially useful in a number of situations. When the center post (multi-angle central column) is converted into a horizontal bar it may be used with two ball heads attached. This worked well for two camera bodies (in my case with two camera formats: DSLR and MFT). It was also successfully used as a focusing rail in the field for close-up work (rather than macro). I used it to move my camera in successive stages with close-up lenses. It was also very useful to photograph landscapes that include a very close foreground within the frame but not to include the legs of the tripod in the image. (This is often a problem for this situation in landscape photography.) This worked very well for this tripod. Two of the metal legs are covered with an insulating material which is great for carrying the tripod in cold weather. One leg can also be converted into a monopod! There is a lot packed into this tripod!
SAMPLE IMAGES
Pismo Clam
Pismo Clam and a California Seashore Landscape
To keep the legs out of the image for many landscapes the center post flipped to horizontal is quite helpful.
Rhododendron
I flipped the center post to a horizontal position to allow shooting for a close-up situation as a large scale focusing rail.
Dual Tripod Head Use
Vanguard VEO 3+ 263AB Aluminum Tripod with Ball Head, holding two cameras.
POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS
I would like to see a lighter version of this tripod.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Duane Sept is a professional wildlife and nature photographer. His background as a biologist aids him greatly in his understanding of the natural world. His award-winning photographs have been published internationally, in displays, books, magazines, pamphlets and calendars for clients including BBC Wildlife, Parks Canada, Nature Canada, National Wildlife Federation and World Wildlife Fund. Duane is also the author of 30+ books and 15+ pamphlets published by several publishers including:
- HARBOUR PUBLISHING
– The New Beachcomber’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest - CALYPSO PUBLISHING
– Common MUSHROOMS of the Northwest - PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
– A Photographic Guide to Seashore Life in the North Atlantic - STACKPOLE BOOKS
– Atlantic Seashore Field Guide - QUICK REFERENCE PUBLISHING
Many of his images may be viewed at: www.septphoto.com
About the Author – Duane Sept
Duane Sept is a professional wildlife and nature photographer. His background as a biologist aids him greatly in his understanding of the natural world. His award-winning photographs have been published internationally, in displays, books, magazines, pamphlets and calendars for clients including BBC Wildlife, Parks Canada, Nature Canada, National Wildlife Federation and World Wildlife Fund. Duane is also the author of 30+ books and 15+ pamphlets published by several publishers including:
- HARBOUR PUBLISHING
– The New Beachcomber’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest - CALYPSO PUBLISHING
– Common MUSHROOMS of the Northwest - PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
– A Photographic Guide to Seashore Life in the North Atlantic - STACKPOLE BOOKS
– Atlantic Seashore Field Guide - QUICK REFERENCE PUBLISHING
Many of his images may be viewed at: www.septphoto.com
