Good product. Sturdy tripod. Though some features posted on vanguard official sites and YouTube do not match with this one. May be possibly because product supplied in India is inferior to what supplied in US and other countries. Still a good tripod. I am happy with the product. Prompt service from Amazon. Thanks.

The Vanguard Alta + 263 that my friend got from the US is better. It has two things that our Indian version is MISSING: 1. a switch that flips out an attachment where you can mount your center vertical column horizontally. Very useful when you want to shoot at ground level. You can look at videos in YouTube that will show the US version in action. Not permitted to post the link in my review. 2. a level indicator outside, on the top of one of the legs. the Indian version has only one level indicator and this is inside the ball head. so you cannot see the level once camera is mounted. It is dissapointing that the versions sold in India are so sub standard. whereas we probably pay more than what an American pays in USA for a better product. One other Major problem with this ball head is that it has a stupid circular clamp attachment (the part that attaches your camera to the ball head). SO if you are shooting portraits and need to place your camera on the side (vertical), the camera actually starts to rotate and start pointing forward. You need to fix the clamp screw really really tight to prevent this.... such an extremely stupid design flaw... most other top end tripod heads have either a rectangular or hexagonal attachment.... You can get a lot better deal for this amount of money. Avoid this tripod .... there is nothing special about it.

This Vanguard Tripod model weighs 2.156 kg and is capable of handling 5kg of weight. Thus it is suitable for most of the Digital Single Lens Reflex Cameras with light weight standard zoom lenses. The Bubble Level of the tripod helps you stabilize the tripod so that you can get a perfect shot which is parallel to the ground level. In addition to the bubble level the stability can also be achieved easily by adjusting the angle of the GH-100 ball head and confirming the level with the grid display in your camera’s viewfinder. The tripod has Aluminum alloy legs which impart light weight which makes it easy to handle and which does not compromise with the stability, durability and reliability of the tripod. The legs can be tilted at three angles (degrees) 25, 50 and 80 with easy-release buttons for quick setup which saves a lot of time because of their easy adjustment capability. The tripod comes with all-weather foam grip legs, which gives exceptionally good handling experience and give a light feel. The tripod has non-slip, spiked rubber feet which increases the steadiness and weight enduring capabilities of the tripod. Along with all these there is also a removable hook on the bottom end of the central column for hanging camera accessories and additional weights. The 26mm diameter of the legs imparts stability to the tripod. The tripod can be used at a maximum height of 1.64 m and can go as low as 15cm approx. by reversing the central column but before that you have to replace the adapter (shoe). Macro photography becomes real easy with this feature. There are 3 leg sections on the Vanguard tripod by which you can adjust the camera mount level. If you want the maximum height, then you can unfold 3 sections of the legs and if you want a lower level, then you can unfold just one section. One additional feature provided in the tripod is that you can adjust the leg tension by using a hex wrench. This enables you to adjust the legs at the required angle easily. Its GH-100 pistol grip-style ball head enables ultra-fast, secure and precise camera or spotting scope positioning. Other notable features of the gun type head (GH-100) include its 72-click point panorama, offering 72-point rotation with click-into-place positioning that moves the camera 5 degrees per click and prevents jumps in shots to ensure a perfect 360-degree panorama. GH-100 provides impressive versatility in positioning with 360-degree horizontal movement and 90-angle tilt. This makes it possible to click at almost any angle as required to get the perfect composition. The handling of the head is real comfortable which is possible because of the rubber grip trigger. The friction adjustment control screw comes very handy when you have to adjust the friction of the ball head. Keep low friction for light gear and high friction for heavy gear. This is a good way to increase the life of your ball head. Quick shoe secondary safety lock is a brilliant feature which protects your gear from accidental falls. There was one con that I found while using it that though the GH-100 has the friction control lever but even at maximum friction the head is movable but thankfully this does not compromise the stability of your shot since your gear is not more than 5kg. Therefore, do not be disheartened by this as when you try to move the head in full friction at that time you are applying more force than which can be handled by the head i.e. more than 5kg. Another thing is that the tripod case provided in the box is not meant for rough and tough use and it is better to buy one which is meant for heavy rough n tough use. The best alternative is to get a custom made case as you get more options to choose from. The case which is provided in the box won’t last long if you expose your gear to heavy use. So, this model of Vanguard tripods is one of the best value for money models and I am sure it will not disappoint you and you will be another one of Vanguard’s satisfied customer. This is recommended for amateurs, semi- professionals and even professionals