Vanguard Tracker Series B100 Aluminum Tripod with SBH-100 Ball Head with Quick Release, Maximum Height 64", Supports 13 lbs.

2009-11-14T19:00:00

For a good tripod at this price point you can't go wrong. It is strong, supportive, and well made. As I pulled it out of the box the first thing that suprised me was how well made it was. I used it twice the same week it arrived. I did corporate head shots with my Canon 30D (w/battery grip) and a 24-105mm L series attached and never had an issue. Later that week I shot it with the same camera (and grip) and my heavy 100-400mm L series. Not a single bit of slipage or stability issue with that camera set up weighing in at just over 6 lbs. It has great stabilty with a heavy load while fully extended and tall enough not to be uncomfortably hunched over while shooting. It is pretty light weight and comes with a padded shoulder strap, which was an unexpected plus. Having used pan/tilt heads in the past I like the ball head better. You don't have handles sticking out and you really only need to adjust one knob to lock it into place. One thing I noticed is that the horizontal axis is a little "sticky" with fine adjustments. Although it just may need to be broken in. But this is not nearly enough to be considered a con. I definitely got every penny's worth out of this purchase and I don't foresee having to buy another tripod for a VERY VERY long time.

weaver