Vanguard ALTA PRO 2+ 263AB100 3-Section Aluminum Tripod with BH-100 Ball Head, Gray, Bundle with SB-100 Stone Bag

2025-02-04T02:50:03

very sturdy, lots of options, Needs practice to know what all the knobs do.

ELIZABETH E.

2022-03-29T12:53:47

This is my 2nd go-round with Vanguard. Build quality and sturdiness are 4.5 stars. My 1st Alta Pro 263AB was a mixed experience. I wanted the multi position column and I liked the head, but early on due to the cheap mechanism it got a little wonky when using the column horizontally. This newer series 2+ is actually a very different tripod. Incredibly sturdy and a redesigned center column. So now the multi-positioning is quite sturdy. The old one had a sleeve that put pressure on the column when it was tightened. But that sleeve did not stay where it was supposed to, and the column was easily dented with screw pressure. The new one positions nicely. The sticks and twist locks are great, height is great, the feet are good though like others have said there are no included spikes. The bh100 head is very robust and holds long lenses with ease. The issue there is the lock. I like to be able to position my camera and then lock it in place. But this head I have to fight the lock because as I tighten it jumps a bit and knocks my frame off slightly. Then I have to re-adjust, sometimes a couple go's just to get it in the right spot. Too bad because this head will hold any combo I have with ease. And unlike some people I actually like the wing design instead of the knob. I'm not sure if the lock jump gets better or worse over time or if they're all like that. Anyone else have that issue? Ironically, I was excited when I got this tripod because I thought 'cool, now I can get that short column adapter Vanguard makes for this tripod,' its a 4" shorty that replaces the long center column for those almost ground level shots that you can't get with the regular column. Guess what - they don't make it anymore.

KENNETH G.

2021-11-02T12:20:28

I love the range in vertical distance that this tripod offers, as well as the horizontal configuration for flat lay photography or overhead shots. The tripod is on the heavy side, but I don't mind since I'm not traveling with it much. The tripod is very sturdy, which is great for compositing several shots.

LUCIAN S.

2021-06-19T08:08:30

Perfect tri-pod....love the horizontal center column. It's the best for landscape & macro. Worth the money

PAT H.

2021-05-20T09:27:27

Excellent tripod. Easy to adjust to how you need it, very stable, center column helps to get close for macro work. I am definitely happy with this purchase.

COLIN C.

2020-08-08T03:39:36

I LOVE this tri pod! So versatile in angle positioning. The more I use it, the more I am so glad I bought it. My "Manny Pod" is now my back up that rarely sees action anymore. I use this with a D7200 and up to my 150-600mm and it holds firm! Solid build, no play or sway, and I HIGHLY recommend you get the low angle adapter yoke to go with this... you can get inches off the ground while being solid as a rock! This is one well thought out set of sticks! Goes everywhere with me. Not too heavy, does everything they claim with ease. If you love tricky angle shots... this is the one for you!

Steve M.

2020-06-13T13:24:16

The tripod takes some getting used to. This tripod does everything I need it too.

Elizabeth E.

2020-06-13T02:28:03

Totally love this new tri-pod! I always had my eye on this and now I know why. The angles I can achieve with this are excellent! It stays locked in place and is very sturdy. Worth every penny. I also added the "low profile" yoke stem for this to get even lower when needed. 1/4 twist lock legs are great as well. Tough as nails.

Steven M.

2020-03-17T18:28:57

It has all necessary features, is fully assembled, and easy to operate.

MICHALE P.

2020-03-09T08:15:36

Easy to work with and holds pretty steady.

John B.

2019-06-13T10:06:16

Really happy with this purchase. Build quality is high. Camera mount is stable. Lots of nobs and gears, which are easy to fiddle with. I don't feel like I'm gonna break it or wear down its joints. My favorite part are the leg extensions. This Alta 2+, compared to the original Alta, has these locks on the legs that only rotate about 15 degrees. So, all it takes is a really short, light twist of this lock to pull out the next segment of the leg, then a really short light twist to lock it. You can do it so quickly and easily with just one hand, it's great. It's also got a rewarding feel because, again, the build quality is high. I like the black-gray/orange-yellow color scheme. It's pretty subtle so it doesn't obnoxiously stand out in a room. Really, no cons. Maybe, it'd have been nice to label some of the knobs. But after a few use, I know which knob controls which. After all, there are lot of degrees of flexibility this tripod offers.

SHAHAN G.

2019-05-06T11:46:18

This was a gift for one of my granddaughters on her 13th birthday. She loves it.

RON S.

2019-03-24T09:00:31

This Vangard Alto Pro 2+ more than meets my expectations. The ability to perform so many tasks with little effort makes it amazing. I highly recommend it!

RAYMOND C.

2019-02-01T05:23:10

I had bought two Vanguard tripods, big mistakes. The first one was broken after about one year usage. The second one Alta Pro 283 CT was bought in Feb. 2017 and the inside joint of one of the three legs was broken this last December due to using in cold - about 20F - environment. Contact Vanguard, no response, nothing. I may never buy Vanguard tripods again for at least now.

HONGYU L.

2018-12-09T20:00:55

When I opened the package I found the tripod to be an excellent one. Very pleased. Am anxious to get the opportunity to use it. Will buy other camera products from your company.

GERALD S.

2018-10-25T14:34:24

Love this tripod! The weight is substantial but not burdensome, the ball head allows for the bird-in-flight range that I need. Still learning all the nuances but this is proving to be a great purchase.

KAREN D.

2018-09-11T08:57:39

I would highly recommend for someone with a decent load and doesn’t want any shake. It’s taller and more sturdy that what Manfrotto has at this price point and if you can go for the carbon fiber this tripod would be perfectjust becaus if the weight factor. I highly recommend this for an intermediate photographer to pro!!

Roman M.

2018-07-25T17:43:25

Excellent tripod and head. Maintains stability even when the center column is at full height. Extremely versatile. A little heavy and long for hiking and such, but there are plenty of alternatives for those situations. This tripod does everything it’s designed to do, and it does it really well.

Brandon F.

2018-04-27T14:09:36

I love this tripod. Seriously have almost nothing but good things to say about it. The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is because I think it should come with the spiked feet included. Otherwise I highly recommend this tripod for any DSLR stabilization needs. The weekend after I received mine I took it out into the Mojave desert and captured the attached image of the Milky way right along side the road! Very stable in all the configurations I've utilized so far. Others have complained of a lack of stability but I've not been able to reproduce this issue. It holds my Canon 5D Mk IV with a 70-200 f/2.8L AND a 2.0X doubler without even flexing a muscle.

Jerry N.

2017-11-29T11:06:50

I researched tripods endlessly, read extensive reviews on everything, and tried to see as many tripods as I could in person. I wanted a lighter weight tripod than my 20+ year old 10+ lb Bogen, possibly a travel tripod that folds down fairly short, but when I was lucky enough to see and handle this Alta Pro 2+ I knew immediately this was exactly the tripod I wanted to get, there was not a single other tripod out there with such a great set of unique features. It's beautifully made top to bottom, and while I had previously not especially liked the twist type leg extenders, the ones on this tripod are fantastic: a quick turn to unlock and extend, a quick turn back to loosen, and this makes the twist lock feature entirely different from the usual type you see on other tripods where you can't quickly adjust them or get them tight enough. The four different leg angles are quick and easy to set up. The top reason I wanted this particular tripod is the MACC (multi-angle center column), which is instantly and easily adjustable to whatever angle you want. This unique feature, combined with the 4 leg angles, make a huge variety of shooting angles and heights possible in a very quick, easy manner as all adjustments are quite intuitive. I almost got the Alta Pro 2, but this newer 2+ is even better, especially in how easy the center column adjusts. I also like the twist leg adjustment better than the latches on the Pro 2. At 5 pounds it's not quite the travel weight tripod I had hoped to find, but it's still pretty light (half the weight of my old Bogen!) and all the wonderful features of the Alta Pro 2+ make it an irresistible choice. Overall, the build is solid and sturdy and easily supports all my different cameras. I like the BH-100 head, and all the adjustments are easy to get used to. I like everything about this tripod, and I'm surprised it's not better known. At my local camera shop I was able to compare this tripod with quite a few of the well known brands at 2x or 3x the price, and preferred this one by a large margin. I also want to make a comment about Adorama...exemplary service! I ordered on Saturday, received it on Wednesday. They kept me well notified of the progress of the order and where the package was, and when it would be delivered. It was well packaged with an outer box. This was my first experience with Adorama, and I will continue to buy from them!

Carole M.

2017-11-08T07:52:36

This is a very nice tripod , good staydy tripod and quality built . I would buy this product again . Recommended . Thank

Henry V.

2017-11-08T07:52:14

this tripod is definitely hight quality and various combination, I was choosing from Manfrotto and Vanguard, glad I got this one.

Julan W.

2017-10-10T11:54:00

So far it has been absolutely amazing allowing me to capture some perspectives I couldn’t before because of a subpar tripod.

Joe H.

2017-09-07T09:02:36

Decent mid level tripod

Dan P.

2017-08-21T18:38:11

I love the tripod design and functionality. I do wish it had one more extension length though. Thumbs up!

ANDY G.