Photography News Issue 29

Photography News Issue 29 absolutephoto.com

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First tests

Accessories First tests We get our hands on the latest kit and share our first impressions – so you know whether or not to add it to your wish list

Reviews by Will Cheung, Lisa Clatworthy & Jemma Dodd

Vanguard VEOAM-264TR £79.95

Specs

Leg sections

A monopod is quicker to set up than a tripod and much more manoeuvrable making them ideal for actionandnaturephotographers. The Vanguard VEO AM-264TR monopod features an innovative tri-stand, making it stand out from conventional models and giving it extra versatility. The tri-stand features three foldable feet, providing support to the monopod and meaning it can stand up on its own. If you decide you don’t need the feet when shooting in certain situations you can fold them inwards, allowing you to use the VEO as you would a normal monopod. Of course, using the three feet does not transform the VEO AM- 264TR into a full-blown tripod. However, in the right conditions it does allow free-standing for longer exposures that you couldn’t achieve with a standard monopod. Free-standing shooting is not advised with heavy gear or in strong winds, however. I mounted a Nikon D7000 with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens attached on the monopod on a slightly breezy day and was very nervous about leaving it free- standing. I kept the camera strap in my hand for reassurance and it wobbled slightly in the wind and I soon felt the need to put my weight on one of the feet to stop it from falling. With much smaller lenses and lighter cameras this may not

be the case, but if you leave it free- standing do so with caution. Each foot is fitted with anti-slip rubber to provide extra stability. A handy built-in ball joint at the bottom of the monopod (between the tri-stand and column) allows you to pan and tilt the column while shooting. The movement feels fairly stiff and resulted in the foot on the opposite side lifting up if too much force was used. Putting weight onto one of the feet and panning with the Nikon D7000 and 70-200mm lens felt smoother, allowing shutter speeds of around 1/4sec to be used. With four-section aluminium alloy legs the VEO has a maximum height of 163cm, coming in second against the VEO AM-324, which is the tallest of Vanguard’s monopod range at 170cm. The top of the column has a soft rubber handle providing a good grip. Each leg features a strong flip lock; the locks are a good size and easy to use, and maximise the monopod’s loading capacity. Weighing in at 900g, this monopod is the heaviest in Vanguard’s range, but it is still lighter than similar models available from Manfrotto that go to higher maximum heights and are more expensive. The VEO AM-264TR has a folded height of 56.5cm so it’s fairly compact; it shouldn’t impede you carrying your bag if you attach it. It has a strap and hook attachment

Four

Max height

163cm

Min height

56.5cm

Max load

6kg

Material Aluminum Closed length 56.5cm Weight 900g Contact vanguardworld.co.uk

Verdict

The only minor negative found was the slight stiffness in the ball joint at the bottom of the monopod, otherwise the Vanguard VEO AM-264TR is a step up from conventional monopods, offering the ability to shoot at slower shutter speeds than is possible with a normal monopod. At £79.95 it is also good value for money. Pros Very good value, a capable, versatile monopod, add a ball head for panning Cons Heavy compared with standardmonopods

for securely attaching it to your bag. Alternatively it can be used as a walking aid. For this test, the monopod was used on its own as well as coupled with Vanguard’s BBH-200 ball head (£149), which gave us the option of tilting the camera. Any ball head with a 3/8in thread can also be attached. JD

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