Photography News issue 27

Photography News Issue 27 absolutephoto.com

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 Kingsley Singleton and Will Cheung

Vanguard VEO 265CB £249.95

Specs

The 265CB doesn’t offer the fold- back option, but something much better

A full-size tripod will always outperform a smaller one whether that is in terms of maximum height or outright stability. Problem is, of course, that a full-size tripod is not always a practical option and on the premise that any tripod is better than none at all, travel tripods like the Vanguard VEO 265CB are worth their weight in gold. The VEO 265CB has carbon-fibre legs and with the supplied TBH‑50 ball head, it comes in at £250. There is a current special offer on this tripod and it comes with a free VEO37 bag worth £69.99. Its legs feature lever locks, which have a positive action and firmly secure the legs in place. For the smoothest retraction leg action, just make sure the leg locks are fully folded back. Good thing is I didn’t manage to nip my palm when locking all four legs at once, which I have done with some other tripods. At the end of each leg is a rubber foot, but screwing the foot in gives a welcome spiked option. The legs have three locking positions, with legs unlocked by a large easy-to-use push button that can be operated even with gloves on. The lowest position allows very low shooting and a short replacement column is provided with the kit. Switching columns is straightforward enough.

In the box VEO 265CB, TBH-50 ball head, soft carrying case with strap, short centre column, Allen key Max height 124.5cm, centre column fully extended 148.5cm Min height 46cm, 16cm legs splayed and short column fitted Max load 10kg Mount Arca-Swiss compatible Independent pan lock Yes Friction control No Legmaterial Carbon fibre Closed length 48.5cm, 39cm with centre-column folded Weight 1.5kg, TBH-50 ball head 204g Contact vanguardworld.co.uk

How it rates

Verdict The world’s best tripod is the one with you and that’s why it’s worth considering a quality travel tripod like the Vanguard VEO 265CB. It is compact and light enough to tote around all day without too much of an effort and it offers very good stability for a tripod of this stature. Its centre column fold-over mechanism is very neat too, and makes the tripod quick to use from its minimum size. Pros Good stability, good value, centre-column design, choice of rubber or spiked feet, versatile Cons No friction adjustment on the ball head and a bit too stiff

means the folded tripod has a slim profile, too. It is worth noting that the centre column can’t be locked in position for use as it’s rotated – it’s either in its folded position or in place for normal use. Tripod stability is good and I used it with a full-frame DSLR and various CSCs. Stability is certainly as good as other similar-sized tripods I’ve tried. The only minor negative I thought was that the ball head is just a tad too stiff in use. There is no friction control and perhaps a stiff head is better than a floppy one. It does, however, lock very firmly in position. WC

Many travel-type tripods feature fold-back legs to minimise size when travelling. This can save a few centimetres but, of course, means set-up takes longer too. Personally the fold-back doesn’t appeal to me simply for the time factor. Vanguard has a different take on the issue and the 265CB doesn’t offer the fold-back option, but something much better. After use, just extend the centre column all the way up, push a spring-loaded release button and the column can then be rotated over to rest between the tripod’s legs. From its folded position to being ready for use is very quick, much faster than the option of the legs folding back. The supplied slim TBH-50 ball head