Vanguard has introduced a new tripod in its Alta Pro 3VL range of tripods that feature a built-in levelling base. The Alta Pro 3VL 304CT is designed to support weighty, professional equipment and consequently has stout 30mm-diameter legs and an impressive 13kg load capacity. Despite this, the Alta Pro 3VL 304CT weighs a reasonable 1.43kg and folds down to 560mm long, with a compact 70mm folded diameter.
With four leg sections the tripod can reach 152cm high when fully extended. Three leg angle settings are available (23, 50 and 80 degrees) enabling low angle or macro shots down to 140mm (without a head), while rubber feet with retractable spikes mean the tripod is usable on smooth or rough ground. This makes it ideal for landscape or wildlife photography, where you may have to set up on less than ideal terrain in order to capture the perfect shot.
At the canopy of the legs is a built-in levelling base with 360-degree rotation and +/- 15 degrees of tilt. A spirit bubble is also incorporated in the base, making it simple to level the tripod head and quickly compose a shot, regardless of the terrain. The base includes a 1/4" thread that can attach to a tripod directly, or via the 3/8" adaptor usually supplied with a typical tripod head.
The Alta Pro 3VL 304CT is manufactured from carbon fiber with aircraft-grade aluminum for load-bearing parts and is backed by a 2-year warranty, with the option to extend this to 10 years by registering with Vanguard.
Vanguard will display the Alta Pro 3VL 304CT at The Photography & Video Show 2025, which takes place March 8-11 at Excel London.
Tickets for The Photography & Video Show 2025 are now on sale, and you can get hold of yours (with a 20% discount on standard tickets with the code DCW25)
