A levelling tripod base makes it possible to level a tripod in seconds, on any terrain and without needing to fiddle around with the legs, or checking the level of the camera every time you reframe a shot. It's a handy feature usually associated with video tripods, but it can also benefit landscape and wildlife photography.
1/2-ball leveling bases tend to only come with complete tripods, such as Vanguard's Alta Pro 3VL, but now Vanguard has launched a new line of separate leveling adapters: the LVL series. These adapters are designed to convert any existing tripod into a leveling tripod simply by fitting between the tripod and the head.
The LVL series includes five different size options, from 42mm up to 75mm in diameter, so you can get a leveling adapter that'll fit the diameter of your particular tripod head.
The smaller 42mm and 45mm adapters have been designed for travel tripods, ensuring they maintain the slim diameter of a travel tripod, allowing its legs to still fold up and close neatly around the head when packed. The 42mm adapter also weighs just 115g, and is 36mm high, so it won't add much weight or bulk to a lightweight travel tripod, yet its 20kg load capacity should still cope with pretty much any camera/lens combination.
Step all the way up to the largest 75mm leveling adapter and load capacity doubles to a whopping 40kg, while the adapter's weight is still only 355g. All LVL-series adapters include locking screws designed to ensure the tripod head is securely attached to the leveling adaptor, so you don't inadvertently unscrew the head while panning.
The Vanguard LVL series will be priced from £55 for the smallest LVL-42, rising to £100 for the LVL-75 with its extra-large 75mm diameter – US pricing and availability have yet to be announced. All LVL adapters are backed by a 10-year warranty.
Expect retail availability in April/May, but the new range will be officially launched at The Photography & Video Show 2025, which takes place between the 8th and 11th of March at Excel London.
