Vanguard Alta Pro 3VL 303CV 18 Carbon Fibre Tripod

Launched late in 2023, this is a smart carbon-fibre tripod with a levelling base that is currently only available as part of a kit that includes the brand's VEO PV-18 video head. 

At first glance, it piqued my interest as a potential combination of elements that, from a birding perspective, appeared to offer users virtually everything they could possibly want for comfortable and precise operation in the field. As things turned out, this perception proved correct, with the kit living up to expectations while putting it through its birding paces.

'Paces' being the operative word in this instance as the majority of the testing was carried out during a week spent in the Isles of Scilly, in which daily hikes often exceeded 8 km, with the tripod being carried over my shoulder. The carbon-fibre construction went a long way to reducing the carry weight, its 1,740 g being much lighter than the equivalent aluminium model (weighing 2,440 g). 

Immediately evident is the tripod's lack of a centre column. It doesn't need one – when fully extended, the three leg sections provide a raised apical platform height of 1,680 mm to the top of the levelling base and the addition of the head moves this figure up to 1,800 mm before attaching a telescope or camera. This exceptional height may raise a few eyebrows and some might see it as going a step too far by adding more leg weight to the tripod than may actually be necessary.

The tripod lacks a centre column, for its legs extend to a height of 1,680 mm.

The angle of the leg sections can be quickly and easily altered to 23°, 50° or 80° by pressing the circular spring-button at the top of each leg, which allows the tripod to descend to a low level of 290 mm. The leg sections are smoothly surfaced and each slides in and out with ease. Only one of the three upper sections has an additional outer covering – in this instance it's a 164-mm-long sheath of sturdy rubber, no doubt added to facilitate one-hand carrying. Although not significantly heavy, it is of little use if the tripod is being carried over the user's shoulder or supported by a backpack. It could be cut through and completely removed if so desired.

I found the levelling base a boon. When using the tripod on a slope, or on uneven ground, there is no necessity to alter the individual leg lengths to bring the equipment supported by it into the horizontal position. A quick turn of a built-in key at the tripod's apex enables the leveller to be rapidly adjusted in order to compensate for the uneven surface below the legs, effectively restoring the horizontal setting of the tripod head. The levelling base rotates through a full 360° and by +/- 15° vertically. Its integrated spirit level enables the accuracy of the setting. 

The tripod's feet are roundly rubber-covered but they are screw-mounted, providing the option to quickly spin and retract each one up the leg by 13 mm, exposing spiked feet which are useful if the tripod is being used on a slippery or unstable surface.

The head includes some neat applications. While there is a standard 360° panning lock, there are two control aspects associated with the tilting function. Situated above the panning lock is a small, tilt-dampening handle, the purpose of which is to alter the resistance to the vertical tilt operation. Tightening it applies more resistance to the tilting process, whereas loosening it results in smoother, lighter and quicker tilting.

I found in instances where the telescope is on high magnification while watching or digiscoping a bird, engaging the dampener reduced the chances of losing it from the field of view when making slight adjustments to follow its movements.

Mike found the levelling base to be a very handy feature.

These vertical tilt adjustments are made using a separate short arm with a 35-mm diameter knob that allows you to securely lock the tilt angles between -45° and +90°. There are two spirit levels on the head which complement the one on the levelling base.

It should be noted that there is no automatic spring-levelling on the vertical tilt as employed by some other tripod models.

Two pan handles are supplied in order that they can both be fitted, left and right of the head, to provide more stable, two-handed control if desired. Their lengths can be extended by a simple twist-lock mechanism built into the arms.

The clamp on the head is ARCA-compatible and includes a spring-based safety button which prevents the quick-release plate (QRP) from accidentally sliding out. After loosening the ARCA-style QRP, pressing a small silver button on the side of the platform releases it. 

Pleasingly, the QRP includes a standard anti-rotation pin compatible with the majority of telescope tripod feet and the plate's attachment screw also includes a small ring, which means that it can be tightened up by hand if it works loose in the field. 

The ARCA-style plate delivers flexibility insomuch as it slides to adjust the balance of a telescope on the tripod when its centre of gravity is changed after attaching a camera or mobile phone to the eyepiece. A number of the more innovative scope manufacturers, including Vanguard, have designed their tripod feet in the ARCA style, which means the QRP can be ditched, providing a much more stable and adjustable set-up when mounting a 'scope.

The Vanguard Alta Pro 3VL 303CV 18 Carbon Fibre Tripod with levelling base and video head is sold as a complete kit and comes with a soft, padded shoulder bag with an internal zip pocket. This is a very nice piece of kit although, arguably, the legs may perhaps be considered too long and, compared to some similar set-ups, it is not the lightest of its kind on the market. Nonetheless it is very user-friendly, competitively priced and represents very good value for money.

For a working demonstration, watch the BirdGuides video at bit.ly/AltaProreview24.

Further info

• Price: £449.99 (legs and head complete); VEO PV-18 head £159.99 if purchased alone
• Material: carbon fibre
• Weight: legs 1,740 g, VEO PV-18 head 1,180 g
• Maximum support weight: 15 kg excluding head
• Collapsed length: 855 mm including head
• Maximum height: 1,800 mm
• Leg sections: three
• Leg-locking system: twist
• Guarantee: two years, extendable to 10 years

Verdict

+ ARCA-compatible head
+ Levelling base is effective
- Height may be too much for some

• This review first appeared in the January 2025 edition of Birdwatch. To be the first to read the magazine each month, take out a subscription to Birdwatch, or get the magazine alongside your bird news by subscribing to either Bird News Ultimate (paper magazine) or Bird News Ultimate Plus (digital access).