I've been after a half decent tripod for ages. My previous one was more light-weight than a 16 year old after three bottles of WKD Blue and fell over just as often. Santa brought me the Vanguard Alta pro 263AT tripod with a Vanguard SBH-30 ball head. The tripod is magnificent - aluminium/magnesium alloy - which makes it strong and stable and also very light to carry (2.5 Kgs to be exact).
The SBH-30 Head is very simple and also very stable. One knob to lossen the ball socket and then tighten again. Only one hand needed and the accuracy seems pretty good with very little slippage when tightening up.
I also have a wee thing for macro photography and really fancied a tripod with a centre column that could go horizontal if needed. I'd seen this feature on some of the very fancy Giotto tripods. This chap does it and does it simply, easily and with the minimum of fiddling, swearing and foot-stamping. Again, very stable and was quite happy holding a D90 with a fairly heavy Sigma 105mm lens attached in a horizontal position.
Extras are also included. There's a little spring mounted hook in the centre column to hang a weight from and also a rock bag thingy which suspends from the three legs. Handy for one's packed lunch. Two easy to read spirit levels and feet which go from rubber pads to spikes in a few twists.
All in all, I'm dead chuffed with this pup and would rate it as at least equal to the equivalent Giotto or Manfrodo set up, both of which are mucho expensive compared to this.
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