Welcome back to another gear review, everyone! Today I’m bringing you all a tripod from VanguardWorld.us. I’ve been using their tripods for as long as I’ve been serious about landscape photography. I feel Vanguard strikes the perfect balance between quality products and a reasonable price. I have had fantastic experiences with all of their products so far (bags & tripods). And when I had the chance to try the updated version of the VEO Tripod, I was super stoked.
Vanguard VEO 2 Review
Let me preface this whole review of the VEO 2 by saying this…I am a long time user of the Vanguard VEO Tripods. I started out with the original VEO 235AB. I love that tripod and it is still in use as a spare to this day in my studio.
While my original VEO is still perfectly fine and I could use it for many years to come, I do appreciate some of the updates that Vanguard has made in the 2nd generation of this tripod. (which I’ll touch more on in a bit)
Best Travel Tripod
For a long while, I have deemed the Vanguard VEO as the Best Travel Tripod. It is compact enough to fit inside or on the outside of many photography bags, it is super lightweight (2.6lbs for the 235cb) and is rock solid in its performance.
With a product like a tripod, you often sacrifice things like stability when you begin trimming the weight and size. But that is simply not the case with the VEO 2. My VEO 2 has been in lakes, streams, precarious hills & mountains and everything in between. It hasn’t mattered if it’s been 30° or 90° in temperatures, a 1-second exposure or a 4 MINUTE exposure. This tripod has operated reliably, it stays put and gives me crispy images. And after all, isn’t that why we use a tripod?
New Friction Knob
The updated VEO 2 Tripod ball head comes with a friction knob, which wasn’t present in the older model. I honestly had no idea how much I would appreciate this addition until I began using it.
My only gripe with ball heads up ’till this point has been that they aren’t very precise in terms of their adjustments. However, now with the friction knob, I can set the amount of pressure that holds the ball in place and make more subtle adjustments. This is a life saver in certain scenarios as a landscape photographer. (especially when I’m working with telephoto lenses)
(VEO 2) BH-50 Head
As I mentioned above, the head of the VEO 2 Tripod has been updated to the new “BH-50” model. And in comparison to my older head, I actually believe this head can handle more weight, from real-world experience. It doesn’t sag near as bad with long/heavy lenses like my Fujifilm XF55-200.
It is also a lot more stylized. All of the knobs have a rubber coating around them. I really appreciate this new feature as it makes doing adjustments with gloves on a lot easier.
Comfortable Grip for Carrying
Vanguard stuck with their signature hand grip, which is also made of a non-slip rubber, just like the knobs. I have always loved that they put attention into this area of their tripods. Often times I am hiking with this tripod and I carry it in my off-hand. The grip allows me to get a secure purchase on the tripod while I’m on the move and it doesn’t slip around at all.
New Quarter Turn Legs
The new quarter turn legs on the VEO 2 are a major time saver. I never realized how long it took me to fiddle with the latch style tabs until I started using this updated tripod.
With the new quarter turn legs, you simply turn them 25° or so to the left, then pull your tripod legs down (or up if you’re breaking it down). This not only makes things a lot quicker, but it has proven to be extremely handy while wearing gloves in cold temperatures. (see the theme again, this is a great tripod year round, no matter the weather conditions)
Center Column Rotation
Perhaps one of the coolest parts of the VEO series of tripods is the central column rotation. This allows for an extra amount of adjustment in terms of height. But it also helps to cut down on the size/footprint of the tripod. When you’re ready to break your tripod down for the day, simply unscrew the knob located on the side, push in the gold tab and fold the column into the center. (as you can see below)
Who do I think it suits?
I believe the VEO 2 Tripod by Vanguard is a travelers best friend. Whether you do landscape photography like me, or you travel around cities and want to get crispy long-exposures of riverways that run through the town. This is a tripod that won’t weigh you down. But at the same time, it’ll give you all of the capabilities that you need to create stunning images.
Vanguard VEO 2 (10 out of a 10)
I wholeheartedly recommend the Vanguard VEO 2 Tripod. And if you have the budget for the Carbon Fiber version like I have, I really recommend it. This tripod is the best compact/travel tripod I have used yet and it will remain the benchmark that I compare all other lightweight tripods to in the future.
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