9 Sep
2011

Posted in: Equipment Reviews
By Ian Plant    2 Comments

Vanguard Alta Pro 284CT Tripod: First Impressions

Vanguard Tripods recently sent me their Alta Pro 284CT carbon fiber tripod for review. I’ve been meaning to do some extensive field testing, but have been swamped lately with travel, submissions, and work on my next series of video tutorials as well as my upcoming ebook on landscape composition. So in the meantime, I thought I’d offer some initial reactions until I get a chance to do some more extensive field testing this fall. I had a chance to test the tripod for a weekend of shooting on Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay, a salt water and sandy environment punishing to tripods. The Alta Pro 284CT performed very well, and all of its operations were intuitive and fluid. Overall I found the tripod to be a joy to use.

The Vanguard Alta Pro 284CT  is made of 6X Carbon fiber to provide a lightweight and versatile camera support. The tripod seems to be lightweight and relatively sturdy, and has some useful features built in that I really appreciate, including a center column with a tilting bracket for difficult camera positioning, retractable spiked rubber for security on rough terrain, a bubble level for ensuring level positioning, a mechanism that allows the tripod head to pan independently, and foam grips on the legs for carrying ease. The Alta Pro 284CT seems to be a very good choice for those who need a tripod that is flexible, lightweight, sturdy, and easy to set up.

Since my initial testing of the tripod has been positive, I plan on putting it through its paces by using it as my primary tripod for the next few months of intensive fall color shooting—a decision I don’t take lightly, as I consider my tripod to be one of those “make-or-break” pieces of equipment, in the sense that a bad tripod can ruin photographs and make certain types of shots impossible. I’ll get a chance to really see how the Alta Pro 284CT handles a variety of shooting conditions, and how it holds up to vigorous use. I’ve killed more than one tripod in my time, so two months in my hands should definitely put its build quality to the test.

So my initial vote is positive, subject to further rigorous field testing. What about the price? That, to me, is the best part: a very reasonable $329.99 on B&H. This makes the Vanguard Alta Pro 284CT a high-quality, low-cost alternative to some other pricey models.

Here’s some pertinent specs:

• Central column moves from 0 to 180 degrees
• Carbon fiber
• Quarter-twist leg locks
• Legs adjust to 25, 50 and 80-degree angles
• Extended height(mm):1600 (W/Column)(mm)
• Folded height(mm):535
• Weight(kg):1.8
• Maximum loading capacity(kg):8
• Tilted Loading Capacity(kg):7
• Extended height(inch):63 (W/Column)(inch)
• Folded height(inch):21
• Weight(lbs):3.97
• Maximum loading capacity(lbs):18
• Tilted Loading Capacity(lbs):15.4
• Number of Leg Sections:4
• Leg Diameter(mm):28

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About Ian Plant  (275 Posts)

Ian Plant's photographs and instructional articles have appeared in a number of books, calendars, and magazines, including Outdoor Photographer and Popular Photography. Ian writes a regular blog column for Outdoor Photographer online, and he is the author of numerous instructional eBooks and digital processing tutorials. Ian leads several photo tours each year.