Looking for the best portable tripod? In this video I'm going to be reviewing the
Vanguard Veo 204ab travel tripod. I've been using this for a while now, I think
it's fantastic. Stick around and see if you think you it can earn
the title of being the best. Make sure you watch to the end of the video, where
I'm going to take this baby outside and show you some real world examples of how
you can use this super versatile, portable tripod to get some wicked shots.
Don't go away
Hi there, Barry Callister for Barry Callister Photography, giving you hints, tips, and
tricks for better nature photography. On this channel I do gear reviews, camera
tutorials Photoshop and Lightroom tutorials and so much more. So if you're
new, consider subscribing. Be sure to check out the links and show notes in the
video description for more information and reviews on this product and anything
else I mention in the video. But you are here looking for a portable tripod.
There are three questions you want to be asking yourself when shopping for your
travel tripod, or your portable tripod - is it small? Is it light? And is it strong?
You're going to be travelling with this thing, so you want it to pack away really
small, you want it to be light so you can carry it long distances, and need it to
be strong because you don't want it to break the first time you get it out to
use it when you're out in the middle of the bush. This little guy here, the
Vanguard Veo 204ab ticks all three of those boxes for me. It's an awesome
little tripod. This thing will pack away to just 395 millimetres in length, or 15
and a half inches, and just 95 millimeters or 3 and 3/4 inches wide.
Small enough to fit in a backpack...your camera bag. It comes with this handy
carry bag that you can put it in. This is built super-tough, it's weatherproof to a
certain degree, and it has a handy little adjustable strap there, so you can throw
it over your shoulder or over your back and carry it around. It will extend to a
height of 1350 millimeters or 53 inches, which is not super high but it's
definitely high enough. And it'll go down to as low as
395 mm or 15 and a half inches, which is really great to get down low with it.
It weighs in at just 2.7 kilograms, or just over 6 pounds so seriously, you're not
even gonna get benefits from doing bicep curls with this sucker, it is so light!
You can carry it around all day, no worries at all. Though it's light - is it
strong? Yes, it definitely is. This is the aluminium version. You can get a carbon
fiber version which is more expensive obviously, but lighter. This is awesome
though, built super strong. Everything on this tripod is built really, really
strong. And it will hold...it has a weight capacity of 4 kilograms. I use it with my
Nikon D5200 there and my 55-200mm lens that you can see behind me.
They come in at just over 1kg, so I've got heaps to spare. It'll handle your heavier
cameras and lenses no worries at all. This one has the ball head on it...with the
ARCA Swiss style compatible quick-release plate for getting your
camera in and out super quick. It's got a nice, handy little level up there so you
can see when your tripod is on the level. And it's got some handy little angle
markings around the column here for precise rotations of the ball head,
really handy for your panoramas and stuff like that.
The mechanism of the ball head itself locks in super-tight, you don't have to
turn this knob very far for it to lock in really solid, and of course it'll flip
right down so you can have your camera in portrait mode. Absolutely
awesome. The clasps on the legs are very, very good quality, they lock off super
tight - you're never going to move those guys. And there's handy little rubber
stoppers on the bottoms of the legs there as well. The legs themselves lock
out to 3 different positions - you've got this one...here...and then...there. So it can
get down really, really low, which is really, really handy. The centre column
though is what really sold me on this tripod. It will flip up, it comes up here,
there's a button on here you push in, and it will flip to
180 degrees. Which is of course so you can pack it away really tiny and get it back
in the bag and carry it around, but also you can use it with your camera in there
flipped upside down...so close to the ground. You can get some great low
perspective shots with this. Great for macro photography, it's absolutely
awesome and that is what actually sold me on this tripod. These are just over
130 dollars on Amazon, so a really reasonable price for a tripod that's
going to last you for a long time. I've had this for years, had absolutely no
troubles with it. So a really great tripod. But, you want to see what it can
do in the real world so let's take it outside and see what we can do with it.
Come on
Ok, so we're outside, let's see what this tripod can do.
Firstly I'll show you how quickly you can you can set this guy up.
So you just unlock that in there, your centre pole drops down...you undo your three leg clasps,
Pull them out on that leg...lock them off. Do the same for this leg here...lock it off.
Same for this one, lock it off. Place it down on the ground and grab your camera out.
And then... pop your Swiss, ARCA Swiss plate in there....
you're done, ready to go.
So now let's say, you're out in the bush or you're out somewhere
photographing and you've got a bank or a log like this one here and you're trying
to get a photo of something like, on the log. Your problems with a traditional
tripod that doesn't have collapsible legs like this one or angled..angled legs
like this is you can't get in close enough because you're stuck with your
3 legs out like that. So what you can do here, with your Veo 204ab is lock up
these two bottom legs sections like so,
on two of the legs like that. Flip them out to their most...their widest angle,
pop them up right on top of the log there. And you can see I've now got my
camera a lot closer to the log, this one supporting it on the ground and you can
get in much closer...and get a better angle on whatever you're wanting to
photograph. Awesome.
Okay so now here this is where this tripod really comes into its own.
Let's say I'm trying to get a photo of this moss here on the root of this
tree, and I don't want to get down on the ground and lie down the wet.........
Little bird joining me back there. What you can do here is extend your centre pole up....and you
flip it down. Your cam...you lock that off. Your camera's hanging upside down
Spin it round so it's facing in the right direction...and then you can just up
your legs here just your two bottom sections of your legs will get your
camera super-close to the ground.
So we'll lock them up there like that, pop it down, and you can see my camera is
literally the far off the ground. That's going to be an awesome point of view to
get really close up photos of this moss. Fantastic, best feature of this tripod by far.
So there you have it, the Vanguard Veo 204ab travel tripod. Is it the best
portable tripod? I think it's pretty good. Why don't you let me know in the
comments below. If you know of a better one, please share that in the comments too.
Make sure you check out the links in the video description for more information
and reviews on this guy and anything else I've use in the video. If you like
the video - please subscribe. I'm Barry Callister for Barry Callister Photography
Get out there and take some wicked shots! I'll you soon.
Be sure to check out the links and show notes be sure to check (jibberish)
Blah!
It comes with this candy harry (laughs). It comes with this.. it comes with this
handy carry case as well (laughs). Candy harry....who's candy harry, I don't know?!
Buh flaffa...buh flaffa....buh flaffa!
For more information on these products and reviews and any
(jibberish!)
..and anything else I mention in the video (coughs)....I need some water!
And you're good to...
(laughs)
Maybe not?!