---
product_id: 1150508
title: "Alta Pro 263AB Tripod with Ball Head"
brand: "vanguard"
price: "A$531"
currency: AUD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
category: "Vanguard"
url: https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/1150508-alta-pro-263ab-tripod-with-ball-head
store_origin: AU
region: Australia
---

# 26mm leg diameter for rock-solid stability 360° fluid ball head rotation for seamless framing MACC system enables 0-180° multi-angle central column Alta Pro 263AB Tripod with Ball Head

**Brand:** vanguard
**Price:** A$531
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 📸 Elevate Every Shot with Precision & Power — Don’t Just Capture Moments, Command Them!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Alta Pro 263AB Tripod with Ball Head by vanguard
- **How much does it cost?** A$531 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.au](https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/1150508-alta-pro-263ab-tripod-with-ball-head)

## Best For

- vanguard enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted vanguard brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Lightweight Yet Heavy-Duty:** Weighing just 5.4 lbs but supporting up to 15.4 lbs, it’s the perfect balance for professionals on the move.
- • **360° Fluid Ball Head Precision:** Smooth SBH-100 ball head with quick release plate and bubble levels ensures flawless, shake-free shots every time.
- • **Unmatched Stability & Flexibility:** Aluminum alloy legs with quick-flip locks and retractable spikes adapt to any terrain or angle effortlessly.
- • **Instant Swivel Stop-n-Lock (ISSL) System:** Securely reposition your central column in seconds without compromising stability—never miss the perfect angle.
- • **Revolutionary Multi-Angle Central Column:** Tilt your shots from 0 to 180 degrees with the patented MACC system for creative macro and wide-angle photography.

## Overview

The Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB tripod combines innovative engineering with professional-grade materials, featuring 26mm aluminum legs adjustable to multiple angles, a fluid 360° ball head, and a unique multi-angle central column system. Lightweight yet robust, it supports heavy camera setups while offering unmatched flexibility for macro, wildlife, and wide-angle photography. Designed for pros who demand stability, versatility, and quick setup, this tripod is a game-changer for creative control in any environment.

## Description

Alta Pro tripods have unmatched flexibility, stability and enabling more angle possibilities than ever before. Its innovative Multi-Angle Central Column (MACC) System allows users to move the central column from zero to 180-degree angles in variable vertical and horizontal positions making macro-photography and special wide-angle shots a breeze. The Instant Swivel Stop-n-Lock (ISSL) System securely repositions the central column in one simple movement, in just a few seconds, while maintaining the tripod’s stability. Additional tripod features include advanced camera vibration and shock control, aluminum alloy legs that adjust to 25, 50 and 80-degree angles, quick-flip leg locks, patented premium magnesium die-cast canopy, hexagon-shaped central column for extra stability, and non-slip, spiked rubber feet for changing terrains and a removable hook for hanging camera accessories. Its SBH-100 fluid-like ball head rotates 360 degrees and has smooth locking knobs, an outstanding loading capacity and fine-tuning functions.

Review: This is a great product - Having only an old and kind of heavy tripod—but using lighter mirrorless cameras these days—I needed to find a lighter tripod. I checked out several brands. The Vanguard gets my vote. >> Legs Out of the box, they are neither too stiff nor too lose. They feel just right. In the event they need tightening, the company supplies a tool for that purpose. When the tripod is set up and everything is tightened down, it feels super solid. >> Ballhead This looks like a high-quality item to me, but it uses a proprietary attachment system—it isn't Arca-Swiss-compatible. Newer Vanguard tripod/ballhead kits all seem to have Arca-Swiss-compatible heads. I don't want to discard my camera's great hand grip with its Arca-Swiss base plate. Fortunately I have a good replacement ballhead that I can use instead. Too few manufacturers pay enough attention to the feel of their tightening knobs. The ones on the Vanguard ballhead are comfortable to hold and turn. >> Proprietary ballhead attachment system I might not be able to use it myself, but that aside it's clearly well made. The supplied camera plate has a sensible design for the attachment screw, so you aren't out of luck if you need to attach it but don't have a flat-head screwdriver or coin handy. The plate slides into place and locks there. Press a small button at the open end of the clamp to release it—the mounting plate slides right out. This seems like a very solid design, surely capable of holding a fairly heavy DSLR with the ballhead remaining locked down nice and tight. >> Center column The column is hexagonal, not round. It feels solid when it's tightened. It can't be turned within its housing, but when you have it upright, you can use the swivel adjustment elsewhere on the tripod. >> Release levers for changing leg angles I'm used to seeing levers that stick out at the tops of tripods' legs—you push them inward or pull them downward to change the legs' angles. Some have a pretty flimsy feel to them. The Vanguard tripod has wide push-levers instead, mounted flush to the sides of the legs rather than projecting out from them. This arrangement works very well, and there's no metal gizmo sticking out the sides of the tripod to snag on anything. Thumbs up for this feature. (If it matters: the legs move silently as you change angles—no loud CLICKs.) >> Tilting center column design Some reviews I've seen complain a bit about the steps needed to move the center column from vertical into tilt "mode". Judging by video reviews, Vanguard's later models seem easier to tilt. But it isn't _that_ much more work. Set the column at the desired angle, then lock it by tightening a lever. With the lever down, the column locks securely and without any "slop". To unlock it, slide a small plastic slider a short distance. This frees the tightening lever, which you then lift to change the angle. Moving the column from vertical to "tilt"—or removing it entirely when you want to reverse it—does not require removing the spring-mounted hook at the end of the column. Thanks for that, Vanguard. When the column is in tilt "mode," you can swing it around until it's parallel to the vertical axis of the tripod. Then, adjust the distance from head to ground via a single tightening knob. Thus for reversing the column you don't have to pull it all the way out of its housing and then re-insert it upside down. >> Flip-lock levers for extending the legs I have one tripod with inexpensive-looking and -feeling levers, and they worry me. But the Vanguard's levers seem very well made. The tool supplied with the tripod enables you to tighten them if need be. This model has only two flip-locks per leg to get to its rated maximum height. That's great. >> Monopod capability It's all the rage in recent tripod designs and it sure is handy. The Vanguard does not have such a feature. The legs can't be removed. But I knew that when I bought it. Nice to have, but not a deal-breaker. >> Carrying it around Vanguard doesn't make the tripod to be folded back onto itself after the fashion of Three Legged Thing tripods. But, you can shorten it a lot by moving the center column to tilt "mode", extending it all the way, turning it parallel to the legs, and locking the tilt angle. This shortens it quite a bit. (If you fold it up this way, you probably shouldn't pick it up by holding only the center column. Hold the legs instead.) >> Nice touch Good deal: All three legs have foam wraps. >> Carrying bag? Nope. Nice to have, but not a deal-breaker. >> Nit-pick: Documentation The documentation is almost entirely pictorial and the diagrams are not the easiest to read. You do, so to speak, get the picture after a while, but the documentation could stand improving. (And hello, Vanguard: The PDF version of the documentation needs to be output again at higher resolution!) >> Nit-pick: Set screws to hold the ballhead in place While this is a good idea to keep the ballhead from becoming unscrewed accidentally, it's a bit of a pain to loosen and tighten those set-screws within the mounting plate. But ok—it isn't as difficult as landing a rover on Mars. You won't have to do it often. The "multi-tool" supplied with the tripod comes with an Allen key of the necessary size. >> Overall impression << This reasonably priced tripod is well made and very solid. The tilting design is excellent. I expect that the product will last a long time.
Review: Good tripod at a great price. - Bought this to replace my wife's desertcart basics tripod. Huge upgrade and well worth the money. In fact for around $150 it is a great value. The ability to reposition the center post at any angle has been incredibly useful for macro photography, as well as wildlife photography where one might find themselves having to sit in odd spaces for a long period of time to get a shot. Very solid build, the head tightens down very solid, no unwanted movement. The plate-lock for the camera is very secure too. I wasn't sure about it but the dual lock system keeps everything very secure. After about three months of moderate use for outdoor, wildlife photography, photography, and indoor macro photography, this thing is showing no signs of quitting any time soon. I highly recommend it. In response to many reviews that comment that one or more leg locks didn't work on their tripods: I had one leg that wouldn't lock, when extending it, the leg would open all the way to the 80 degree position, unlike the other two that would stop at 25 and then 50 degrees. It seems this problem is the result of a stuck release button or locking bolt (when open all the way you will see a rectangular "bolt" that retracts slightly when the release button is pressed). This problem was easily remedied by first giving a quick blast of air from a compressed air can (like what you use to clean the dust out of your computer) to remove any possible debris from the release and then carefully applying a few drops of household 3 in 1 oil to the bolt and under the button. Careful to use just a small amount and not get it on top of the button or where you might handle the tripod (I found holding the tripod upside down while depressing the release button of the leg in question provided ample room to apply oil under the button). Work the release button for a minute to get the oil into all the moving parts. All 3 legs now function properly on my tripod. If you do this, give it a couple days before using in dusty conditions so that excess oil can "dry" a little.

## Features

- 26mm 3 section aluminum alloy legs adjust to 25, 50, and 80-degree angles to enable extreme low angle photography. Quick flip leg locks and rubber feet with retractable spikes
- Smooth fluid-like SBH-100 ball head rotates 360 degrees and includes quick release plate QS-39 and bubble levels
- The MACC (multi-angle central column) system allows you to move the central column from 0 to 180 degrees in various vertical and horizontal positions
- The Instant Swivel Stop-n-Lock (ISSL) system securely repositions the central column in one simple movement. Premium magnesium die-cast canopy, removable accessory hook, and anti-shock ring
- Specifications: Folded height: 28.2", Extended height: 68.2", Weight: 5.4 pounds. Max. load capacity: 15.4 pounds

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B003WKOENO |
| Audio Recording | No |
| Best Sellers Rank | #358 in Complete Tripod Units |
| Brand | VANGUARD |
| Built-In Media | Tripod, Tripod Bag |
| Color | Black |
| Compatible Devices | Camera |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,111 Reviews |
| Features | Lightweight |
| Folded Size | 28.1 |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00026196335986 |
| Head Type | Ball Heads |
| Item Dimensions D x W x H | 30.1"D x 5.8"W x 4.6"H |
| Item Length | 68.2 Inches |
| Item Type Name | Tripod. |
| Item Weight | 5.4 Pounds |
| Leg Diameter | 26 Millimeters |
| Manufacturer | VANGUARD |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Material Type | Aluminum |
| Maximum Height | 68.2 Inches |
| Minimum Height | 28.2 Inches |
| Model Name | ALTA PRO 263AB 100 |
| Model Number | ALTA PRO 263AB 100 |
| Number of leg sections | 3 |
| Special Feature | Lightweight |
| UPC | 026196335986 |
| Warranty Description | 5 Year Warranty |
| Weight Limit | 15.4 Pounds |

## Product Details

- **Brand:** VANGUARD
- **Color:** Black
- **Compatible Devices:** Camera
- **Item Weight:** 5.4 Pounds
- **Material:** Aluminum
- **Maximum Height:** 68.2 Inches
- **Model Name:** ALTA PRO 263AB 100
- **Special Feature:** Lightweight
- **Tripod Head Type:** Ball Heads
- **Weight Limit:** 15.4 Pounds

## Images

![Alta Pro 263AB Tripod with Ball Head - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71npUMEjnpL.jpg)
![Alta Pro 263AB Tripod with Ball Head - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81hJaIUz8DL.jpg)
![Alta Pro 263AB Tripod with Ball Head - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61wJplAtLrL.jpg)
![Alta Pro 263AB Tripod with Ball Head - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Ske1E8m7L.jpg)
![Alta Pro 263AB Tripod with Ball Head - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61H9YjLde5L.jpg)

## Questions & Answers

**Q: Its so confusing,whats the difference with the 263 tripod kits and tripod, does that mean for 169$ you only get the tripod head?**
A: The trick is to look at the last (second) letter in the model number. If it ends with "T" then it's just the tripod legs. "B" stands for ball head, so if the name ends in "B" you get the tripod legs and the a ball head. "P" stands for pistol-grip head. The first letter stands for the name of the material: "A" for aluminum, "C" for carbon fiber. So if the model number is 263AB, it means that it's the aluminum tripod legs plus a ball head.

**Q: Is there any difference between the 263AB and 264AB? I'm not really seeing any difference.**
A: Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB is both taller and larger than the 264AB. Both are virtually identical in weight, and have identical 7.0kg load capacities.I own both, the 263AB is a full-size (height-wise) tripod, while the 264AB is subtly more compact, which is noticeable when you set them up side-by-side. If you are of average height you may find you do not need to extend the center column with the 263AB very often, while you will probably need to extend the center column on the shorter 264AB most of the time. This technically affects stability, but the ~4" of extension is generally not significant for casual use. A big difference for me is that the 264AB will fit inside almost all airline carry-on bags I use (with the ball head removed), whereas the 264AB usually does not fit (at least in bags that are regulation size...).* 3-segment legs vs. 4-segment legs* 1730mm (68.125") extended height vs. 1625mm (64") extended height* 1425mm (56.125") minimum extended height vs. 1390mm (54.75") minimum extended height* 715mm (28.125") folded height vs. 625mm (24.625") folded heighthttp://www.vanguardworld.com/index.php/pv/products/detail-1-4-225-623.htmlhttp://www.vanguardworld.com/index.php/en/pv/products/detail-1-4-225-622.html

**Q: Can this tripod get really low to the ground/spread out on the ground without extending the arm out?**
A: The Legs DO fold out further, so that you can get lower to the ground. If you want to get lower, what you can do is slide up the middle piece all the way up, it comes out. Then you can flip it upside down so that the camera is now between the 3 legs. Sure your photo will be upside down, but that's what the rotate function is for in your photo editor.

**Q: How high does the tripod extend in its maximum setting?**
A: Max height is 70"

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is a great product
*by R***R on March 3, 2021*

Having only an old and kind of heavy tripod—but using lighter mirrorless cameras these days—I needed to find a lighter tripod. I checked out several brands. The Vanguard gets my vote. >> Legs Out of the box, they are neither too stiff nor too lose. They feel just right. In the event they need tightening, the company supplies a tool for that purpose. When the tripod is set up and everything is tightened down, it feels super solid. >> Ballhead This looks like a high-quality item to me, but it uses a proprietary attachment system—it isn't Arca-Swiss-compatible. Newer Vanguard tripod/ballhead kits all seem to have Arca-Swiss-compatible heads. I don't want to discard my camera's great hand grip with its Arca-Swiss base plate. Fortunately I have a good replacement ballhead that I can use instead. Too few manufacturers pay enough attention to the feel of their tightening knobs. The ones on the Vanguard ballhead are comfortable to hold and turn. >> Proprietary ballhead attachment system I might not be able to use it myself, but that aside it's clearly well made. The supplied camera plate has a sensible design for the attachment screw, so you aren't out of luck if you need to attach it but don't have a flat-head screwdriver or coin handy. The plate slides into place and locks there. Press a small button at the open end of the clamp to release it—the mounting plate slides right out. This seems like a very solid design, surely capable of holding a fairly heavy DSLR with the ballhead remaining locked down nice and tight. >> Center column The column is hexagonal, not round. It feels solid when it's tightened. It can't be turned within its housing, but when you have it upright, you can use the swivel adjustment elsewhere on the tripod. >> Release levers for changing leg angles I'm used to seeing levers that stick out at the tops of tripods' legs—you push them inward or pull them downward to change the legs' angles. Some have a pretty flimsy feel to them. The Vanguard tripod has wide push-levers instead, mounted flush to the sides of the legs rather than projecting out from them. This arrangement works very well, and there's no metal gizmo sticking out the sides of the tripod to snag on anything. Thumbs up for this feature. (If it matters: the legs move silently as you change angles—no loud CLICKs.) >> Tilting center column design Some reviews I've seen complain a bit about the steps needed to move the center column from vertical into tilt "mode". Judging by video reviews, Vanguard's later models seem easier to tilt. But it isn't _that_ much more work. Set the column at the desired angle, then lock it by tightening a lever. With the lever down, the column locks securely and without any "slop". To unlock it, slide a small plastic slider a short distance. This frees the tightening lever, which you then lift to change the angle. Moving the column from vertical to "tilt"—or removing it entirely when you want to reverse it—does not require removing the spring-mounted hook at the end of the column. Thanks for that, Vanguard. When the column is in tilt "mode," you can swing it around until it's parallel to the vertical axis of the tripod. Then, adjust the distance from head to ground via a single tightening knob. Thus for reversing the column you don't have to pull it all the way out of its housing and then re-insert it upside down. >> Flip-lock levers for extending the legs I have one tripod with inexpensive-looking and -feeling levers, and they worry me. But the Vanguard's levers seem very well made. The tool supplied with the tripod enables you to tighten them if need be. This model has only two flip-locks per leg to get to its rated maximum height. That's great. >> Monopod capability It's all the rage in recent tripod designs and it sure is handy. The Vanguard does not have such a feature. The legs can't be removed. But I knew that when I bought it. Nice to have, but not a deal-breaker. >> Carrying it around Vanguard doesn't make the tripod to be folded back onto itself after the fashion of Three Legged Thing tripods. But, you can shorten it a lot by moving the center column to tilt "mode", extending it all the way, turning it parallel to the legs, and locking the tilt angle. This shortens it quite a bit. (If you fold it up this way, you probably shouldn't pick it up by holding only the center column. Hold the legs instead.) >> Nice touch Good deal: All three legs have foam wraps. >> Carrying bag? Nope. Nice to have, but not a deal-breaker. >> Nit-pick: Documentation The documentation is almost entirely pictorial and the diagrams are not the easiest to read. You do, so to speak, get the picture after a while, but the documentation could stand improving. (And hello, Vanguard: The PDF version of the documentation needs to be output again at higher resolution!) >> Nit-pick: Set screws to hold the ballhead in place While this is a good idea to keep the ballhead from becoming unscrewed accidentally, it's a bit of a pain to loosen and tighten those set-screws within the mounting plate. But ok—it isn't as difficult as landing a rover on Mars. You won't have to do it often. The "multi-tool" supplied with the tripod comes with an Allen key of the necessary size. >> Overall impression << This reasonably priced tripod is well made and very solid. The tilting design is excellent. I expect that the product will last a long time.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good tripod at a great price.
*by R***S on May 10, 2016*

Bought this to replace my wife's amazon basics tripod. Huge upgrade and well worth the money. In fact for around $150 it is a great value. The ability to reposition the center post at any angle has been incredibly useful for macro photography, as well as wildlife photography where one might find themselves having to sit in odd spaces for a long period of time to get a shot. Very solid build, the head tightens down very solid, no unwanted movement. The plate-lock for the camera is very secure too. I wasn't sure about it but the dual lock system keeps everything very secure. After about three months of moderate use for outdoor, wildlife photography, photography, and indoor macro photography, this thing is showing no signs of quitting any time soon. I highly recommend it. In response to many reviews that comment that one or more leg locks didn't work on their tripods: I had one leg that wouldn't lock, when extending it, the leg would open all the way to the 80 degree position, unlike the other two that would stop at 25 and then 50 degrees. It seems this problem is the result of a stuck release button or locking bolt (when open all the way you will see a rectangular "bolt" that retracts slightly when the release button is pressed). This problem was easily remedied by first giving a quick blast of air from a compressed air can (like what you use to clean the dust out of your computer) to remove any possible debris from the release and then carefully applying a few drops of household 3 in 1 oil to the bolt and under the button. Careful to use just a small amount and not get it on top of the button or where you might handle the tripod (I found holding the tripod upside down while depressing the release button of the leg in question provided ample room to apply oil under the button). Work the release button for a minute to get the oil into all the moving parts. All 3 legs now function properly on my tripod. If you do this, give it a couple days before using in dusty conditions so that excess oil can "dry" a little.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stable, solid tripod full of well thought-out features
*by V***K on November 5, 2014*

This is an excellent tripod — it's stable and solid, high-quality, and full of well thought-out features that took me many months to discover. To begin with, it's sturdy, which makes it easy to get shake-free photos at night, or to use a pair of big 20x, 100mm binoculars. The feet have spikes in them, which are exposed via a screw mechanism — you move the rubber feet upwards by turning it around a screw, to expose the spikes. This is a better system than my other tripod, where the rubber feet detach, which makes it a pain to make sure you don't lose them if you ever detach them. All three legs have a foam grip, for comfort. The head can be detached from the legs, and used on another tripod, or vice-versa. The head even comes with a screw adapter, which you'd use if the you want to use a head and legs that use a different sized-screw. The screw adapter is already screwed in, since these legs and head are themselves of a different size. Both the legs and the head have bubble levels (each in both directions), and both of them have a pan lock in case you want to pan your camera or binoculars while keeping the vertical angle the same. This is in addition to the knob on the ball head that makes the ball move around freely. The legs lock at three different positions, if you want extra stability. You press a button on the legs if you want to move it past the lock position. The head has a backup safety mechanism to prevent your camera from falling out. After you rotate the knob to loosen the quick-release plate from the tripod, you need to press an orange button as a backup safety mechanism. The tripod conveniently comes with two quick-release plates. I leave one connected to my binoculars and the other connected to my camera. Unfortunately, you'll need to use a screwdriver when you connect the quick-release plate to your camera. Otherwise, it will be loose and result in blurred photos or a blurred view through your binoculars. The central column of the tripod can be rotated out an angle, for example, if you have the tripod set up on your balcony, but want your camera to lean out. It can also be rotated down to bring your camera close to the ground, if you want to take a photo from that perspective. The tripod reaches a height of less than five feet, without the center column extended (it's more stable that way). Unfortunately, this is not high enough if you're tall, like I'm (6 feet). You have to extend the center column. The center column has a hook from which you can hang a camera bag or other object for extra stability. This tripod can handle a heavy pair of binoculars and keep it relatively steady at high magnification (20x). It's pretty long (around 2 feet) even when collapsed, and relatively heavy. All in all, this is a solid, stable tripod full of well-thought out features. This is my primary tripod.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB 100 Aluminum Tripod with SBH-100 Ball Head for Sony, Nikon, Canon DSLR Cameras, Black
- Vanguard QS-39 Quick Release Plate for Specific Vanguard Tripods and Heads
- SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Memory Card - C10, U3, V30, 4K UHD, SD Card - SDSDXXD-128G-GN4IN

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*Product available on Desertcart Australia*
*Store origin: AU*
*Last updated: 2026-03-07*