Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB Aluminum Tripod with BH-60 Ball Head (Gen 2)

Good with minor design flaws

This is a review of the vanguard tripod with central pilar that transition to a horizontal arm. Overall construction is good and feels solid. The legs have a twist lock that are easy to deploy, (this from a guy who prefers flip locks). The twist requires less than a quarter turn to lock and unlock, and it has a physical line that helps to see which position the twist lock is in. The legs are solid and can be moved out every 20 degrees. The central pillar has a switch at the base that allows the pillar to be raised to the point where horizontal positioning is posible. In this position it can be moved up and down by 15 degrees. When extended, is stable. The base has a bubble level as does the ball mount. What I like is the stability and ease of deploying the legs, and the ability to use the central pillar as a horizontal arm. What I don't like and could have been easily made differently: 1) the line on the legs' black twist lock is black meaning that it is not easy to see at a glance. I will be painting them amber for better visibiiity. 2) the upper leg section has a orange symbols for lock and unlock to help identify the position (lock ro unlock) of that the line on the twist lock, it would be nice if these symbols were on the middle leg section as well. Another bit of painting for me to do. 3) the lever at the side of each leg (to unlock the teeth holding legs at any particular location) is shaped with a downward sloping ledge, so that you are pushing down on a ledge of button that is angled downward - looks nice, but this redirects and wastes the applied force so that you have to push harder than otherwise would be needed. The ledge of the button should have been horizontal (perpendicular to the vector of applied force). I will see if I can glue a small triangular piece of something to make the button edge perpedicular to the direction of force.