Vanguard Veo 3T+ 264CB Review

Thankfully the days of the ultra-light and flimsy travel tripod seems to have passed, at least for now. Instead, what’s coming through are a new generation of tripods that are not only functional but pack in quality.

The Veo 3T+ 264CB is essentially a downsized Vanguard Veo 3+ 263CB with an almost identical feature set, just smaller and lighter.

All the design elements that made the Veo 3+ 263CB and Veo 3+ 263AB stand out as formidable camera supports are reflected in the Veo 3T+ 264CB.

Although it is a little heavier than previous Veo travel tripods, its small profile, features and sturdiness make it ideal for travel. The Veo 3T+ 264CB offers a true travel solution with a solid build that enables professional-level support without the premium price.

There’s an industrial quality to the design and build as Vanguard has decided that function balanced with design is where the market is headed.

The Veo 3T+ 264CB may be Vanguard’s latest travel offering, but it goes so much further. The carbon fibre legs, CNC machining and precision engineering make for a good quality all-round camera support.

It’s not just the manufacturing quality, but all the additional features such as the monopod leg, flip centre column, and well thought out detail that pushes this travel tripod ahead of much of the competition.

But can functionality win out against aesthetic design? Let’s find out in our full Vanguard Veo 3T+ 264CB review.

Lifting the Veo 3T+ 264CB from the bag and the weight for a travel tripod is instantly apparent. At 2275g, the tripod weighs more than I’d usually expect for a tripod that has a maximum height of 146cam or 156cm with the centre column extended.

However, where some other travel tripods might suffer from weak legs or a head that finds it difficult to keep itself upright under load; the Vanguard is as solid as a full-height offering.

Vanguard’s design is clever with a mix of carbon legs with aluminium centre column playing to each material’s strengths.

As with many travels and these days full height tripods the legs are of the flip-over design and need to be folded away from the centre column during setup.

Rotating the legs down reveals the Multi-Angle Central Column (MACC) that forms the heart of this tripods unique design.

The MACC enables you to firstly unbolt the centre column, as with any other tripod, and lift to extend, but then you can release the MACC joint to rotate the column through 90º.

Once the legs are folded down and the leg height adjusted using the twist locks you get your first impression of how sturdy the tripod is.

Starting at the top and looking at the head and its decent size with a payload limit of 15Kg and features a dual 360º design.

This design sees the usual 360º panoramic rotation of the head base and another 360º rotation of the clamp base.

Although this may seem odd at first the design enables more accurate positioning of the camera and is an increasingly common feature with the latest tripods.

The tripod head, VEO 2 BH-1605, takes a standard Arca Swiss style plate and the one provided is a decent size that will suit both mirrorless and DSLR cameras.

One feature that really stood out on the Veo 3+ 263AB and again here are the lever style knobs rather than the more common circular. These, as with other metal parts on the tripod, are nicely CNC machined and gave a quality feel.

These lever-style knobs also give better purchase in all weather conditions and are a feature I really like.

The first of these lever knobs is positioned opposite the base plate clamp knob and releases the top plate 360º rotation. The next is for the ball release and then there’s a further smaller lever knob that releases the bases 360º panoramic rotation.

The Veo 3T+ 264CB has a final trick that elevates this unique Vanguard design. The centre column has a clever flip lever that enables you to lift and rotate the column so that it lays 90º to the tripod legs. The Multi-Angle Centre Column (MACC) is the same design as the larger Veo 3+ 263AB.

This feature makes it ideal for macro and complex positioning shots and is one of the easiest and fastest flip centre column designs on the market.

Added to this is the multi-mount, VEO+ MA1, which is included in the bag. This mount slips and fixes on to the centre column and enables you to mount another camera or accessory. It’s a feature that has been designed for the photographers of today and is a huge asset for the design.

The four sections legs are of carbon construction, held in place by three twist locks. As with the Veo 3+ 263AB, these are standard twists rather than the excellent 1/4 turn version on the Alta series, but they do the job.

The large rubber feet at the base of the tripod offer excellent grip on many surfaces, and there’s the option to remove these and screw in alternative foot options.

The Veo 3T+ 264CB is designed as true travel support and offers the same level of rigidity that you would expect from a standard tripod. In essence, Vanguard hasn’t sacrificed strength for weight.

Taking the Veo 3T+ 264CB out for the first time, I flipped the legs down, ready for action before strapping onto my backpack.

I find that this small action of folding the legs down just makes it more convenient to set up in the field and really I only pack the tripod down to its minimum length when I’m actually travelling. It’s a small action that seems to take up a disproportionate time when out taking pictures.

Finding a location and the twist locks prove responsive, unlocking and locking the legs to find a level and stable base. The side button leg angle adjusters make sense; they’re completely intuitive to use, enabling fast repositioning without issue.

Setting the camera on top and the area swiss-style clamp and plate is all nice and precise, mount and tighten, and you’re ready to go.

Again the large lever knob on the side enables you to adjust the composition ready for shooting quickly.

Switching location to make the most of the MACC centre column and dropping the tripod’s height without removing parts or bolt-on additions makes it fast and easy.

It also eliminates any doubts I had about the growing trend of dual rotation ball heads. The ability to rotate the pano base and clamp a full 360º means getting the exact composition you want is completely hassle-free.

Finally, with the MA1 in the position, I mounted a few accessories in turn, including a Ninja V, Neo II and NTG 4. The addition of the extra mount to add a second head gives so much flexibility over the tripod’s functionality.

The MA1 used in conjunction with a magic arm in the 3/8-inch (With 1/4-inch adapter) again enabled even greater flexibility and setup options.

The Vanguard Veo 3T+ 264CB looks good with the carbon and CNC machining and is one of a growing number of tripods really pushing the production quality.

The Veo 3T+ 264CB is a great looking piece of kit, as are other tripods on the market, but it has one major benefit – everything works and functions as you’d hope.

Not only does it function and give you the options you’d hope for, accessories port, Multi-angle centre column, but it also goes so much further with the MA1 and dual rotation ball head.

The Veo 3T+ 264CB functions as a simple solid no-fuss camera support but then goes so much further with the MACC and dual rotation head. The Veo 3T+ 264CB is a travel tripod in another league.

There are so many tripods out there that it’s often difficult to tell one from another, a slight change in height, an added feature here and there. But Vanguard has always tried to do things differently.

The new style of multi-angle centre column is spot on for convenience and function; it just works.

The style of the carbon legs and CNC machining looks great. Although it doesn’t quite have the Benro or Gitzo tripods’ design flair, it’s still one above many other products out there.

The attention to detail by Vanguard is what stands out. Features haven’t just been added for the sake of it, for example, it has an accessories port that actually works.

Likewise, the MA1 addition is inspired, especially if you’re a videographer looking for a lightweight tripod for travel.

The Vanguard Veo 3T+ 264CB is one of the best travel tripods out there, and while it may only stand at 156cm, it provides convenient full-featured support that few other tripods can offer.