Vanguard Alta BH-300 Ball Head

I wanted a ball head to replace my trigger ball head because of its bulk and weight. I have not made this purchase lightly as much research and one prior purchase/return was involved to get to this ball head. I didn't want a knob but rather a locking lever to control the ball adjustment. The travel distance of the lever and the ability to adjust its starting point are important to ensure it's not a hassle to quickly make adjustments. The build quality is also extremely important to me but I didn't want to buy a $500 head as I believed there must be a better value out there. Before this ball head I purchased a Really Right Stuff BH-25 but it was too small and the lever would run into the plate adjustment screw in some positions. The next step up in the RRS heads was another $100 to $150 above what I already spent.I own a Vanguard AT263 tripod so decided I would look into their offerings and found this head. I guess I just hadn't seen it before and was pleasantly surprised by the build quality, ease of adjustment, the rather short lever travel distance, the ability to change the starting position of the lever, the ability to control panning separately and the fine adjustment the ball tension control provides. It weighs about a pound but will hold up to 27 pounds or something ridiculous like that! When I tighten the lever, about 90 degrees of travel, the ball is VERY secure, I couldn't move it.The clamp is ARCA Swiss and works with my existing plate but the head does come with a good plate with a flip down adjustment tab for easy tightening.Time will tell but this head is the same high quality and great value as my tripod so I don't expect any issues.

Just received this ball head and I was really surprised. I am replacing a Bogen 3047 head that weighs a ton and is a PIA to use. The Vanguard is also a beast, much larger and heavier than I realized but a heck of a lot lighter than the 3047. I attached it to a Bogen Manfrotto 3030a tripod I bought in 1985, took out the adapter from the bottom of the Vanguard, and attached it to the 3/8 screw on the Bogen. It fit like a glove! The Bogen tripod really likes this unit. I attached my Pentax K30 to the head and it fit as solid as a rock. Now for the real test.I tried out the movements on the new Vanguard head. Smooth as butter on an Arizona summer afternoon! I made a few minor adjustments, tightened everything up, and it was rock solid. No movement, no slop, just does its job and does it well with surprising ease. This ball head should last long enough to pass on to my son.I then attached the head to my cheap Targus monopod. Attached easily, but this monopod is not suited to this head. I'll need a better monopod.Wish I had bought this ball head sooner. You may prefer the Vanguard 250 which is smaller and lighter, but either way, you cannot go wrong with either this one, the 300 or the 250. Highly recommended. Amazon has the best price and with Prime, you will get free shipping. Do it.

metter than my 20 year old manfrotton head as this head's ball is oil/grease-free, which i imagine all recent heads are..locks better than my old head and i love the friction control and the tension knob takes only 1/4 turn to lock compared to multiple turns on my manfrotto. never a fan of the swiss arca platforms as they are so much slower than the manfrotton quick releases, but ill have to live with that.i purchased the larger BH 300. it looks different than what is shown on the amazon site: has no knurled surface, the index marking around the bas are not bright yellow.although it sags a tad when locked its not a big deal; thats what 3-way heads are for.will look for a chance to convert the platform to a manfrotto type.feels heavy and solid though the paint finish is very week and scratches easily.do like the adjustable lock know in a few position options for setting lock.

The Vanguard Alta BH-300 ball head arrived today and I couldn’t be more pleased. Construction is top notch, all controls function perfectly, connected to my Slik tripod with no issues, rubber grip on all 4 control knobs and the ball has a nice smooth feel in rotation. When everything is locked down, you can throw the tripod over your shoulder with no fear of the camera moving or falling off. This thing is SOLID with my heaviest camera setup. See photos. I did a ton of research before purchasing and you will not find a better ball head at this price point. 5 stars all around.

Ok, so my memory of Vanguard was the discount tripods at the department or electronic stores that you pretty much bought out of necessity rather than longevity. I'm saying this to excuse me not giving them a chance for the past 15 years. This ball head is the best i've bought in years. It is better than my Manfrotto and host of others. The machining on this thing is impeccable. It is robust, but not too heavy. Oh man, the lock and friction on this thing is light years ahead of anything I've tested. Plus I love the rubber grips on the knobs. They don't feel cheap at all. In fact the only cheapish part of this is the bubble, but I'm really just being bias on preference on that. In all seriousness I am now putting Vanguard on my short list over this for reliability, durablity, and flawless usability. Whoever designed this must be a photographer as it feels like an extension of the camera. Blown away Vangaurd, great job!