Aluminium or Carbon Fiber?

[unpopular]

Those Vivitars from the 70's are actually pretty nice, and putting a better head on one would probably make for a decent, basic tripod for not much money.

 

[Derrel]

Those Vivitars from the 70's are actually pretty nice, and putting a better head on one would probably make for a decent, basic tripod for not much money.

Exactly!!! A good number of older, 1970's and 1980's era low-cost model tripods that were made in Japan by traditional photo supply companies would now be in the $199 range if sold new today, and were made to a standard that, in today's market, would be considered "robust". That's the biggest difference ebtween older gear and the flood of MIC stuff that is designed to be sold dirt-cheap: the earlier-generation products were never designed to be sold as cheap, throw-away stuff.

 

[smoke665]

I have the Vanguard Alta PRO 263AT

I just bought a Vanguard, can't remember the model. 4 section legs, the head flips upside down, and the whole thing collapses into a neat little package. So far I love it.