I'm looking at buying my first tripod for my D7000 and don't have a lot of cash. What I do have is some REI gift cards and they carry Vanguard tripods.
I haven't been able to find an abundance of reviews on them, but most of what I have found has been positive.
The majority of the use would be for photos and videos of phones and tablets as I do reviews of Android devices for a website. That usage probably wouldn't require anything that hardy, but I also drag my d7000 with me almost everywhere I go (lots of hiking, but nothing long enough that weight is a big concern) so I'd like something that can stand up to a little wind and uneven ground.
One of these three would be my preference.
Breaking the bank a little would be this option, but if it's better than any of the above options by a large margin then I could make it work.
Of course if the answer is that Vanguard makes terrible products that no one should buy then I'll just keep saving until I can afford something else.
Having little experience with tripods, part of the issue is not knowing the appropriate questions. I guess I am mainly hoping to hear about durability and ease of operation from those who have used Vanguard tripods, and if possible whether they felt that any of the above options were more suitable for my intended uses for product photography and occasional general purpose use outdoors.