2026-05-15 Velbon VGB-3 Tripod

    Velbon became a company in 1955 in Japan. Three years later—in 1958—their Model VE-3 / VGB-3 tripod became the world’s best selling tripod. This is the Model VGB-3. The VGB-3 is classed as an aluminum tripod, although there are plastic, rubber and pot metal castings.  As shown here, without column extended, it has the camera platform 1.2 m (47 inches) from the ground.

    The column adds 33 cm (13 inches), for a total height of 1.5 m (5 feet). If you collapse the legs and column—with legs splayed—the tripod head is 55 cm (21.75 inches) from the ground. With legs collapsed and folded tight the tripod is 58 cm (23 inches) long. It weighs 2231 gm (slightly under five pounds).

    The crank is typical of the thinking, engineering and precision of manufacture that makes this tripod an absolute classic. The socket and arm are matt chrome. The knob is knurled plastic and spins effortlessly. When the column is all the way down, the crank arm folds the knob in to the space between the legs to make the tripod smaller in diameter and to protect the crank. The column does not come out all the way for reversing or anything clever, it is held captive so you don’t have to worry about your mounted camera suddenly toppling. It was mentioned in other reviews that this tripod handles 4x5 press cameras easily. Astronomers also use this tripod for both telescopes and binoculars, which should tell you something about how the assembly handles vibration.

    This is a close-up of the center tube, rubber ring and spider hub. Note that the spider hub assembly hasn’t got a lock. Some have pointed that out as making the tripod less solid than it could have been. The point is missed that the entire spider/tube assembly is more to insure all three legs are at the same angle to the hub. Anyone who has played with a “field” tripod can tell you that having three legs that simply splay—although well suited to uneven ground, like the sides of mountains—can be pretty irritating if you are on a flat surface. The spider on the VBG-3 makes pulling one leg out spread all three legs the exact same amount, and then stop at the optimum angle (30º)—and that is all it does.

    Note the small camera screw with a much larger tightening ring is an excellent way to attach cameras. There are many, many useless tripods out there that have lost their dedicated Quick Release plates. The whole concept of having multiple quick release plates really only came into fashion with those who changed between specific cameras for various assignments. Most people just need to attach their only camera to a tripod, and then just when they need the tripod. Leaving QR plates attached to your camera often makes the camera hard to put down.

    The VGB’s camera platform is trapezoid shaped. It might have something to do with having a broad hinge side tapering to making it easier-to-reach the attachment thumbscrews.

    In this back view you can see the really beefy hinge assembly, while the attachment wheel almost fills the narrower end of the base plate. Also note the head is labelled a “Panhead PH-21”.

    The Velbon head (from the knurled ring up) can be unscrewed from the column (wide knurled slightly more chromed ring). 

    The top of the column has a standard ¼ inch camera mounting screw thread.

    There are two sizes of toggle release leg locks. It was mentioned the original tripod may have come with an Allen key for adjustment, but there doesn’t seem to be any Allen key adjustment points. This is the lower, smaller leg lock.

    And this is the higher, larger leg lock. It has the spider attachment point on the top back. Both leg locks are castings that have had exact holes bored in them for the hinge pin. Then they are finished with a coating that has stood up well to as many as 66-years of use. They are quite stiff to release and lock, but better stiff than popping loose with a camera getting dropped!

    This is the back side of the upper leg lock. Note the spider arm is riveted in place. Any threaded fastener could fail eventually, either through age or being loosened and reattached too many times. Since the spider never has to be removed, better make it permanent.

The legs tips have threaded rubber bumpers.

Here the bumper is lowered. The rubber serves two purposes: protecting finished floors and making the tripod less likely to slide. Returning to the right tripod design points mentioned earlier,  the legs have to act together to keep the camera exactly positioned. If one or more legs can move back and forth the camera is free to move. Keeping the friction high on the leg tip helps steady the tripod.

    And hence when outside, or on really thick carpet (only partially joking), sharp leg tips are accessed by screwing the rubber tips until they touch the leg section.

    There is a very thin threaded aluminum tube that runs from the center hub down to a rubber ring. It has the center column inside it and the spider hub slides up and down it. It is a clever way to control the spider, yet short enough not to get dented or bent. 

    Mentioned earlier when the crank was first shown, here the crank is folded into its safe carry position. On the far side the black knob is the column lock. The column lock doesn’t have to be completely released so it provides drag on the positioning height (and protection from a really heavy camera descending too fast). In a really recent design improvement Velbon reworked the rack-and-pinion column so the rack cannot run away with the pinion.
    The top left knob (they are identical) releases and locks the pan action of the head. Every direction of the Velbon pan-tilt head has a separate lock and release action. Ball head lovers hate it, but many times having separate actions makes precise settings easier.

    The tilt has an arrow to align with horizontal and every 30º until pointed straight down. Pointing straight up is not possible—because the tilt handle interferes with the hub/legs—but maybe the head attached to a monopod might tilt that far.

    The pan hub is calibrated every 30º too. I expect you use the gap you see here for an alignment  point. This pan angle indication can be handy when shooting multiple images to later assemble into a panorama print.

This is the pan head by itself. It is much lighter than the leg assembly.

 
    

    This view down the tripod shows how well thought out the parts are, requiring very little movement of your hands to quickly adjust your view without even looking. One point of a good design is the ability to lower the tilt handle down to the legs for carrying. The VGB could give lessons on how to do it right.

And now two final tripod tips:

1. always use the thicker leg sections first
2. keep the elevator as low as possible (preferably less than ½ height, especially in windy conditions)