"The main reason to avoid a center column for wildlife/action is because it prevents setting the tripod low enough. So I avoid them altogether."
My SLIK U-212 Deluxe Pro tripods have a 1/4-20 stud on both ends of their center columns. Normally, I have an eye nut on the bottom stud, so I can hang a weight, or my camera bag on it via a D Ring for wind stability. But the tripod head of choice (original or other) can be attached to the bottom of the center column when "really low" shots are required. So by doing this, the attached camera can take upside down shots with the center of the lens only a couple of inches above the ground, but it's easy to rotate them upright in Post. When shooting this way, I use a wireless trigger, and if flash is needed, I have hot shoe extension cables for either a flash or flash transmitter to be located away from the camera, usually clamped to one of the tripod legs, or wherever necessary. The SLIK U-212 Deluxe Pro has a center column lock that really holds well, taking center column wobble and slip completely out of concern when it's locked.They have a crank for raising and lowering the center column as well. These tripods also have leg pivot releases, so one or more legs can be angled out to about 50 degrees and locked at any position in between, but they have stops for the usual setting of about 30 degrees, which can then be over ridden with a release lever on each leg when a leg or two needs to swing out farther. With all three legs at their 50 degree extreme position, the center column touches my studio floor when the center column is cranked up to it's maximum height, so an attached tripod head and camera on the bottom end of the center column would be below ground level, if they were attached. This would give me the ability crank the center column and camera down lower than the ground surface to take photos to a depth of about 26" below the surface of the ground in a hole large enough for the tripod head and camera to fit into. I have never done this, and just now amazed myself when checking one of these tripods for it's maximum settings for this post, and discovered that they have this capability.
I'm sure there are other tripods that can do these things too, but I stopped looking when I got my first SLIK U-212 Deluxe Pro, and I now have two of them. I think I have about a dozen other tripods, but I only rarely use any of them. Each has a feature or two that I need sometimes that the rest don't have, so until needed these tripods collect dust in the corner of my studio most of the time. I do use one of them, a more sturdy than the others version when using my fog machine. I modified the fog machine by adding a base plate with a 1/4-20 threaded hole in it's center, so I can attach the fog machine to a tripod. I have also given away some of the "less desirable for me" tripods, as most are fine for someone just getting into photography.
My SLIK U-212 Pro tripods are about 20+ years old now, and still in fine condition, although I have not been especially kind to them. With the many features that they have even beyond what noted here, and how stable they are at any setting, is why I'll carry one to even the most remote shoot location, even though they weigh about 5.5 lbs each. I even do video work with them, using one of my heavier Pro Video Cameras.
Charley
