4 things to consider when buying a tripod

A tripod is a great tool and an absolute must-have for photographers, videographers and content creators. With a tripod, you can place or mount your camera securely, literally anywhere. There are lots of tripods out there, in many shapes and sizes, for all kinds of devices: smartphones, cameras, action cams. How do you choose the right tripod? Read this blog to find out how to choose the perfect one!

1. When do you need a tripod?
2. Choose a light tripod
3. Choose the right material
4. Flexibility
5. Versatility

When do you need a tripod?

A tripod will give you the possibility to place your camera or phone securely and stable. A tripod however has many more benefits. With the help of a tripod, you can shoot with slower shutter speeds or you can use telephoto and macro lenses. A tripod is also essential when you are taking videos. With a tripod you can shoot stable footage which will make your video look professional.

Before choosing the right tripod, it is recommended to consider what you will mainly use the tripod for. It is for example smart to opt for a light, flexible tripod if you travel a lot/ We recommend paying attention to these following four things before buying the right tripod.

#1 Choose a light tripod

A tripod is a useful tool when filming and photographing. It is important that the tripod is easy to bring along. Your tripod should definetly not become a burden because of its size or heavy weight, unless you always work from a studio. 

Therefore, we recommend choosing a light, compact tripod so that you can easily take it along to any location. However, a light tripod does not mean that the tripod is not sturdy.

In addition to the weight of the tripod itself, it is also important to pay attention to the loadable weight of the tripod. This is the weight your tripod should be able to carry. Do you use a heavier camera with many accessories? Then it is important to make sure that the tripod can bear this weight. This will prevent your tripod from becoming unstable and potentially falling over.

#2 Choose the right material

The material of the tripod largely determines the weight and price of a tripod. Most tripods are made of carbon, aluminum or plastic. Tripods made of carbon are very light and strong, but they come with a high price tag.

Tripods made of aluminum are also fairly light, yet very strong. Aluminum tripods are a lot cheaper than carbon tripods.

If you have a small budget, you can also opt for a plastic tripod. With larger tripods, plastic is usually not strong enough.

#3 Flexibility

Before purchasing a tripod, it is recommended to figure out in which situations you will mainly want to use it. Do you perhaps make a lot of travel content and vlogs? Then it’s a must to be able to place or attach your tripod anywhere. With a flexible tripod you can easily attach your camera, smartphone or action cam to a tree branch or fence for example.

If you mainly shoot photos or videos from a table or other surface, it is better to get yourself a regular tripod. It is more difficult to position a flexible tripod completely vertically, on a flat surface. If you often conduct interviews for example, it is better to go for a tripod with fixed legs.

#4 Versatility

Consider before choosing a tripod what you will use it for. Are you looking for a tripod to record diverse content such as travel content, vlogs and social media content? Then a multifunctional tripod such as the Ulanzi MT-44 tripod is a good choice. You can use this tripod for both a compact camera and a smartphone. You can use this tripod as a tripod and a selfie stick.

If you are looking for a tripod to make product videos, then a slightly larger and heavier tripod is a better choice, such as the MOJOGEAR 3-in-1 179cm tripod. This tripod contains a horizontal arm, making it perfect for shooting product videos as well as top shots, tutorials and, for example, cooking videos.

In addition, consider which equipment you want to connect to the tripod. A tripod for a camera often has a 1/4″ or 3/8” screw on the quick-release plate that you can connect to your camera. You might not be able to connect a GoPro or smartphone to this. To still be able to connect a GoPro or phone to a tripod with this screw connection, you need a GoPro mount with screw or a phone holder. Sometimes they are included, but this is certainly not always the case. Make sure to pay attention to this when purchasing a tripod.

Questions?

Do you have any questions about choosing the right tripod or do you have a questions about a specific tripod? Please reach out to us. We are happy to help!

Check out our assortment of tripods and accessories for smartphones, cameras and action cams.