Best Tripod
Top 10 Rated Tripods 2013
By Brian Jones
Tripods are an essential piece of photography equipment. They allow photographers to achieve a stability in their pictures that could not be had in hand holding the camera. Sometimes a shot required much slower shutter speeds or the photographer is trying to catch movement with out shaking the whole camera. This is where tripods really come in handy. They are also useful for portrait photography and group shots. Maybe the photographer is going to be in the group. The use of a tripod here creates uniform shots and allows the photographer to focus on details instead of framing. We looked at 10 different tripods and rated them based on the following points:
1. Durability for field work and long term use
2. Lightweight while still maintaining the strength to carry a heavy load
3. Highly adjustable legs and mounts
4. Pistol-grip and ball type heads for minute adjustments
5. Maximum height of the tripod
6. Compatibility with many camera sizes
7. Extras like carrying bag and extra mounts
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Pistol-grip ball head |
This tripod is all about the angles. It can achieve some pretty impressive low angles due to its Multi-Angle Central Column…read more
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74.8” height |
The Slik Pro 700DX tripod is truly a solid tripod. With the ability to hold up to 15 pounds and extend to a maximum height of almost 75-inches…read more
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Pistol-grip ball head |
If you are looking for a tripod designed to take a lot of abuse, this might be the one for you. The construction is completely aluminum…read more
| Ravelli Professional 65-inch |
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65” height |
This tripod from Ravelli bridges the gap between inexpensive and professional tripods. It is pretty feature heavy for being offered at a budget price. It only weighs 3.5 pounds and can support up to 17 pounds. That strength to weight that is not found in many tripods. It has 360 degree panning and 90 degree tilting functions that are useful to every photographer out there. The legs have twist locks to ensure that they remain in the locked position with extended use. The Ravelli Professional 65-inch tripod can be found for $49.96.
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| AmazonBasics 60-inch |
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60” height |
The Amazon Basics tripod is exactly that. A very basic tripod that will have no trouble getting most jobs done and it comes at a very cheap price. This is not going to compete with a full featured tripod on any day of the week, but it will be all an amateur photographer is going to need. Most importantly, it is lightweight. No budding photographer is going to lug around a 15 pound tripod if they really aren’t sure what situations are going to need one. There are two bubble levels on the tripod to ensure a level shot. This tripod is only available on amazon.com for $20.75.
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| Joby GorillaPod Focus with Ballhead X |
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Supports up to 11.1 pounds |
This tripod from Joby is a bit of a step up from some of the others on the list. This one is focused on high end cameras instead of point and shoot cameras. The biggest difference is the ball-head mount. This allows for very specific adjustments to get the exact image you are striving for. The flexible legs allow you to mount this camera virtually anywhere you can think of. The head allows for 360 degree panning and 90 degree tilting. It is a light tripod, but it doesn’t compete with others in how much it can support. The GorillaPod Focus with Ballhead X sells for $149.95.
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| Dolica GX600B |
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60” height |
Every photographer will be impressed by Dolica’s proline of tripods. The GX600 is a fully featured tripod that is lightweight and has a 5 year warranty. Some of the features include an integrated tripod bubble level, 3-position leg angles, a hook for counter weights, interchangeable spike and rubber feet, and 360 degree panning. The tripod itself only weighs 3.5 pounds so it will be easy to take this with you where ever you go. This tripod is available for $39.95 to $51.11. It’s going to be hard to find a better deal than that.
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| Joby GorillaPod Hybrid |
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2.2 pound load capacity |
If you have a smaller camera and keep finding yourself in situations where you need to stabilize your camera or even want to be in the photos yourself, this is the tripod for you. The standout feature here is the fully adjustable legs. You can wrap the legs around a small branch or a chair leg and achieve the stability of a tripod standing on the ground. It’s a really neat idea with some cool real world applications. The head has a 360 degree pan and a 90 degree tilt for further adding to the usefulness in real world situations. Joby threw in a quick-release with a bubble level to seal the deal on this unique tripod for smaller cameras. You can find this tripod on sale for $28.97-$39.95.
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| Joby GorillaPod Micro 250 |
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Supports up to 8.8 ounce cameras |
Joby came up with a very unique design to address a very specific problem. Point and shoot users are less likely to carry any sort of tripod, even if it is a relatively small tripod. What should a point and shoot user do to fix this problem? Attach the GorillaPod Micro and you’ll never be without a tripod again. This lightweight and very small tripod is design to be with you at all times and provide stability on most surfaces and terrains. It isn’t going to replace the usefulness of a full blown tripod, but it will provide the point and shoot photographer peace of mind. The GorillaPod Micro 250 can be found for $14.95 to $19.95.
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| Sunpak 620 |
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58.3” height |
This is going to be the overall budget option for the tripod list. This is a far from fully featured tripod, but it would be a great choice to someone who is not sure if they will actually use a tripod. It is very lightweight, so bringing it on a photo excursion and not utilizing it would not be a tragedy. It has bubble levels built-in for the sake of convenience while out in the field. One of the biggest drawbacks is the very low weight capacity. It will max out with some of the smaller DSLRs with small lenses or any of the bridge cameras on the market. This tripod can be had for $18.99 to $23.99.
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Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera… See more about Brian |
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Filed Under: Digital Cameras • Electronics • Tripods
