Tripods are the piece of gear photographers love to hate, especially when they travel. What’s to like about carrying metal sticks? Yet a compact, lightweight, sturdy, and affordable travel tripod forms the foundation of any photographer’s kit.
Tripods are also one of the most misunderstood pieces of gear. Are they necessary? What should you look for when buying a tripod? In this article, I share everything you need to know to buy the best travel tripod.
Is a tripod necessary?
No. A tripod is not an essential piece of gear. However, a tripod can make a huge difference when taking photos in low light, like at dawn or dusk, during night photography, or astrophotography. It also opens up more creative possibilities.
Most landscape and cityscape photographers, as well as some portrait photographers, prefer to use tripods. Since a tripod is stable, you don’t have to worry about getting blurry images from camera shake.
For instance, you can take photos slower than 1/50 second, like 1 second or 1 minute, and still get sharp images. I couldn’t have shot this 30 second long exposure of fog rolling over Busan, South Korea, without a tripod…
Tripods also come in handy for more advanced photography techniques. They make bracketing and focus stacking easier because all of your photos are instantly aligned.
How much should a travel tripod weigh?
Most travel tripods weigh 4 lbs. (1.8 kgs.) or less. The proper weight is relative though. Is it light enough for you?
[Like this? Check out: How to Take Super Sharp Photos With Live View]
Aluminum vs Carbon Fiber Tripods: Which is better?
Most tripods are made out of two materials: aluminum and carbon fiber. Aluminum tripods are cheaper and heavier. Carbon fiber tripods are more expensive, lighter, and are better at damping vibration. If money is no object, I’d choose a carbon fiber tripod.
How tall should a travel tripod be?
When buying a travel tripod, you’ll want to look at both the extended (maximum) height and folded (minimum) height.
A general rule for full-sized tripods is to find one that extends to the height of your eyes when standing up. For travel tripods, I prefer ones that extend to the height of my chest. There are a couple of reasons.
First, the taller your tripod, the heavier it will be. Second, I rarely take landscape photos at eye level. My tripod is usually either low to the ground or just high enough to pop over the top of a railing, wall, or greenery.
For example, in this photography vlog I made in Bangkok, you can see my travel tripod setup at 1:49. Notice my tripod is only raised high enough to get my camera over the railing.
As for the folded minimum height, travel tripods should be small enough to fit in your carry-on luggage. Most travel tripods have a fold-inward design that makes them very compact.
How much does a good travel tripod cost?
Any travel tripod buying decision ultimately comes down to cost. These days you can find solid travel tripods between $150 – $200 USD. This price range tends to offer the best quality for value.
Buy a tripod for under $100 and you risk having it fail on you. You’ll get blurry images because the tripod isn’t sturdy, or worse, it could break – causing your camera and lens to crash to the ground.
Which travel tripod brands are best for DSLRs?
Whether you have a DSLR or mirrorless camera, there are a number of travel tripods brands to choose. Manfrotto is arguably the most popular and trusted tripod manufacturer. You do pay a premium for the brand though. There are plenty of other brands making great travel tripods like FotoPro, MeFoto, Benro, Gitzo, 3 Legged Thing, Sirui, Gitzo, and many more.
What travel tripod do I use?
I use a FotoPro X-5CN carbon fiber travel tripod. I bought it in 2017 so there may be a newer model out. I like it because it’s lightweight, cost around $200, and has 4 twist-lock sections. There are plenty of other great options out there too.
Additional Tripod Buying Tips
- Visit a camera shop and test out different tripods before you buy one.
- Look for tripod brands that offer long warranty periods.
- Don’t forget to check your tripods load capacity. It should be more than enough to support the combined weight of your camera body and lens.
- Try to get a tripod with a counterweight hook under the center column to hang your camera bag on. The added weight of the camera bag will help stabilize your tripod when it’s windy.
- Tripod legs are assembled in either 3, 4, or 5 sections. I prefer 4-section tripods. They have less section locks than a 5-section and are usually more compact than a 3-section.
- There are two kinds of section locks: lever and twist. I like twist because I feel like I can open them faster and with less effort.
Tabletop Tripods & Other Alternatives
Tabletop tripods are another option. These mini tripods are extremely small. I have both a Manfrotto Pixi Mini and a Joby Guerilla Pod 3K. Neither will replace your traditional tripod. They do come in handy in a pinch though.
Some ultra-light photographers skip tripods all together. They carry fast lenses (with a larger maximum aperture like f/1.8), shoot at higher ISOs (above ISO 1,000), and/or use objects in their environment like trees, boulders, railings, tables, or their backpack in lieu of a tripod.
In Conclusion
Travel tripods can make a serious difference in the quality of your photographs. Not only do they give you more creative options – like long exposure photography for instance, tripods help you get the most out of each image, especially in low-light situations.
[My course: Learn how to photograph landscapes like a pro.]
And don’t skimp on the price of your tripod. It’s holding up your camera after all. To sum it up, a compact, lightweight, sturdy travel tripod is one of the best gear investments a photographer can make.
How about you? What travel tripod do you use? Do you have one to recommend? Or do you even use one at all?
Leave a Reply