Buying Guide: Tripods

Buying guide for tripods: which tripod should you buy?

There are hundreds of tripods on our website — all different in material, load capacity, height and name. You have tripods, monopods, gorillapods, table tripods and much more. Which tripod is the best choice for you? What should you look out for when buying one? We understand these are tricky questions and are happy to help with this buying guide, so your camera is always stable!

Types of tripods

Tripods come in various shapes and sizes, each with their own application. To help you choose, we have made a handy overview of the advantages and applications per tripod type.

Tripod

A tripod is a classic three-legged stand with various variants, each useful for a different type of photography. With a tripod with a reversible or tiltable centre column, your camera can get almost down to the ground — ideal for macro photography! For travellers, it is important to pay attention to weight and folded length. The more compact the tripod, the easier it is to take everywhere.

Monopod

A monopod is a tripod with just one leg. Ideal for shooting stable photos and videos while staying mobile. You do not have to keep folding it away and it is easy to carry. Even with heavier cameras and telephoto lenses, most monopods stay stable. A monopod is the perfect tripod for capturing events and action moments.

Gorillapod

A gorillapod is a flexible and compact tripod with three bendable legs that can be clamped to various objects. All ball joints in the legs have a rubber coating. Whether it is a lamppost, fence or a tree, the gorillapod can be attached to it. Large gorillapods can even carry the heaviest DSLR cameras.

Table tripod

A table tripod is a small and light tripod that can be placed on a solid surface for extra support. Due to its compact construction, it can be used in many situations, but is especially useful when there is no room for a full-size tripod. A perfect stand for action and 360° cameras and compact cameras.

Video tripod

Video tripods are generally sturdier and slightly stronger than regular tripods. Professional video cameras with accessories and complete video rigs can get quite heavy. It is therefore important that the tripod provides sufficient stability during a recording. A key component of a video tripod is a video head, which allows very smooth movements thanks to the fluid it contains.

Aluminium or carbon?

You will have noticed when browsing our tripods that some are made of aluminium and others of carbon fibre — and that carbon tripods are considerably more expensive. What is the difference between these two materials?

Aluminium

An aluminium tripod is very sturdy, and the vast majority of tripods are made of this material. Aluminium is a relatively light metal, meaning the tripods are not incredibly heavy while still providing sufficient stability. One disadvantage is that it takes on the temperature of its surroundings — in winter the legs can feel very cold. Fortunately, leg warmers for tripods are also available.

Carbon

A carbon tripod consists of multiple layers of carbon fibre — an extremely durable and sturdy material that is also incredibly lightweight. As a result, carbon tripods are often much lighter than aluminium tripods, making them perfect for travel. This does come with a higher price tag, as carbon fibre is an expensive material.

Recommended gear

To make your choice a little easier, we have made a selection of our favourite tripods below, divided by load capacity so you can easily find the right tripod for your equipment.

Load capacity up to 5 kg

Load capacity from 6 to 15 kg

Load capacity from 15 kg

Different tripod heads

Now that you have chosen a tripod, you also need a suitable tripod head. You place your camera on the tripod head and the head determines how you can move your camera. There are many different tripod heads — here is a handy overview of the most common ones.

Ball heads

A ball head is the most commonly used tripod head. It moves via a ball and socket joint, allowing you to quickly and easily position the camera in any direction.

Three-way pan-tilt heads

A three-way head can be adjusted in three different ways — tilting, panning and turning — allowing you to very precisely determine the direction of the camera. Setting it up takes more time.

Gimbal heads

A gimbal head is ideal for long telephoto lenses. You mount it on the lens rather than the camera body. This head can rotate 360 degrees.

Panorama heads

A panorama head is a must-have for shooting 360-degree photos. With this head you can move the camera in equal, smooth steps.

Video heads

A video head often has a higher load capacity and a longer control handle. It is also filled with fluid, making it easy to operate and allowing you to capture smooth footage.

Tripod accessories

In addition to a tripod and tripod head, there are many accessories available. The three most commonly used and often essential accessories for tripods are the spirit level, the leg warmer and the counterweight.

Many tripods already have a built-in spirit level. If not, you can buy one that attaches to your camera. A spirit level ensures your photo is straight every time, saving a lot of time in post-processing.

The leg warmer has already been mentioned for aluminium tripods. If you are often outdoors during colder months, the legs of your aluminium tripod will get very cold. A leg warmer provides a soft covering that does not change temperature.

Although a tripod provides a lot of stability, it may sometimes not be enough — for instance in strong wind. To increase stability and prevent your camera from toppling over, use a counterweight. Many tripods have a small hook at the bottom where you can hang a weight. This can be a filled bag, a sandbag or anything with weight. Always check the load capacity of your tripod before hanging something on the hook.