If you are reading this, chances are you've already figured out that a stable shooting platform is essential if you want to get the maximum out of your camera and lenses. The question then becomes, what should I be looking for in a tripod?
The lower end tripods sold in most big-box stores (at least in the U.S.) tend to be aluminum, and have braced legs and a built in pan-tilt or similar head, and are basically aimed at people with consumer video cameras. If you are serious about your photography, you'll run into the limitations of these types of tripods in a matter of months, if not weeks or days (already have one? Bent the flimsy leg braces yet? Find the controls difficult to use? Very slow to operate? Too much vibration? Plastic joints showing some slack? It goes on
).
A warning in advance, to get a 'good' tripod setup, you need to be prepared to spend as much on it as you would on a decent lens, maybe more depending on your definition of a 'decent lens'. On the flip side, you're never going to get the maximum resolving power out of your 'decent lens' without an equally decent shooting platform.
Manfrotto 055MF4 Carbon Fiber Tripod
Once you get into the mid range and higher tripods, you tend to buy the tripod legs and head separately. Don't know what kind of head you need? Our Tripod Heads Explained article gives an overview of the most common kinds of head. For the vast majority of people, a ball head is the right solution, and we've detailed what to look for in a ball head in our Choosing a Ball Head article. This article will deal with what to look for in the tripod legs.
Tripod Weight
As a rule of thumb, the heavier the tripod, the more stable it is likely to be. So you buy the heaviest tripod you can find right? Unless you are shooting in a studio or using exotic telephotos, that would be a big "No". If you are planning to hike any distance with your gear, the difference between a tripod weighing 7 lbs and one weighing 2 lbs is huge, especially when you factor in the weight of the proportionately sized tripod head. Think about when you expect to use the tripod. If it is too heavy to carry with you while shooting in those locations, you'll find yourself leaving it behind, in which case what's the point of buying one? Probably the single most important consideration when buying a tripod, is to make sure it is light enough that you will actually take it with you and use it.
The ultra-light Feisol CT-3442 weighs in at a mere 2.27 lbs, yet extends to an impressive 55.9 inches.
Tripod Height
Probably the next most important attribute of a tripod is its height fully extended. If the tripod is too short, it becomes very uncomfortable very fast as you hunch over to look through the viewfinder. As a rule of thumb, while standing straight measure the height to your eye and take off about seven inches (a typical ball head is somewhere around 4 inches tall, and the distance from the base plate to the viewfinder on your camera should be another 3-4 inches). This is the minimum height your fully extended tripod should reach. This assumes you will be shooting on flat ground if you are going to be on even a gentle incline or shooting on rocky ground, you need a taller tripod or you'll be hunched over. There is no such thing as a tripod that is too tall you simply don't extend the legs all the way. Too short, and it becomes uncomfortable to use really quickly.
Beware the Center Column
Many tripods rely on a center column to reach their maximum height. While center columns have their uses (especially if you are shooting macro where the ability to have a center column in a horizontal orientation is a big advantage), if you are looking for maximum stability they are best avoided. It doesn't matter how solid your tripod legs are, if you basically have a stick on top (i.e. the center column) extended and flexing in the wind. If you do buy a tripod with a center column, make sure it is tall enough that you can use the tripod comfortably without having to extend the column. Many pros prefer tripods without a center column, or ones where center columns are optional accessories (like the Gitzo Systematic Series).
Manfrotto 055MF4 with center column in horizontal position.
How Low Can You Go?
Especially for landscape shots, how close your tripod can get your camera to the ground is very important, so check on the minimum height of the tripod (another mark against tripods with fixed center columns). Anything under about 8 inches is good.
Gitzo GT5541LS goes down to an amazing 5.5"
Number of Leg Sections
Tripods typically have anywhere from 3 to 6 sections per leg, with 3 and 4 section legs being by far the most common. In general, the fewer the number of leg sections the better for stability, since the 4th leg section is always going to be thinner than the third, and a thinner leg is going to be less stable. The advantage of 4 or more leg sections is that the tripod folds smaller, so is easier to carry. This can be very important if you hike a lot or ever want to take it as hand luggage on an aircraft. While 3-section tripods are generally considered more stable, I've never heard anyone complain that their 4 section Gitzo 3-Series tripod was too unstable, and indeed a number of pros including Moose Peterson and Joe McNally use the big 6-section Gitzo GT5560SGT (see Tripods and Heads the Pros Use).
Gitzo GT5541LS has 4-section legs
Carbon Fiber or Aluminum?
Carbon fiber is a little lighter and has slightly better vibration dampening properties, but costs more. If you are trying to keep your setup light, then carbon fiber is your friend. If you want maximum vibration dampening, then wooden tripods are actually even better, but come with other potential issues (including weight).
Leg Locks and Rotating Legs
You are going to continually be opening and closing your tripod, so most of your interaction with the tripod is going to be with the leg locks. There are several styles available, my personal favorite is the recent twist locks like the Gitzo G-Lock and the new Feisol's with the RAL anti-rotation legs. Typically a quarter-turn or less allows you to slide the leg section in/out, and a quick quarter-turn or less the other way locks it solid. Manfrotto for years has used a lever-operated lock, which works well enough (although I did recently take a small chunk of flesh out of a finger closing one, my fault for not paying enough attention to what I was doing). Another style forces you to physically rotate the leg sections to lock/unlock them, this in our opinion is by far the slowest and least practical method.
RAL Locks on the new Feisol tripods.
Load Ratings
With no common methodology to measure load ratings, it's virtually impossible to compare different manufacturers tripods based on their claimed load ratings. Some manufacturers are more conservative with their claims than others. To be safe, look for a tripod with a load rating that is at least double the heaviest combination you are likely to put on the tripod.
Build Quality
At a minimum, most high-end manufacturers use aircraft grade aluminum and/or magnesium alloys for hinges at the top of the legs, for both strength and weight reduction. The cheaper tripods often use plastic here instead, which is more prone to wear and flexing. While not a completely accurate guide, generally the more expensive the tripod, the better the ultimate quality.
Feisol CT-3442 frame made from 7075 aluminum alloy.
Even then, the lower cost models may last many years of occasional use, and a pro may wear out an expensive model much faster in extreme conditions.
Weight Hooks
A number of tripods feature a hook under the base plate to hang a weight from. Especially in windy conditions, adding a weight to the bottom of the tripod (usually your gear bag) both helps stability in the wind, and in some cases can prevent the tripod from being blown over (which can get very expensive). Hooks are a very useful feature if you are likely to be using your tripod in adverse weather.
Hook underneath a Gitzo GT5541LS Tripod.
Systematic and Similar Tripods
Gitzo is well known for its Systematic range of tripods. The tripods ship with a flat plate on top, which can be removed and replaced with other accessories, including center columns, leveling bases and even ball heads (making a more stable connection than the typical 3/8" x 16 stud that is used to install the head). Feisol has a similar line, with even more options including a horizontal column. These tripods offer even more flexibility and customization, but inevitably cost more.
Gitzo Systematic Tripod with plate removed (left) and systematic ball head installed (right).
In Conclusion
The whole point of using a tripod is to provide a stable shooting platform, so the more stable the better. However if the tripod is too big or too heavy to carry with you, you'll leave it at home. Ultimately, that means you will need to strike a compromise between stability and portability, or if budget allows, have multiple set-ups (most people eventually end up with multiple set-ups).
For example, for studio use where stability is more important than weight, we use a big, heavy Gitzo GT5541LS with an equally big Foba Superball. For telephoto work, we use the same GT5541LS along with a CB Gimbal to balance the lens. With either of those heads on the tripod, the setup is pushing 10 lbs in weight, and is extremely stable. In the opening section of this article we mentioned the cost of a decent tripod set-up rivals the cost of a decent lens this set of legs combined with the cost of both heads runs around $2,000, but is more than most people need.
Gitzo GT5541LS Tripod with Foba Superball and CB Gimbal. The setup weighs almost 10 lbs with either head attached.
The above set-up is simply not practical for long distance hikes you'd leave it in the car every time faced when with a several mile hike up a mountain. Our current travel kit consists of the ultra light Feisol CT-3442 RAL with an equally light and even more versatile Acratech GP Ballhead. This setup folds very small into the padded tripod case supplied with the Feisol, and weighs in at a fraction over 3 lbs combined. This makes it small and light enough to take just about anywhere, so while it doesn't have the ultimate stability of our bigger setup, it actually gets used because there is no longer an excuse to leave it behind. Unfortunately again, this set-up still costs as much as a 'decent' lens about $800.
Feisol CT-3442 RAL with Acratech GP weighing just over 3 lbs combined.
There are a large number of tripod options available; considering the points above, and if possible physically handling the tripod you want to buy before purchasing, and you should be able buy the right tripod and head the first time. Think long and hard about exactly how and where you will use it. Tripods are about stability. However it doesn't matter if you have the strongest and most stable tripod in the known universe, if it's so heavy that you leave it in the car, or worse, at home.
For a list of specific models used by some of the more prolific pros and bloggers, we've compiled a quick list: Tripods and Heads the Pros Use.
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