I consider myself to be very knowledgeable when it comes to photography gear in general, but even more so with tripods. I have bought many different tripods over the years, and doing so has taught me a lot about  what to look out for, what should be absolute priorities and what features are just ‘Nice to have’. The reality of buying a tripod is, you get what you pay for, and from my experience, a professional tripod is worth every penny!

Things to consider when buying a new tripod:

• Design

• Intended Use

• Number of Leg Sections

• Leg tube diameter

• Leg tube material (Carbon Fibre / Aluminium)

• Spider / Apex

• Material Treatments (Type 1, 2 or 3 Anodizing)

• Hardware quality (Bolts / O-Rings / Leg-Locks)

• Maximum height

• Minimum height

• Maximum load

• Weight

• Speed

• Stability

• Centre column (Yes / No)

• Type of leg-locks

• Leg Angle adjustment Locks

• Ability to use Spikes / Claws

• Ability to attach accessories (Magic Arms, etc)

• Durability

• Availability of spare parts

• Hook for added stability

• Ease of maintenance

• Price

Design

The design of the tripod is extremely important. In its simplest form, the job of a tripod is to hold a camera as steady as possible, the way it is designed plays a huge role in this. Most professional tripods nowadays are designed without a centre column, this makes them significantly more stable but also lighter and able to reach lower minimum heights for those ultra low angle shots. 

Intended Use

Another extremely important factor to keep in mind when looking to invest in a new tripod is what you plan to use this tripod for. There is no such thing as a perfect tripod, and the ‘One size fits all’ approach does work with tripods. Different tripods are designed for different uses. The best tripod is the tallest and most stable tripod, but this will also be the heaviest and most cumbersome, so it would not be ideal for travel or long hikes / camping trips.

I specifically have an ultralight tripod (Sunwayfoto T2C40C) for long hikes where I am carrying camping gear, this tripod has a maximum height of 132cm and weighs just 1.5 Kg. The problem with this tripod is that it is not very tall or stable, so it is not great to use when it's windy or on steep inclines. 

I then have an everyday tripod (Sunwayfoto T3640CM), this is my main workhorse, it has a good maximum height of about 150cm and weighs 2.0 Kg. 

Finally, I have what I consider to be a specialist tripod (Gitzo GT3543XLS), it weighs 2.3 Kg but has a maximum height of 202cm which is perfect when working on steep terrain.

As you can see, there are different tripods for different uses.

Number of Leg Sections

The number of leg sections of a tripod affects both its minimum and maximum height. The ideal number of leg sections I have found to be 4 (Meaning 3 leg locks), this is because I can grab and unlock all 3 leg locks with one hand (Making it quicker to set up the tripod) and also maintains a good amount of rigidity (The more leg sections that a tripod has, the less stable it is, this is because there are more ‘joint’ which can flex, but also because the smaller tubes tend to be narrower and less stiff.

Leg tube diameter

Leg tube diameter is crucial for rigidity and stability. Thicker leg tubes are stiffer, but they also weigh more than thinner leg tubes. The ideal diameter of the top leg tubes (The thickest ones) is between 32-36mm.

Leg tube  diameters vary significantly from one tripod to another, below is a breakdown of each of the tripods listed above and their respective leg tube diameters from thickest to thinnest:

Sunwayfoto T2C40C - 28mm / 24mm 20mm / 16mm

Sunwayfoto T3640CM - 36mm / 32mm / 28mm / 25mm

Gitzo GT3543XLS - 32.9mm / 29mm / 25.3mm / 21.7mm

Leg tube material (Carbon Fibre / Aluminium)

Leg tubes are generally made out of one of two materials, either Aluminium or Carbon Fibre. Previously all tripods were made out of Aluminium, with Carbon Fibre tripods being pretty rare and extremely expensive. Nowadays Carbon Fibre tripods are much more common and more affordable too. There are several advantages to using carbon fibre to make leg tubes instead of Aluminium, these are: 

• Carbon fibre is much lighter

• Carbon fibre is more rigid

• Carbon fibre is less prone to corrosion

• Carbon fibre is less likely to jam / seize

• Carbon Fibre is not a good conductor of Electricity, making it safer to use in inclement weather

• Carbon fibre is better at dampening vibrations

• Carbon fiber has very low thermal conduction, meaning it will not get as hot or cold as aluminum.

All these features make Carbon Fibre a superior material for making tripod leg tubes out of. 

Spider / Apex

The spider is the central point which the legs connect to (The apex). The spider forms a platform for mounting a head and is usually where the centre column is run through. In tripods without a centre column, the spider is the point to which the platform or video bowl is attached. In professional tripods, the spider is reinforced and machined out of billet aluminium and then hard anodised to prevent corrosion and scratches.

Material Treatments (Type 1, 2 or 3 Anodizing)

There are 3 main anodising, most commonly referred to as Type I-Chromic Acid Anodise, Type II-Sulfuric Acid Anodise, and Type III Hard Anodise. The type of anodising will depend on the  intended use of the tripod and the manufacturer’s choice of budget / specification. All three of the tripods mentioned in this blog are Type III Anodised.

Hardware quality (Bolts / O-Rings / Leg-Locks)

The quality of the hardware used is also important in the smooth function and long life of a tripod, most manufacturers use 304 Grade Stainless Steel for bolts and fixings due to its superior strength and corrosion resistance. The quality of the O-ring used to seal the leg locks and keep sand / dust out is also extremely important, excessive dust and dirt will wear down the shims and bushes prematurely, leading to ‘Sticky Legs’ which will not be smoothe to operate and will eventually mean a full rebuild with new shims and bushes is required..

Maximum height

Tripods come in all sorts of different lengths/heights. More compact ‘Traveller’ tripods are marketed as an option to make it easy to carry and pack into a suitcase, however these generally tend to not be very tall and are usually slimsy and unstable due to their very lightweight and thin leg tubes. The ideal height of the tripod will also depend on what it is used for and your own height too. The ideal maximum height for an everyday tripod for me would be in the range of 150cm - 180cm, you also need to take into consideration the height added by any long spikes, but also the size of your tripod head.

Minimum height

The lower the tripod can go, the better, as it will enable you to capture the ulta low angle shots where you need to get close to the foreground. Most professional tripods can get as low as 10cm which is pretty good!

Maximum load

The Load capacity of any tripod is crucially important as it directly impacts the tripod's stability and what gear that can be safely mounted to the tripod. 

The load capacity of most professional tripods is over 15 Kg, this is plenty for any DSLR or Mirrorless system, even if using large lenses like a 600mm or 800mm. Putting that into perspective, my heaviest setup is the Nikon Z7II camera body, FTZ Adaptor, Nikon 300mm F4 Lens, Sunwayfoto PNL-Z6II L-Bracket and the Sunwayfoto EB-44 Ballhead, which add up to roughly 3Kg, that’s just 10% of the maximum load capacity rating for the Sunwayfoto T3640CM. 

Weight

The weight of a tripod (Like any other camera gear) is vital, especially for landscape photographers as more often than not, a hike is required to reach a location. 

A heavy and stable tripod is great when you can shoot from a carpark and don’t have to carry it far, but let’s be honest, very few shots are going to be epic from a carpark, so hiking is generally required, and this means lighter is better, especially when travelling overseas, on planes with limited luggage space and weight!

The ideal weight for a full size tripod would be anywhere between 1.7 Kg to 2.0 Kg.

Speed

The speed with which a tripod can be set up and a composition chosen is critical. At first, I thought that since I am using a tripod, I had all the time in the world to set it up and find a composition, but the reality is that every second counts, especially when chasing the light or in the middle of a storm chase, taking an extra 5 seconds to set up could be the difference between getting the shot and missing it. Light, weather and wildlife don’t hang around and wait for you to set up, so speed is crucial. 

Stability

A tripod’s job is to stabilize the camera and lens as much as possible. Sounds simple enough, but in reality, it’s much more complicated than that. The ideal tripod would literally be ‘As solid as a rock’, with absolutely no movement or vibrations transmitted into the camera. The reality is different though, external factors such as howling wind and waves crashing into the feet of a tripod will all impact its stability and also introduce potential camera shake / movement.

Cheaper and smaller travel tripods will never be as stable as full size professional tripods. The design of the tripod and the quality of the components makes all the difference here, and this is where you get what you pay for.

Centre column (Yes / No)

The simple answer is a resounding NO. Centre columns are terrible and should never, ever be used! Centre columns tend to be flimsy and introduce a huge amount of vibration and movement, which is the exact opposite of what you want from a tripod!

There's a reason that all professional tripods don’t have centre columns, and it's because they are terrible and no professional photographer would use one! 

Leg locks

All telescopic multi-section tripod legs will have some sort of locking mechanism, allowing the user to extend the legs to the desired height as needed. The two most common types of leg locks are the flip lock and the twist lock.

I have used both types of locks in the past and prefer twist locks as they are much quicker to use and much more reliable, they also have the added bonus of not trying to pinch your finger every time you try to set up your tripod in a hurry.

Twist locks are usually covered with soft rubber or silicone which make it easy to open and close them quickly when setting up, but also ensure they can be operated with cold and wet hands without slipping. The leg locks themselves house the shims and bushes which are there for smooth operation, and in most professional tripods they have rubber O-rings to keep dust, grime and sand from getting into the leg tubes. 

Leg Angle adjustment Locks

The leg angle adjustment locks are what enable you to adjust the legs to different angles. These are pivoting locks or levers which connect the top of each leg to the spider / apex. These adjustment locks allow the user to adjust the spread of the legs to allow the tripod to be used at different heights, but also move the legs independently of each other to use the tripod in uneven terrain. 

The leg angle locks are usually around 25 Degrees, 55 Degrees and 85 Degrees, the 85-degree setting allows the user to open the legs almost perfectly flat to the ground, allowing a really low shooting angle, ideal for including foreground elements. 

There are different types of leg angle adjustment locks, these vary by brand and design, some are push type buttons and others are pull-out type levers, meaning you just pull out the tab to adjust the angle and release it to lock the legs at the desired angle. 

Ability to use Spikes / Claws

At the end of each tripod leg is the foot. These are sometimes interchangeable, the most common options are rubber feet for use indoors, however I prefer to put spikes or claws on my tripods. Spikes are best for outdoor use, in soil, sand, rock and ice. I tend to prefer longer spikes so that I can dig them into the ground when shooting. 

Ability to attach accessories (Magic Arms, etc)

Most professional tripods have multiple points to which you are able to attach accessories such as magic arms or brackets, these can be used to attach video lights or flashes, but can also be used to mount mobile phones or other cameras like a go pro to shoot BTS footage or timelapse.

Durability

A really good tripod will cost an arm and a leg, so that's why durability is extremely important, as you want it to last as long as possible and continue to function smoothly and without issues. Even with a lot of care and frequent maintenance, there will inevitably be some wear and tear of the components in your tripod, and these will need to be changed at some point. Therefore it is important to consider whether the brand you choose has spare parts readily  available  to order.

Availability of spare parts

As mentioned above, choosing a brand of tripod which has spare parts readily available is an important factor. There are 2 main reasons you might want spare  parts.

1. Your tripod is damaged accidentally in a fall or by being run over by a car (Trust me it happens!), or even damaged in transit whilst travelling.

2. Your tripod is not functioning as smoothly as it used to and you just want to do some thorough maintenance on your tripod, such as going for a full rebuild where you change the consumable parts such as the shims, bushes, leg locks and bolts.

Ease of maintenance

It's important that your tripod is easy to clean and maintain. Frequently dismantling it, cleaning all the individual parts and reassembling it with fresh lubricants helps keep the tripod happy and functioning smoothly, making it easier to use and avoid sticky legs when out in the field. Frequent maintenance also ensures your tripod lasts a long time, making your investment worthwhile!

Hook for added stability

Most tripods have a little hook beneath the spider which is used to tie down the tripod or weigh it down with a camera bag. When shooting star trails or timelapses on a windy night, I sometimes run a guy line from this hook down to a peg in the ground to keep the tripod pulled down, limiting the chance of any unwanted movement.

Price

The price of the tripod is also something to consider. This is a very subjective point, as it varies depending on your individual views, priorities and budget. I made the mistake of underestimating how important a professional and high quality tripod was when I first started out, and this led to a terrible experience in Iceland in 2018 where my Nikon D810 and Nikon 24-70 F2.8 were ruined due to a cheap tripod. From that point on I decided that I would only be buying professional tripods, irrespective of the price. As with many other things in the photography world, you get what you pay for, so a top notch professional tripod does not come cheap, but from experience I would say that a professional tripod is worth every penny!

You might also find the following interesting:

Review of the Gitzo GT3543XLS

Review of the Sunwayfoto T3640CM

Blog - Is an expensive tripods worth the money?

Blog - A Practical Guide to Tripod Maintenance