The right tripod for your camera

Among the first things you’ll need to consider when choosing your tripod is the size and weight of your camera equipment. Your new tripod must be capable of supporting it. Look at the tripod’s stated load capacity to check this and, if you can, test your camera and lens combination on the tripod before purchasing to ensure it feels right.

Although the lightness of a tripod itself is not related to how much weight it can carry (since this has more to do with the construction methods and materials used), some photographers – especially those who are studio bound, prefer heavier tripods. The weight makes the tripod inherently more solidly stuck to the ground.

But if you travel or enjoy shooting nature photography, lightness and transportability may be critical factors in your choice. New technologies and construction materials have allowed to offer very sturdy tripods that are incredibly sturdy, yet light and very easily transported.

Typical construction materials include Carbon Fiber, Magnesium and Aluminum. The lightest tripods are made entirely of carbon fiber with magnesium castings. But surprisingly, the main advantage of carbon fiber in tripod construction is not its reduced weight, but its increased rigidity and strength along the leg’s vertical axes. Of course, the fact that the overall weight of the tripod is reduced by 30% without sacrificing any strength is a huge plus.

Aluminum is the most common material used in tripod construction, offering great support at a typically lower price. Manufactures also make tripods that fall somewhere between the two, offering weight-saving features and common materials at a mid price range.

At the other extreme of the long range of items at the tripod market there are the Pro Tripods made of larger diameter aluminum tubing and heavy-duty castings. Typically used in the studio for medium and large format equipment like 4X5 and 8X10 view cameras, these tripods can weigh in excess of 20 pounds.