Things You Should Look Out For When Buying a Tripod

What makes a good tripod? This 5-minute video from Kai Wong looks at the ins and outs of a photographer’s three-legged friend.

In his typical charismatic fashion, Kai makes a seemingly boring topic of tripods light up with his engaging look at the different elements you should pay attention to next time you’re choosing a new tripod head or legs.

It’s easy to choose a tripod straight off the shelf and think “that’ll do,” but make sure to consider the smaller things like the payload of the equipment. If you have particularly heavy gear, ensure that the tripod can actually sustain and hold the weight in place.

Furthermore, if you have bought your tripod legs and head separately, then make sure the payload of the two is the same. If you don’t, the head might slip position or the legs may not offer sufficient support.

There’s also the setup speed to consider. How quickly can you go from zero to shutter when setting up your tripod? Some tripods use screw nuts to hold the legs in place when extended, but others (like the Manfrotto units) use levers. The latter tend to be quicker to set up, and you save precious seconds.

If you’re in the market for a new tripod, it’s worth doing your research and investing in a high-quality one that will serve you well. After all, you’ll be entrusting your most precious gear to it.