Sadly, height, load capacity, material, and head type can vary, making it difficult to choose a tripod. If you're looking to buy a tripod, whether it's a tripod for your phone or a tripod for a DSLR, then you’ve come to the right place. We've prepared a list of the 10 best tripods as well as a handy buying guide reviewed by photographer Kenneth Aballa to help you make the right choice!
Quick List - Top Tripods
Manfrotto
Enjoy Fast Setup, Easy Operation, and Incredibly Fluid Shots
Manfrotto
Built for Stability, Flexibility, and Smooth Travel Performance
An art director and a freelance photographer who shoots portraits, food, events, and products. Loves taking photos be it digital or film.
Our recommendation articles are carefully researched and crafted by the mybest Philippines team of writers and editors. To stay true to our company’s mission and vision to help users’ selection process easier, we also collaborate with experts from various fields to ensure that our content stays factual and useful.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
Table of Contents
Here are some key points to consider:
For more detailed information, read through our buying guide below.
Getting a tripod that can support more than your camera's weight is ideal since you might use other equipment like a flash, battery grip, or heavier lens that add more weight to your camera. Always check how much your camera and other equipment weigh to gauge if a tripod can safely support them.
The tripod head is an essential part of a tripod. It's where you attach the camera and allows you to carefully adjust the direction and the incline of your camera while providing stability at the same time. Note that a tripod head may or may not come with the tripod itself.
While great for landscape photography, a pan-tilt head is also ideal for telephotography, still-life, and macro or product photography. However, since it is slower to adjust, it’s not a good choice for sports or animal photography. The lever also protrudes, making your tripod heavier and bulkier.
A more compact and versatile alternative to a 3-way pan head is a ball head. It only has one control knob to tighten or loosen the grip. It is flexible and allows smooth movement while keeping the camera in place, making it ideal for sports, action, and wildlife photographers.
However, since loosening the control knob disengages both the vertical and horizontal axes, precision might suffer. Repeating results and replicating composition and angles is more difficult with a ball head. You might also have to level or hold the camera before releasing the lock to ensure that it doesn't slump down completely.
The gimbal head supports long and heavy lenses used in advanced sports and wildlife photography. It enables smooth movement and makes tracking moving subjects a breeze. A gimbal head can also maintain a camera angle hands-free, perfect for monitoring stationary subjects and following them when they suddenly move.
Unfortunately, a gimbal head is large, heavy, and unsuited for shooting landscapes and close-up subjects. They are not sold with a mounting plate, so make sure to buy a mounting plate long enough to balance your equipment. While costly, getting a gimbal head will help you capture wildlife and sports subjects with ease.
A tripod's material can greatly affect its performance. Aluminum is durable and inexpensive, great for photographers on a budget. However, it can get extremely hot or cold depending on the environment, and it is also prone to corrosion. On the other hand, carbon is lighter, more expensive, more temperature tolerant, and better at reducing vibration transmission. Unlike aluminum, carbon is not prone to corrosion.
There are often 2 to 5 sections on a tripod's legs. More sections mean that a tripod can extend higher, but often at the cost of extra stability and balance since the legs are skinnier at the bottom. Tripods with more sections weigh more and take longer to set up but can be collapsed down to a shorter overall length.
Naturally, your tripod's height shouldn't be too tall or too short. Too tall a tripod risks instability, while too short a tripod requires you to squat or bend down to look into the viewfinder. For ease, we recommend getting the tripod head to match your jaw height.
If you plan on traveling or frequently moving around, a tripod's length when it is folded also matters. Keep in mind that taller tripods are often heavier and are more difficult to lug around. Compact and mini tripods are great for shooting indoors on tabletops or outdoors if there are stable surfaces to put the tripod on.
Twist locks are the more professional type and can be sealed to prevent debris from getting to the inner joints. The twist lock needs a quarter turn to open and close the locking mechanism. It retains maximum grip, so there is no need for re-tightening. However, this can be more difficult to use than the flip lock.
A tripod's feet can provide more stability to your tripod. There are different types of feet, but some are more suited for certain surfaces than others. Metal spikes and rubber feet are the most common types. Always bring different kinds of feet when shooting outdoors to ensure that the tripod is stable on any surface.
Rubber tripod feet are an excellent choice for dealing with slippery surfaces. Using this type ensures that the tripod is stable and will not slip while taking photos. On the other hand, metal spikes are ideal for use on soft surfaces like sand and grass. This type can prevent the tripod from sinking and can provide decent support.
Most tripod legs now are telescoping and collapsible, making it easy to customize the tripod to your preferences. A tripod with telescoping legs is easier to bring when traveling as it makes for easy storage and convenient carrying. Collapsible legs also allow you to shrink tripods to up to a quarter of their extended height.
Other tripods also have built-in levels and measuring lines to help you balance and steady your shot. These features are great for operating outdoors as you can stabilize the tripod even on uneven or rocky surfaces. They also help you measure angles, making it easy to reproduce them or make minute adjustments if necessary.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Manfrotto Tripod With Fluid Video Head|MVK500AM | ![]() | Enjoy Fast Setup, Easy Operation, and Incredibly Fluid Shots | |
2 | Manfrotto Befree Live Aluminum Tripod | ![]() | Built for Stability, Flexibility, and Smooth Travel Performance | |
3 | Manfrotto PIXI EVO 2-Section Mini Tripod | ![]() | A Compact Tripod With a Wide Range of Shooting Options | |
4 | TELESIN Heavy-Duty Travel Tripod|TE-TRP-007 | ![]() | A Sturdy Travel Tripod for Both Beginners and Pros | |
5 | Mefoto Backpacker Classic Travel Lightweight Tripod | ![]() | A Compact Tripod Perfect for Backpacking | |
6 | Beike Portable Ballhead Monopod/Tripod|Q555 | ![]() | Lightweight and Durable for Photography in the Wild | |
7 | Benro Aluminum Tripod With VX20 Ball Head |FBAT05AVX20 | ![]() | Packed With Features for Easy Photography on the Go | |
8 | Benro Video Tripod Kit With Fluid Head|KH25P | ![]() | Get Stable Shots Even on Soft Surfaces | |
9 | Andoer Travel Lightweight Camera Tripod|TTT-663N | ![]() | A Reliable Choice for Travel and Outdoor Photography | |
10 | Selens Mini Carbon Fiber Tripod|TA-314 | ![]() | A Versatile Desktop Tripod for Photography and Videography |
Made in Italy, this tripod is perfect for professionals working at the highest standards. The fluid cartridges on the pan and tilt axes allow for smooth movements and make switching angles a breeze. The camera's smart design also enables slotting in the camera from the top.
The compact and lightweight aluminum legs make for easy disassembly and packing up, great for repositioning or moving to a different location entirely. Reliable leg flip locks ensure that your tripod stays upright and in place while shooting or compact inside the included carry bag during travel.
This is the most compact video kit available on the market and can easily fit in your carry-on bag or backpack. It is lightweight and easy to carry around when you need to record videos using DSLR cameras, compact cameras, or camcorders. The fluid head provides smooth movements, helping you take photos with great image quality.
Adjusting this tripod to your desired height is an easy task thanks to its 4-sectioned legs with twist locks. The sliding quick-release plate and separate adjustment knobs also make it easier for you to remove and maneuver the camera. The legs are also removable and can be used as a monopod.
As far as tripods go, this is as compact as it gets. Despite its small size, it can support cameras that weigh up to 2.5 kg, so it is ideal for entry-level DSLR cameras, GoPros, and mobile devices. Bring it with you everywhere you go for clear and stable shots every time!
Also, the legs' two sections can be adjusted to five different heights and two preset angles, allowing you to get a better shot of your subject as well as provide stability on uneven surfaces. The ball head can be tilted up to 90°— a rather wide range of motion for such a little device.
Complete your travel photography essentials with this heavy-duty tripod! You can easily convert the tripod into a monopod, making this product the perfect travel companion. This allows you to quickly and seamlessly switch between capturing those stunning landscape shots and on-the-go vlogging.
The ball head allows 360° rotations and facilitates capturing wide ranges even without wide-range lenses. The tripod is compatible with most cameras and can carry more than 5 times its own weight. This, together with the non-slip rubber pads on the feet, guarantee that your camera will be safe and secure at all times.
This tripod can be folded up to a quarter of its extended length, so you can easily put it in your backpack when traveling. It only weighs 1.2 kilos but can support cameras double its weight. The twist-lock mechanism and 5 leg sections allow easy customization of the tripod's height and position.
The tripod has a recessed center-column aluminum hook which you can load additional weight onto to provide more stability to your shot. However, because the legs have many sections, stability may suffer because the bottom leg is thin. Overall, this camera promises versatility and functionality despite its unassuming compact size.
The tripod's 4-sectioned adjustable legs are great for setting up the camera at your desired height. Its tough and durable magnesium alloy body makes it great for rugged outdoor use. Rubber feet provide traction and stability against even rough surfaces and will guarantee that your tripod stays upright during use.
More importantly, the tripod can carry up to 5.9 kilos. This makes it an ideal choice for DSLR cameras with heavier telephoto lenses for wildlife and nature photography. If you're looking for an inexpensive yet reliable tripod to bring along on your adventures, then this product is great for you!
If you're looking for a handy tripod for use on the go, then this is the product for you. The tripod's twist locks allow for easy adjustment and secure locking, while the tripod itself can be fully converted into a monopod. This gives you the freedom to choose between staying put and moving around.
You can choose from five different angle settings for the legs, guaranteeing maximum versatility and function. They can also be reversed for folding or inverted shooting. The tripod also features three accessory mounts, to which you can attach lights, mics, and monitors.
If you expect to be working in the rugged outdoors, then this product is for you. The tripod has rubber feet that you can easily convert into metal spikes for added stability. This is great for working in all types of environments, whether on even surfaces or otherwise.
The tripod also features a 3-section telescopic design that makes storage and traveling a breeze. You can also use the included thickened nylon carry bag to make moving around even easier. All in all, this product is as great a travel item as it gets!
Take your shots any way you want them with this tripod's 3-way pan/tilt, 360° rotation head. This lets you take vertical, horizontal, and panoramic shots with ease. It is also compatible with various camera types and can support cameras up to 3 kg.
The height-adjustable legs are foldable and can easily be stored inside a backpack or carried around. The rubber feet on the legs ensure stability and prevent the tripod from slipping when taking those crucial shots. When in need of extra stability, simply load weights onto the gravity hook, and you're set!
Don't let this product's small size fool you. Made with carbon fiber and magnesium castings, this tripod is lightweight, portable, and durable, in addition to being highly functional and convenient.
While the tripod may not extend very high, its compact size is great for putting on desktops, shelves, and other tight indoor spaces. Lastly, the tripod has a mounting hole to which you can attach a mobile or recording device—great for securing those extra angles or better audio clarity.
Before purchasing, consider the budget, the size and weight of your camera, and where you'll be using your tripod. Aside from using it for your camera, a tripod can also help with other equipment such as lights. It can be used as a stand for lights, external flash, and reflectors to help you achieve better results.
Below are some of the most asked questions on the web answered by the mybest team.
Generally, your tripod should match your height. Following this rule prevents you from constantly having to bend down to look through the viewfinder, which can be tiring and can strain your neck and back. Remember that a taller tripod can always be lowered to eye level, but a shorter tripod cannot be raised to eye level.
You should also consider portability. Most full-sized and taller tripods are naturally heavier and harder to store and carry around unless the manufacturer has specifically designed them to be lightweight and travel-friendly. Other tripods are compact and lightweight but may sacrifice additional stability and height.
The short answer is yes, tripods—tripod heads, more specifically—are universal. Most modern tripods and cameras utilize a 1/4" thread. While some more expensive tripods use a different screw connection, they are few and far between. You will usually be able to slot your camera into any tripod.
However, just because you can mount your camera onto any tripod doesn't mean you should. Some tripods are meant for heavier cameras, while others are not. Too heavy a camera on a flimsy or low-weight capacity tripod will likely compromise stability and balance, completely defeating the purpose of a tripod.
The most obvious reason for this is stability. A tripod allows your camera to stay completely still, freezing the frame as a result. This means that you can take shots at both low and high shutter speeds without losing clarity or blurring the image by your camera inadvertently shaking or moving.
A tripod enables you to utilize a wider range of photography techniques, such as long exposure photography and low-light photography. It also promises smoother panning, tracking, tilting, and zooming in or out. You can also fix your camera to angles without worrying about it shifting as you fiddle around with its settings.
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Re-editor: Joaquin Umlas
Our buying guide was carefully researched and crafted by the mybest team of writers and editors, in collaboration with the expert featured in this article. We used the buying guide as a basis for choosing and ranking the product recommendations, and we looked at reviews and ratings from different E-commerce sites like Lazada, Shopee, and more.
No. 1: Manfrotto|Tripod With Fluid Video Head|MVK500AM
No. 2: Manfrotto|Befree Live Aluminum Tripod
No. 3: Manfrotto|PIXI EVO 2-Section Mini Tripod
No. 4: TELESIN|Heavy-Duty Travel Tripod|TE-TRP-007
No. 5: Mefoto|Backpacker Classic Travel Lightweight Tripod
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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