We all love capturing beautiful images of our amazing planet, but we all hate carrying around heavy bags full of camera gear, sweating out of every pore, desperately trying to avoid back spasms, cursing the day we learned about telephoto lenses. One surefire way to improve your wildlife photography game is to be more discerning about every piece of equipment in your kit, not just the camera and lens. A tripod can be essential for getting sharp, clear images from a distance, but it can also be one of the heaviest and most cumbersome parts of your packing list. So today we’re looking at four of the biggest factors that can make or break a tripod, as well as some specific product suggestions to get the best bang for your buck.
Load Capacity
A good first step when prepping a photo foray is figuring out exactly how much your camera rig will weigh. Add up the approximate weight of your body, lens, and any other accessories (external monitors, external batteries, sunshades, tele-extenders, etc.). Unless you’re packing a massively long lens, you’ll probably sit somewhere in the 3 to 8 lb range. In theory, that means just about any tripod can handle it, but it’s good to be conservative when looking at advertised load capacities. A tripod might be able to “handle” 8 lb under regular use, but suddenly you tilt the camera back or forward and your entire rig is sliding into the mud. I’ve found that a 17.6 lb load capacity is a good starting place for telephoto lenses, as that will more than cover your rig and can be found on a huge range of sticks.
The Magnus Aluminum Travel Tripod is a fantastic option for under $100, while the SmallRig FreeRover Carbon Fiber Photo Tripod Kit AP-100 will hold the same amount but with a tougher, more durable carbon fiber construction, as well as useful additional features like spiked feet hiding under the included rubber caps.
Height Range
The next factor to consider is how high you want your camera to be, as well as how low you might get. Many tripods feature low angle or underslung options for getting close to the ground, but wildlife photographers in particular might worry more about maximum height, as they could be shooting over trees, shrubs, or other plant life. Most tripods will sit in the 9” to 60” range, which will cover you for the vast majority of situations.
If you know you might need to get some extra lift, the Neewer 77" 2-in-1 Aluminum Tripod/Monopod with Arca-Type Head can extend out to an impressive 77” (as the name implies), while the slightly pricier K&F Concept T254A7 Magnesium Alloy Tripod with BH-28L Ball Head can get all the way to 90”. If you’re going that high, you’re going to want some counterweight, so the T254A7 includes a hook on the bottom of the center column to weigh it down and give you peace of mind.
Material
The next step when window shopping is to look at what materials the tripod is made of. This will determine how light the tripod will be, which is important for transportation purposes, as well as how it might hold up to rough conditions over time. Aluminum is going to be the more cost effective option, as seen in thrifty picks like the Magnus PV-3330G Photo/Video Tripod, but throw it into demanding conditions or a lot of travel and expect some bumps and dings that might start to affect its performance.
Carbon fiber has become the more popular choice, as it typically weighs less and can hold up better over the long run. The Sirui ET-1204 Carbon Fiber Tripod with E-10 Ball Head is a great choice if you’re going that route. Though it weighs only 3.1 lb, it can hold up to 18 lb and goes from 5” to 55”. If you’re mostly dealing with low-stress environments, the price saving with aluminum might be worth it. For demanding wildlife enthusiasts, carbon fiber could be an easy choice.
Folded Length
The final factor you’ll definitely want to consider is how compact the tripod will get when you’re carrying it around. Tripods with a shorter folded length will make travel and packing significantly easier, as well as help when you’re traversing difficult terrain and don’t want long legs sticking out of your pack. For the absolute smallest of the small, the Fotopro FY-820 Free-1 Compact Aluminum Travel Tripod folds down into less than 10”, but that comes at the cost of durability and flexibility.
The Oben CT-3535 Folding Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod with BE-208T Ball Head is a nice middle ground, folding down into a compact 12” while still keeping strong carbon fiber legs and a decent load capacity of 9 lb. For those with longer lenses, longer legs will make sense, as it typically corresponds with load capacity and max height, but for those with compact cameras and smaller lenses, going compact with your sticks is a no-brainer.
No matter what tripod you choose, the most important thing is to know your typical camera and lens choices going in, as well as what environments you’ll be using it in. That way you can find a tripod that can easily support the weight, reach the heights you need, hold up to the conditions you’ll be in, and be able to fit in your travel kit. There’s no one size fits all, but there are hundreds of great options on the B&H site.
What’s your favorite tripod to use for wildlife photography? Why does it work so well? Let us know in the comments section, below.
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