Love them or hate them, tripods are an essential piece of the photography puzzle. They allow us to capture images that would otherwise be impossible to create, whether it be due to low light or long exposures where keeping our camera motionless is essential. Even in bright daylight, tripods aid us in producing sharper images, all while freeing our hands to do other tasks.
Choosing a tripod is a highly personal choice, and there are many considerations we should take when choosing a tripod. Obviously, there’s more to it than simply buying the first three-legged thing you come across, but not everyone wants to go through all of that research. To help you out, we’ve picked the best tripod kit for each use case, featuring options from Oben and Robus. But first, let's go over some basics.
What Are We Supporting?
Before nearly all other considerations, we should be sure to know what we’ll be supporting. A small, compact point and shoot camera is a lighter load than an ARRI cinema camera by a long shot and subsequently have different needs when it comes to support. Every set of sticks, and even the individual heads, have a weight rating that’ll tell us how much gear it can safely and steadily support.
For instance, the Oben CT-3565 Travel Tripod has a maximum load capacity of 20 lb. This is more than enough for the average mirrorless photographer and in some cases, even video shooters. The ball head may not be ideal for all uses, but we’ll talk more on that topic shortly. What matters is that we can support a rig weighing 5-15 lb easily.
On the other hand, a big full-frame camera with a 600mm f/4 lens will require a bit more from a tripod. In this case, a larger, full-sized tripod like the Robus RC-8880 Vantage will be a much better option, as it can support upward of 55 lb. when combined with the Triple Action Ball Head, though there’s more to tripods than just weight capacity.
Speaking of 600mm f/4 lenses, we have to talk about balance. You can easily have two camera setups with equal weight, but wildly different weight distributions. A small ball head like the Oben BHC-20 Two-Way Head is perfect for landscapes portraits, but it won’t keep a big, heavy lens stable. In fact, unless you’ve got a good grip on your lens, the first knob you turn could send your tripod and expensive camera setup hurdling toward the ground below.
What’s the Best for Your Needs?
Everyday
What if we just like taking photos of all things that catch our eye? There’s no need for some of the specialized features that we’ve covered above, so why pay for them in cost and weight. A basic, everyday tripod should meet the basic requirements we laid out earlier, but it doesn’t need to feature a joint center column, and it certainly doesn’t need a gimbal head.
One of the most versatile tripods is the Robus RCC-3060, which is constructed with ultra-lightweight carbon fiber which keeps the weight down without sacrificing rigidity. This tripod also does away with the traditional center column, a trend that will come up time and again in this guide. The benefits of such a design choice cannot be understated. Without the column, users can lower the tripod to just 7.5” above ground, opening up all sorts of dramatic, low-angle perspectives.
Travel
Planning on traveling with your camera gear? You’ll need something that packs up small, especially when photography isn’t the main purpose of your trip. Sure, you could certainly pack a Robus RC-5560 with ball head diagonally across your suitcase, but there goes a good chunk of your packing space. Note the length of your tripod and where it’ll fit within your luggage. Most photographers/videographers end up leaving their tripod in their checked bag, so size isn’t much of a consideration. A better option is a travel tripod like the Oben CT-3565 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod with BZ-217T Triple-Action Ball Head, as it folds into a travel-friendly size that even fits overhead luggage bin.
Now, when it comes to travel tripods, there seems to be a fixation on folded length. While this trait is important for packing, we should also be thinking about the overall width of our tripod, as all those knobs, dials, and latches can get caught on clothes and other soft material in our luggage cases. Enter the ultra-slim Oben CQL-20 Compact Carbon Fiver Travel Tripod.
Nature & Wildlife
When it comes to facing the elements, there’s no better tripod than the Robus RC-8880 Vantage Series 5 Carbon Fiber Tripod. Why did we put nature and wildlife together here? Because the shooting conditions are quite similar in that we’re outside and, more importantly, facing uneven terrain. Hence, why an 80” tall tripod is our pick. We’re not expecting you to get up on a ladder, but when shooting on a slope, you can extend one or two legs beyond the standard height to have a level shooting base.
Now, which tripod head do we pair with such a sturdy base? Some wildlife shooters swear by the gimbal head, which provides a balanced surface to mount your heavy gear to. When balanced, you can keep the controls loose without worrying about your expensive camera flopping forward and taking the whole tripod down with it.
Luckily, the RC-8880 is available paired with the Oben GH-30 Gimbal head. Together, this kit makes for an excellent wildlife setup. Keeping with Robus tradition, the RC-8880 eliminates the center column, which is especially useful for landscapes and wildlife scenarios where you want to get down to your subject’s eye level.
Macro
Is there really a tripod optimized for macro photography? You can certainly use most tripods for general macro photography, but it all depends on what you’re looking to photograph, and the desired perspective. For a top-down look, the Oben Skysill ALF-6194L 4-Section Tripod features a 90-degree lateral center column, which can be used to angle the camera directly above your subject, free of obstruction.
On the other hand, some photographers may prefer to shoot from their subjects eye-level, similar to how we did with wildlife earlier. Short vegetation, or even insects, can be captured in dramatic fashion, and a full-sized tripod may be too large to get the perspective we need. This is where a compact or tabletop tripod comes into play.
Tabletop
Aside from macro photography, there are plenty of uses for tabletop tripods. Whether it be streaming or even photographing painted miniatures, the tabletop (or mini tripod) has a variety of uses. Not to mention, not everyone is a photographer. Work calls and presentations can all be given a more professional look with a well-placed phone or camera, and I feel that the Robus RCMTT-1113 Mini Tripod with Ball Head is the best overall. If you need additional height, the Oben-CTT-1000 Tabletop Tripod will do the trick with an additional 2” of base height plus a 12” extending center column attachment. Both are excellent options, and with a load capacity of 11 lb, these little tripods can hold even a small mirrorless camera.
Odds are that if you’re using a small, tabletop tripod for work or meeting related purposes, you’re not going to be mounting a camera to it. Rather, you’ll need a way to securely mount your phone. Oben provides just such a solution in the ASPTA-20 Smartphone Adapter, which can mount directly to your tripod or existing ball head with an Arca-type base.
Now, if you’re using a camera and a smartphone, we’d typically need to be creative, but Oben has a solution, The SPA-50 Cold Shoe Smartphone Adapter allows users to attach their phone directly to the hot shoe of their camera or a cage mounted cold shoe. Perhaps you’re a streamer broadcasting to two different platforms, or you’re trying to capture behind the scenes footage of your escapades. Whatever the reason, this small adapter will do the trick.
Upgrade Your Existing Tripod
If you already have a tripod and aren’t quite ready to make the plunge on a new one, there are ways of getting some of the benefits without investing too much capital. The Robus Quick Release Clamp with Arca-Type Plate gives users the ability to adapt their older tripods and mounts to the universal Arca-Swiss system. This can also be used to mount a camera to other stabilization tools like a ground pod or monopod.
Which Tripod Is for Me?
We hope you’ve found a tripod in this guide that meets your needs. If you’re still not sure where to begin, consider checking out one of the aforementioned category guides. To further explore full-sized options, check out our breakdown of the top 10 full-size tripods. We even have a similar guide of travel tripods for those looking to save space while on the move. If you’ve enjoyed this guide, be sure to check out our other guides and articles on the B&H Explora site!
