Best Tripod for Photography and Video in 2024 – CNET [CNET]

April 21, 2024 Andrew Lanxon technology

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Andrew Lanxon Editor At Large, Lead Photographer, Europe

Andrew is CNET’s go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.

Expertise Smartphones, Photography, iOS, Android, gaming, outdoor pursuits Credentials

Shortlisted for British Photography Awards 2022, Commended in Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

$450 at B&H

Best all-round tripod

3 Legged Thing Bucky

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$217 at Amazon

Exceptionally lightweight travel tripod

Benro Rhino carbon-fiber tripod with VX20 ball head

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$220 at Amazon

Affordable video tripod for budding filmmakers

Manfrotto BeFree 3-Way Live

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$380 at Amazon

Superb lightweight tripod for travelers

Peak Design travel tripod

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Not all cameras are light enough for handheld shooting. And if you add the weight of telephoto lenses, things can get even more difficult. A good tripod provides stability, eliminating camera shakes and helping you capture better images — if you want to get the perfect shot, you’ll need to invest in a tripod. Getting a tripod also expands your camera’s potential by allowing you to shoot in long-exposure modes that you may need for astrophotography and more.

If you’re looking to buy a new tripod today, there are a ton of options. You can get a wide variety of features and capabilities. But that can make sorting through them all confusing, time-consuming and, let’s face it, dull. This is why I’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up some of the best camera tripods on the market right now, whether you shoot landscapes, macro, stills, video or whatever.

I’ve tested all the models on this best camera tripod list and chosen each one as a great example of its category. I took into consideration factors including maximum height, the folded height, load capacity, the ease of using the tripod mount and so much more to ensure that I’m only including the best of the best. I’ll be updating this list over time as new models arrive and manufacturers update their ranges.