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Medium-duty tripods are a helpful compromise between heavy studio tripods and lighter travel and pocket versions. I mainly use this type of tripod when shooting my paintings and performance art. The sturdiness helps produce sharper photos. Plus, most manufacturers will offer pan-head models for precise camera control.
Manfrotto’s BeFree Compact Travel tripod is more budget-friendly. For 9.99 you’ll get an astonishingly compact aluminum tripod with a ball head. But be careful: This design can only support about 10 lbs. It’s not suitable for heavy lenses.
A steady camera ensures clear, sharp, and aesthetically pleasing images. Tripods are especially helpful for close-up and lifestyle pictures because you can use a much smaller aperture and shutter speed without compromising quality. Product details, lighting, angles, setting — all impact the best tripod for the job.
Tripods for Product Photography
The Neewer Portable Desktop Mini tripod is another good choice. It can hold up to 11 lbs. and weighs less than 2 lbs. Its max extended height is roughly 19.7 inches. At on Amazon, the price is similar to the Evo.
Studio tripods provide the best stability and image sharpness. These tripods are generally for professionals with a specific need using medium and large format cameras. Studio tripods often have specialized heads. Recommending a studio tripod is beyond the scope of this article as it requires understanding the unique use case.
Medium-duty tripods are a helpful compromise between heavy studio tripods and lighter travel and pocket versions. Shown here is Manfrotto’s 190x 3-Section Tripod with XPRO Fluid Head. Image: Manfrotto.com.
Benro’s Travel Angel 9X CF Series 2 is my top pick for a travel tripod. It has a load capacity of 22 lbs. and a maximum height of 66.9 inches. Yet it only weighs 4 lbs. It’s pricey at 9.95. But it’s well-made and produced from carbon fiber, making it lightweight and a replacement for a heavier medium-duty tripod.
The Manfrotto Pixi Evo is my favorite pocket tripod. It is well made and includes handy features for product shots. The Evo is lightweight and comes with useful leg extensions. Moreover, it has a large, reliable ball head (for easy camera rotating), a load capacity of 5.5 lbs., and a maximum height of 7.7 inches. And, at at Amazon, the Evo is affordable.
The Manfrotto Pixi Evo is my favorite pocket tripod. It is well made and includes handy features for product shots. The Evo is lightweight and comes with useful leg extensions. Moreover, it has a large, reliable ball head (for easy camera rotating), a load capacity of 5.5 lbs., and a maximum height of 7.7 inches. And, at at Amazon, the Evo is affordable.
The Manfrotto Pixi Evo is my favorite pocket tripod. It is well made and includes handy features for product shots. The Evo is lightweight and comes with useful leg extensions. Moreover, it has a large, reliable ball head (for easy camera rotating), a load capacity of 5.5 lbs., and a maximum height of 7.7 inches. And, at at Amazon, the Evo is affordable.
The Manfrotto Pixi Evo is my favorite pocket tripod. It is well made and includes handy features for product shots. The Evo is lightweight and comes with useful leg extensions. Moreover, it has a large, reliable ball head (for easy camera rotating), a load capacity of 5.5 lbs., and a maximum height of 7.7 inches. And, at at Amazon, the Evo is affordable.
Mobile phones. Don’t buy a tripod designed for mobile phones if used for product photos. Instead, purchase a universal mobile phone adapter attachment. You can then use the same tripod as for your digital or video camera. Manfrotto offers a reliable Smartphone Clamp that works with any tripod. It costs just .99.
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