In my last article about tripods I have talked about (among other things) the importance of a tripod to be sturdy and ways to improve that.

This article is going to be all about portability: what makes a tripod portable and how to carry a tripod.

Good feature: tripod needs to be portable

This is a very important feature for anyone who is going hiking or generally carrying a tripod around with them for longer times. The only time this is not an important feature is when you do studio work.

What makes the tripod portable:

• It should be light.
• It should be compact.

Tripod should be light.

Consider two characteristics:

• Weight of a tripod.
• Construction material.

Specification: weight of tripod

It simply means how heavy the tripod is.

The heavier the tripod, the more stable it is. The taller the tripod, the heavier it is.

When you are on a field for longer times, carrying it around on your back, just then you will realise how important this feature is. When you will first see a tripod in a store and lift it up (probably all excited by the look of a new gadget) I can almost guarantee you every tripod will feel light to you: it won’t feel as much effort to lift it up at all. Yeah, exactly: lift it up. That is not the same as carrying it around! You will feel the real weight when you will be using it. And that is when you will FEEL the difference.

It is very simple: more you will be moving around, more you want your tripod to be light. Oops! But have I not just said a moment before that the heavier the tripod, the more stable it is? And you do want a stable tripod, right? So how can you have both?

• First, buy a tripod made from better materials. They are lighter and stronger (and also much more expensive). Such example is carbon fiber.
• Secondly, you can add additional stability with weight bags (I have written about this in my last article about tripods when I was talking about tripod stability).

Another point to consider: Let’s say you buy a tripod that is a bit heavier (and a bit cheaper as well). And then you go on a trip and realise that you have not enjoyed it so much because you came back with a soar back. Are you going to take that tripod again with you?

It is always better to have a lighter and a bit less sturdy tripod with you, than a very good and heavy tripod lying around at home. Period.

Another solution would be (and this often happens to those who are more serious about photography) is to have two tripods: one that is light to carry around and another heavier one that you use at home or when you don’t shoot too far away from your car.

How heavy the tripod is determined by the height of a tripod, quality of its design and quality of materials used.  This is what I’m going to look at now.

Specification: construction material of tripod

When thinking about the construction material of a tripod, one usually thinks of the material the tripod legs are made of (because it is the heaviest part of a tripod and contributes the most to the steadiness of a tripod), therefore when talking about materials, I will talk about the material of tripod legs.

Tripods can be made from various materials. At first they were made from metal and wood, nowadays from aluminium, with introducing of some new excellent high-tech materials like carbon and basalt.

One thing to keep in mind though is that for sturdiness of a tripod, it is not only important from what material the tripod is made of, but as well how the materials themselves were made and the construction / design of a tripod. For instance, not all tripods from carbon fibre are designed and constructed in the same way, therefore the quality and performance between them (read manufacturers) can vary significantly! The same goes for aluminium that has been significantly improved with the use of new technology.

As for other parts of a tripod are concerned, they are made of light and strong components like magnesium, which is about 30% lighter than aluminium (but still heavier than carbon), rigid, sturdier than aluminium and cheaper than carbon.

The most important features materials influence:

• weight,
• load capacity,
• rigidity (it should hold the camera and its weight steady),
• price.

So how to choose?

• When the light weight is critical (and you can afford it) consider buying a tripod from carbon fibre.
• When weight is not critical though, aluminium tripods provide a very good compromise between price, weight and rigidity.
• Avoid tripods made from plastic or steel.
• Nevertheless, get yourself the best tripod legs you can afford.

From best to worse:

To not confuse you too much, I will give pros and cons of each of the materials separately as well:

Wood

At first, most tripods were made from wood. Now more or less only wood enthusiasts still buy them. If you are one of them, check out these companies: Ries, Berlebach, Stabil, Brom (I have not been able to find their website).

Aluminium

This is the most common and the most popular material tripods are made from. They provide a very good cost-value ratio. With the technology advancement they have been significantly improved and are lighter than ever.

Carbon Fibre

This is the most expensive and the lightest material. If you are going to be carrying tripod for longer times (and if you can afford it), it is the best material for the job.

New high-tech materials

Alongside aluminium that has been improved significantly with the development of new technologies, there were also other materials developed. For example, Gitzo offers materials such as basalt and Soulid 238:

• Soulid 238 (introduced by Gitzo in 2006) is a technical compound, 30% lighter than magnesium, but just as strong, with outstanding vibration absorption properties. It is resistant to corrosion and oxidisation as well. It is mostly used for other parts of a tripod (not tripod legs).
• Basalt is made from a molten basalt rock. It is about 20% lighter than aluminium and has similar properties as carbon: high thermal and dimensional stability and light weight. It is between aluminium and carbon fiber in performance and price.

Note that I have not listed the construction material of a tripod as something that makes tripod easier to carry around. It is true that the lighter the tripod is, the easier it is to carry (and this depends hugely on the materials used), however, even more important factor is its bulk – it is much easier to carry around if smaller bulk, but heavier:

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