Tripod is one of the best accessories you can buy, offering rock-solid support for your camera. In general, if you want to start commercial photography, you should buy a tripod, as a tripod is required for many types of photography, such as products and food. In addition, a tripod elevates the technical quality of images, increases shooting versatility, helps improve compositions, etc.

Therefore, tripods are widely used in both photo and video shooting. For example, tripods are often used for stacked lenses, long exposures, and difficult shooting angles in photo shooting. On the other hand, in video shooting, tripods are widely used to solve camera shake problems, especially where fast movement is required.

But is a video tripod different from a photo tripod? If you are confused about that, please keep reading!

The Types of Tripods Available

The tripod consists of four parts, including legs, head, center column, and feet. Legs are the backbone of the tripod. Feet are equally important as the legs. Without stable feet, the tripod will wobble and fall. The center column is the part that extends the tripod to be higher, and the head part attaches the camera or other equipment to the tripod. Because photographers shoot different subjects in different conditions, there are various types of tripods. The following are the most common types:

Pocket tripods

Generally measuring less than five inches collapsed, pocket tripods can fit easily into a bag or waist-pack. Most pocket tripods aren’t strong enough to support a full-sized DSLR and lens. Therefore, they’re suitably used for small mirrorless cameras, point-and-shoot cameras, or camera phones.

Travel tripods

Travel tripods can be collapsed to an easy-to-carry size. Inexpensive travel tripods are made from plastic, while higher-end travel tripods are made from carbon fiber. Travel tripods support a digital (or film) SLR with a kit lens or a modest zoom lens. In addition, compact video cameras can also be used on this type of tripod.

Medium duty tripods

Medium-duty tripods can be used for nature photography, portable portrait set-ups, and studio work. On the other hand, they are also a good choice for video cameras because of their stability.

Studio tripods

Studio tripods are strong, sturdy, and heavy. They are designed to handle medium-format and large-format cameras. This type of tripod is the domain of professional photographers who generally buy a specific tripod to fit a specific need.

The Differences Between Photo and Video Tripods

Tripods remain the best way for photographers to take long-exposure, shake-free, still-life, and macro shots, while video tripods are the best way for videographers and vloggers to shoot steady videos. The primary purpose of a photo tripod is to provide a stable platform and keep things still. On the other hand, a video tripod also provides a stable platform but with a significant difference. Its design enables videographers quickly move their camera while shooting. We'll discuss the main differences between the two types of tripods in the following.

1. Pan and Tilt

One of the main differences to note between a video tripod and a photo tripod is the ability to pan and tilt. For example, for a photo tripod, this feature is unnecessary since you only need to capture still images.

2. Counterbalance

A counterbalance feature is equally important for the videographers. With the counterbalance feature, you don't have to worry about tilting the camera too much. In addition, it ensures that you can easily increase or decrease the resistance around the head. On the other hand, the counterbalance function is unlikely to be found on a photo tripod.

3. Head

The video tripod features a fluid head design. The fluid head feature ensures optimal smoothness when panning and ensures that the video is not affected by sudden movements or unexpected vibrations. In general, a fluid head can pan continuously through a 360-degree angle. In addition to that, it can be tilted back and forth at a 90-degree angle. The SmallRig Lightweight Fluid Video Head 3457 is one of our best sellers, specially designed for video and photography. This product has a panoramic panning function that supports Arca-swiss quick release, an adjustable center of gravity is suitable for various lenses, etc.

On the other hand, the photo tripod is the opposite, featuring a flat bottom instead of a bowl rack. As a result, the heads of photographic tripods tend to lock in a specific position. In addition, long mounting plates are common with video tripods, and they tend to be adjustable for the size of the camera the user is mounting. Side-loading plates are more commonly found on photo tripods.

4. Leg

Most video tripods have legs with twist loops or flip locks. But you can also find video tripods with rubber legs, crutch-style legs, and detachable feet. Among photo tripods, it is common to have a post in the center of the tripod, as it ensures remaining sturdy when taking a single image.

5. Weight

Video tripods are heavier than photo tripods. Video tripods require a heavy weight to stay still and minimize vibration and shaking. Additionally, video cameras tend to be bulkier.

How Can SmallRig Help?

Our Small Rig Your Big Dream

For tripod products, we have various types to meet your needs. One of them and also one of our best sellers is the SmallRig Heavy-Duty Fluid Head Tripod AD-01 3751, which is designed for smooth shooting. The following are its key features and advantages:

• Good-looking appearance;
• Affordable prices, such as the fluid head and load-bearing performance are the most cost-effective in the same category;
• Freely switch the dual modes of DJI RS 2 and Manfrotto;
• Quick disassembly and assembly;

Smallrig was founded in 2013. The company designs and builds complete accessory solutions for content creation with cameras, gimbals, and mobile phones. We have more than 200 licensed patents. In addition, after 10 years of experience and development, our photography and videography accessories are currently sold in more than 90 countries and regions worldwide.

Don't miss our various camera accessories solutions if you want a comfortable shooting experience and high-quality photos and videos.