What to Look for in a Tripod for Live Streaming
Looking to buy a tripod for live streaming? Here are a few important things to look for.
Picking a tripod can be a daunting task. Just like picking a camera, there are several brands with a wide range of pricing. As a result it can be hard to determine the difference between each tripod based on looks alone. With so many brands and options, we thought it’d be helpful to share a few ways to narrow down your search so you can choose the best tripod for your production.
Types of Tripod Heads with Examples
Below is a quick breakdown of a few different types of tripod heads.
Ball Head
Good For: Photography
These heads are used in fixed settings or in photography; They are a relatively cheap and easy to setup, allowing for fast adjustments. There is a ball at the center of the head that pivots. Locking the wheel will lock the ball/camera in place.
Dutch Head
Good For: Specialty Television & Film
Allows the camera to tilt left to right, allowing for a sideways (or partially sideways) shot. This specialty head is not very common, and is used primarily on TV and Film sets.
Fluid Heads
Good For: Live Streaming, TV, & Film
A fluid head is the best tripod head for video since it allows you to pan and tilt the camera smoothly while remaining cost effective. It uses a hydraulic dampening system to accomplish those smooth and steady shots. It has a few sizes (listed in the next section).
Geared Head
Good For: Product Video & Commercial Production
These heads are used in filmmaking for manual precision; they use gears for panning and tilting, and have drive wheels that can spin to pit precise moves.
Gimbal Head
Good For: Photography
Are popular for photographers using extremely long lenses. These heads allow for better balancing with heavy lenses.
Motorized Head
Good For: Movement Automation & Solo Production Gigs
This head uses an electric motor instead of manual gears to perform the exact actions over and over again. This head is utilized in shots that have the same actor in the frame more than once, and can be used in remote locations where having an operator doesn’t work.
Pan Heads (AKA Pan and Tilt Heads)
Good For: Photography & Basic Video Work
These heads have two knobs that adjust the pan and tilt independently. This is not as fast or smooth as a Fluid head, but is good if you only need to move one direction at a time like for photography.
Panoramic Head
Good For: Panoramic Photography
These heads are great for super wide (panoramic) photography. They have extra markings for degree’s so you can measure out you angle of change.
Pistol Grip Head
Good For: Travel Video Shoots & Photography
A more advanced ball head with a quick release handle. As the name suggests, the handle is similar to a pistol grip.
Three Axis Gimbal
Good For: Stabilized Video Shoots
While not a traditional tripod, this gimbal can be mounted on legs or even a vest. This device stabilizes shots and is more mobile than a traditional tripod system, but can be a pain with chords.
Three Way Head
Good For: Photography
Similar to a Pan head, this three way head adds the ability to “dutch tilt” or turn the camera into a vertical orientation. Some of these heads also offer precise movement along each access with different twist knobs.
Tilt Head
Good For: Photography
Used primarily on monopods, these heads restrict their movement to tilting up and down.
Fluid Head size
The size of a tripod head can differ. There are a few different sizes that are common in heads; 60mm, 75mm, 100mm and 150mm heads. The larger the head, generally the more smooth your movement will be with the tripod. As you move the fulcrum further away from it’s pivot point you achieve more leverage and are able to get smoother movement.
So why go smaller? Sometimes having the portability of a smaller head is helpful. If you don’t expect to move your camera when recording or streaming (what I’d call an “active” pan, tilt, or zoom) then a lighter head may be all you need.
Combo vs individual
Tripods can be sold with the head and legs together (AKA Combo) or sold as legs and the head individually. Generally, cheaper or lower end tripods are sold as a combo, and more professional gear seems to utilize the split system.
Both have their perks; the combo system simplifies the decision process, can make purchasing faster, and is easier overall. The split system allows you to pick and choose different heads and legs, which allows for more possibilities. They also tend to have higher quality heads and legs when sold this way, and are also more expensive.
Tripod Payload
The tripod payload is the amount of potential weight that the tripod can handle to operate smoothly and safely. This can be rated as a range, or a single number. A range is usually used when the tripod has a counterweight system.
Locking Leg type
There are a few different lock types for legs. There’s a twist lock with a knob, a twist lock on the shaft of the leg, a latch lock, and a single lever lock that can release all the legs at once.
Counter balance
Some cameras have a built in counter balance system. This allows the camera to stay in the orientation (tilted up, tilted down, etc), without having to lock the tilt. If the counter balance is too strong, the camera will spring back to the horizon line.
If the counterbalance system is not strong enough, your camera may fall back or forward if you take your hands off the tripod. Without a counterbalance, you’ll also have to work a little harder as an operator, and the resistance is not as smooth between tilting forward and back. This system needs to have a minimum weight on the tripod to counteract the weight or spring system.
Price and Mindset
Of course, price is a factor for many people. Just keep in mind the old saying you’ve probably heard a hundred times before— you get what you pay for with a tripod. It can be a fairly large investment to purchase a quality tripod, but this piece of gear could outlast many other pieces of gear in your kit.
Even though there have been a few recent innovations with tripods over the last few years, the average lifespan of a quality Tripod is 20+ years (if you take care of them well). Tripods don’t experience the same iteration that cameras experience, and you won’t need to upgrade tripods as frequently as your camera.
So what should I buy?
Buy the head that fit’s your needs. If you’re planning on doing streaming, go with a fluid head tripod. If you have the budget, you can look into a split system. We also just covered 2 affordable tripods just released by prompter people. Now get out there and stream something!