Velbon UTC-63

Carrying Capacity: 22 pounds
Extended Height: 61 inches
Minimum Working Height: 13.4 inches
Collapsed Height: 14 inches
Material: Carbon fiber
Weight: 3.3 pounds

Features: The UTC-63 has five leg sections that are positionable in three different angles. There’s also a center column with two sections. Its ball head includes an Arca Swiss style quick-release plate and a bubble level. When it’s time to pack up, the legs fold back a full 180 degrees, allowing the tripod to become very compact. 

Price: $430
velbon.biz

Miller 75 Sprinter II

Carrying Capacity: 66 pounds
Extended Height: 60.4 inches
Minimum Working Height: 23.6 inches
Collapsed Height: 27.6 inches
Material: Carbon fiber
Weight: 7 pounds

Features: The Sprinter II is a two-stage tripod with a dual action leg lock system that lets you adjust both levers simultaneously. It includes a 75mm die-cast alloy bowl and an integrated carrying handle. The tripod feet feature stainless steel spikes that can be replaced with rubber feet.

Price: $1,595 (includes feet and spreader)
millertripods.com

ProMediaGear TR343 Pro-Stix 34 51-inch

Carrying Capacity: 60 pounds
Extended Height: 50.9 inches
Minimum Working Height: 3.8 inches
Collapsed Height: 22 inches
Material: Carbon fiber (legs), aluminum (apex)
Weight: 3.7 pounds

Features: With three leg sections lockable into three different angles, the TR343 can be adjusted to fit a variety of shooting needs. It includes three stainless steel spikes when you need to secure the tripod to rougher terrain. The legs are built with 10x carbon fiber woven into a cross pattern for durability and controlled by weather-sealed twist locks. The apex features a 3/8-16 mount, an integrated level and three 1/4-20 mounting points for adding accessories. The tripod also can accommodate an optional 75mm bowl. 

Price: $799  
promediagear.com

Robus RC-5558 Vantage Series 3

Carrying Capacity: 55 pounds
Extended Height: 58.5 inches
Minimum Working Height: 3.7 inches
Collapsed Height: 22.5 inches
Material: Carbon fiber
Weight: 5.2 pounds

Features: The Robus RC-5558 has four leg sections that can be arrayed in three different angles: 25, 55 and 85 degrees. The tripod’s central spider features a lock to loosen the yoke and a safety pull latch that releases the machined top plate. A 75mm video bowl is included and there’s an optional center column available that extends the RC-5558’s maximum height to 73.25 inches.

Price: $500 
robussupports.com

Vanguard Veo 2G0 204AB

Carrying Capacity: 6.6 pounds
Extended Height: 51.2 inches
Minimum Working Height: 6.9 inches
Collapsed Height: 12.75 inches
Material: Aluminum
Weight: 2 pounds

Features: This four-section tripod includes an Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate and a pair of spiked feet for working on rough terrain. There’s a retractable weight hook you can use to add stabilizing weights, and the tripod legs can be positioned at three independent angles. 

Price: $120
vanguardworld.com

iFootage Gazelle Uprise TA5

Carrying Capacity: 11 pounds
Extended Height: 64 inches
Minimum Working Height: 7.6 inches
Collapsed Height: 20.6 inches
Material: Aluminum
Weight: 4.2 pounds

Features: The Uprise sports three leg angles with independently lockable leg sections. You can invert your camera on the tripod’s center column for those low-to-the-ground shots. The rubberized feet have push-out spikes when you’re switching up terrains. There’s an accessory mount on the apex. The center column has a hook for hanging stabilizing weights. It has a 75mm bowl head.

Price: $219
ifootagegear.com

Manfrotto 500 Hybrid Video System

Carrying Capacity: 11 pounds
Extended Height: 67.13 inches
Minimum Working Height: 27.83 inches
Collapsed Height: 23 inches
Material: Aluminum
Weight: 6.4 pounds

Features: Manfrotto’s video-friendly pan-and-tilt tripod kit includes a fluid video head (the MVH500AH) and the 190x three-section tripod. It features a counterbalance when tilting and is compatible with Manfrotto’s Easy Link so you can add attachments to the tripod when needed. The three leg sections can be arranged in four different angles. The legs are secured using flip locks and the tripod has a bubble level. 

Price: $300
manfrotto.us 

Peak Design Travel Tripod

Carrying Capacity: TBD
Extended Height: 62.5 inches
Minimum Working Height: 5.2 inches
Collapsed Height: 15.5 inches
Material: Carbon fiber
Weight: 2.6 pounds

Features: This tripod can be packed down to the diameter of your average water bottle with a compact ball head that nests into the legs when not in use. It includes a built-in cell phone mount that stows in the center column. A 3.4-pound aluminum edition is also available. 

Price: $499
peakdesign.com

Smith-Victor CA180

Carrying Capacity: 33 pounds
Extended Height: 63.3 inches
Minimum Working Height: 1.8 inches
Collapsed Height: 21 inches
Material: Aluminum
Weight: 4.3 pounds

Features: The CA180’s center column can be set at any angle up to 180 degrees for shooting at untraditional angles. All the legs fold back to make the tripod more compact for travel. There are 1/4-20 female threads at the leg platform for adding accessories as well as a 1/4-20 post with both 1/4-20 and 3/8-16 female threads for column accessories. That column lets you mount microphones, lights or a second camera on the same tripod.

Price: $200
smithvictor.com

Sirui SH15

Carrying Capacity: 22 pounds
Extended Height: 61.6 inches
Minimum Working Height: 30.7 inches
Collapsed Height: 32.5 inches
Material: Aluminum
Weight: 7.9 pounds

Features: This video-friendly tripod ships with a 360-degree fluid head and features a center spreader for improved stability. The rubber feet have retractable metal spikes and the leg locks are oversized to make them easier to manipulate with gloved hands.

Price: $200
siruiusa.com 

3 Legged Thing: Patti

Carrying Capacity: 22 pounds
Extended Height: 64 inches
Minimum Working Height: 4.25 inches
Collapsed Height: 17.7 inches
Material: Magnesium alloy
Weight: 3.4 pounds

Features: Named after punk rocker Patti Smith, the Patti tripod is the company’s first with flip-lock legs. It has a reversible and removable center column and four leg sections that can be arranged in three different angles. You’ll have your choice of two color styles: grey with a blue AirHed tripod head and accents of copper or a matte black version with accents of British Racing Green. Patti ships with rubber Bootz, which are detachable and can be replaced with the optional Heelz, Stilettoz and Clawz foot accessories.

Price: $120
3leggedthing.com

Tiffen Steadimate-S

Carrying Capacity: 15 pounds
Battery Life: Gimbal dependent
Weight: 15 pounds

Features: With the Steadimate-S, you can pair the camera control of a motorized gimbal with the weight distribution benefits of a Steadicam vest. The Steadimate lets you swap one motorized gimbal handle for an adapter that anchors your gimbal of choice (currently the Ronin S or Zhiyun Crane 2) into the vest.

Price: starting at $295
tiffen.com

Gudsen Moza Air 2

Carrying Capacity: 9.2 pounds
Battery Life: 16 hours
Weight: 3.5 pounds

Features: The Air 2’s already impressive battery life can be prolonged by plugging a power pack into the gimbal’s USB-C port. You can also use the Air 2 to provide power out to an external monitor or lights. The Air 2 supports motion time-lapses, tracking and zoom time-lapses as well. An upgraded companion app delivers support for object tracking, panoramic shooting and more. The gimbal has hard controls for focus, zoom, playback, shutter, EV and white balance. You can customize the joystick, wheel and trigger as well. The Air 2 supports a variety of shooting modes and is capable of moving cameras around the pitch, roll and yaw axes in a variety of combinations. In Inception Mode, you can rotate your camera 360 degrees on the pan axis to create a spiraling zoom effect. In Sport Gear Mode, the camera pans quickly to create the sensation of whirling motion.

Price: $599
gudsen.com

DJI Ronin S

Carrying Capacity: 7.9 pounds
Battery Life: 12 hours
Weight: 4 pounds

Features: The Ronin-S is a three-axis gimbal with a Push mode to adjust the pan and tilt the axis by hand. There’s also a new Sport mode to help you track fast-moving subjects. If you need to choreograph more advanced camera moves, you can connect the Ronin-S to your mobile device and use the app to access modes like Panorama, Hyperlapse, Track and CamAnchor. The stabilizer’s battery can be hot-swapped during use and there are dedicated buttons for camera and gimbal control.

Price: $749
dji.com

Benro RedDog R1

Carrying Capacity: 2.9 pounds
Battery Life: 12 hours
Weight: 1.93 pounds (without battery)

Features: Benro’s RedDog R1 is a versatile three-axis gimbal that features a swiveling handle that can be positioned in an upright or carry mode, where the camera sits beneath the handle. When not in use, you can collapse the handle to make the RedDog easier to transport. There are three shooting modes. A Universal Follow Mode offers smooth movement in the direction the camera is pointing. A Locked-Down Mode keeps the camera locked on a given subject while the gimbal moves. Finally, a Horizontal Follow Mode keeps the camera still as you pan the camera horizontally. Extra movements can be achieved by using the gimbal’s built-in directional buttons. You can pair the RedDog with your smartphone via Bluetooth and use a free app to calibrate the gimbal and control it remotely.

Price: $399
 benrousa.com

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