The Best Tripods for Digital Cameras

Find the best tripods on the market today. Having a good quality tripod is an important part of your digital photography toolkit. In some situations tripods are necessary to help you get the best picture possible. They come in handy for a variety of photographic situations from landscape photography to portrait photography.

A tripod holds your camera absolutely still. When you take a picture that requires a long exposure time any camera movement will blur the picture. Using a tripod will help keep your camera completely still so you can take a clear photo every time.

Using a tripod will give you more shooting options when it comes to shutter speed, ISO and aperture settings.

Before you buy a tripod you need to consider weight, stability and adjustability. You'll want a tripod that is heavy enough to act as an anchor for your camera, but not too heavy to carry around with you. You also want the tripod to hold your camera steady without falling over. I recommend testing that out before you purchase one if you can. You also need something that can adjust to appropriate heights and angles for the type of photos you take.

Now that you know basically what you need to consider let's look at some of the best tripods on the market today.

Sony VCT-R100 Lightweight Compact Tripod

This lightweight tripod is easy to carry. It folds up small enough to fit into a backpack and is pretty steady.

The VCT-R100 folds to a compact 14 inches in length. Fully extended it's only 39 inches though. That may be a little short for some people.

The 3-way pan head lets you pan smoothly to follow the movement of your subject. You can also tilt the camera quite easily.

This aluminum frame tripod weighs only 1.8 pounds. You shouldn't put any camera weighing more than 2 pounds on it though. This tripod is a good choice for an amateur. It's one of the best tripods you can get in this low price range. Find out more about it here.

Manfrotto 3001PRO Professional Tripod without Head

This professional tripod is sturdy and easy to use. You can easily switch between low-angle and normal shooting. The center column of the tripod can be removed and used as a lateral arm.

There are leg warmers in two of the tripod's legs that are meant to be used to keep your hands warm when taking pictures in cold weather.

At its smallest size it is 11.1 inches long. At its tallest it is 57.1 inches tall.

If you chose this tripod be sure to allow for the extra expense of buying a tripod head. This is a good professional choice though. Find out more about it here.

Velbon El Carmagne 630 Carbon Fiber Tripod with Pan Head and Case

This is a solid tripod built with carbon fiber legs and a magnesium body. It adjusts down to 8.62 inchess at it's smallest and 69.08 inches at maximum height.

The pan and tilt head is smooth and easy to use. It can adjust to various positions that can get your camera into most any position you'll need for your picture.

The tripod has rubber feet to keep it from slipping on surfaces.

The 630 weighs 4.6 pounds and can support up to 25 pound of weight. Overall a good choice. Find out more here.

National Geographic Expedition MagFiber Tripod

The National Geographic Expedition MagFiber Tripod is one of the best tripods on the market today. It is a versatile lightweight professional tripod that allows you to easily put your camera in a variety of positions.

Its sturdy carbon fiber legs open at four different leg angles. They also have warmers to help keep your hands warm on cold days. The legs are easy to adjust and feature easy release buttons.

The center column of this tripod can be mounted horizontally.

The Expedition expands to the height of 66.93 inches. When completely packed down it is a tiny 4.33 inches. It weighs 5.07 pounds and can hold a weight of 15.43 pounds. Find out more here.

I hope this artile about the best tripods helped you. Are you interested in learning more about camera accessories? Find out more about the best digital camera accessories. Learn to take better digital pictures by reading my free digital photography tutorials.