Get maximum maneuverability and the most original frames with these flexible tripods for DSLR
Photography is an exciting world. Many ventures into it as a hobby and little by little are hooked with their many creative possibilities, to end up dedicating themselves professionally to this job.
The advent of digital cameras meant a profound change not only in the way of taking photos but also in the popularization and frequency of their use.
Gone were the doubts about whether the image would have been captured, as well as the long process of developing and copying on paper, which finally allowed us to see the results. Digital cameras simplified the process and saved us many hours of uncertainty.
How to Buy a Flexible Tripod
It is true that with the first digital camera models poor results were obtained. Despite their practicality, they were not an option for professional photographers, because apart from the fact that their optics did not meet the necessary requirements for a quality photo, they did not allow controlling basic aspects such as the exposure time and the opening of the diaphragm.
Read our guide: How to buy the best tripods for DSLR
Fortunately, the advances in technology allowed, in a short time, to correct these failures. Nowadays, very good DSLR (Digital Single-lens reflex) or digital SLR cameras are available. This equipment is a type of SLR camera, whose storage support of the captured image is an electronic sensor, which replaces the 35 mm film of traditional cameras.
Well, so much technical explanation and historical review are necessary to understand that DSLR is the kind of equipment used professionally, although, given the boom of photography, many amateurs have been persuaded of the advantages of investing in a camera of this type.
Overcoming the technical pitfalls of lenses and camera handling, a solution for stability was still pending. Although the thread to fix the traditional cameras and DSLR on the tripod is compatible, most of the tripods available in the market were very bulky and heavy.
Top-Rated Flexible Tripod For DSLR 2021
1) Flexible tripod brand LOHA
It is a flexible tripod for DSLR cameras, without a mirror and SLR.
As a good Gorillapod, it has flexible legs that grip on almost any type of surface. In addition, its rubber feet ensure a better grip.
In addition, its spherical head has a level that allows aligning the horizon when it is used for photos of the landscape.
It stands out for its compatibility since it works with both DSLR, SLR, and GoPros cameras.
Given its small dimensions, it fits in any pocket of your camera bag.
And last but not least, it offers a lifetime guarantee and money back if you’re not happy with its performance.
2) JOBY Gorillapod tripod
It is one of the most recognized brands of flexible tripods. His model Gorillapod is manufactured with pieces of plastic ABS, aluminum, rubber, steel, and stainless steel, materials that provide great strength. Read Best Sirui Tripods Reviews here.
It is very stable and its rubber feet and legs provide support for cameras up to 6.6 pounds (about 3 kg)
The flexibility of this model allows you to rotate the camera in any position, so you can take panoramas of 360 degrees.
Its legs have more than two dozen joints joined with TPE, which guarantee that the tripod will stay in the position in which you have placed it, offering maximum stability.
It is also a versatile tripod whose quick release plate remains connected to the camera, both in standard 1/4 “-20 threads and those requiring the 3/8” adapter.
3) Compact flexible tripod GP-14 Gripster III by VidPro
This model fits both compact digital cameras and video cameras:
Its quick-release plate allows easy assembly and disassembly of the camera, for those situations in which minutes count.
Emulating the systems of the high-end tripods has a security knob that blocks the mounting plate. Once the camera is positioned and the position is selected, you must turn the knob clockwise to lock it. When you unlock it, you only have to turn it in the opposite direction.
Not only does it have flexible legs that bend and rotate 360 degrees, but also the rubber rings and grips for the feet ensure a secure hold.
4) Flexible tripod with HDStars quick release plate
This equipment is compatible with Canon, Fuji, Fujifilm, Nikon, Panasonic, Pentax, Olympus, and Samsung cameras, as well as the Sony Compact System and digital action camcorder.
It is also known as a spider tripod (spider tripod) and is made up of interspersed red and black pieces, which facilitates its location when used in the midst of landscapes or environments where other equipment could easily camouflage.
Its segmented legs, which stand out for their solidity and flexibility are filled with soft rubber and can bend and twist to fit almost any surface.
It offers an adjustable height range from 5 “(127mm) to 12” (304.80mm), the lowest height is 5 “(127mm), and can support equipment up to 6.6 pounds.
If the camera approaches the maximum weight supported, it is advisable to surround the support structure with the legs, placing the first one around the face of the post, while the second one must do the movement in the opposite direction, this is curling about the back. The third leg should form an arch directly below the camera’s lens, with the foot of the tripod to the pole.
And there will be no need to worry about the alignment of the horizon because it has a bubble level indicator and a ball head that allows you to turn and tilt the kneecap in any direction.
In addition, it has a quick-release plate for easy access to your camera.
5) GorillaPod Hybrid by JOBY
This is probably the most versatile, portable, and flexible spherical head tripod. This model retains the lightness that characterizes these teams but allowing professional use because it is designed to support DSLR equipment without a mirror, Pro DSLR, external flash, and video cameras. In short, it is a device with universal compatibility that holds any device with a weight of up to 2.2 pounds (1 kg), and a standard thread of 1/4 “-20.
To capture those images with unusual perspectives, you can count on the help of the GorillaPod Hybrid, which offers easy maneuverability and precise positioning with 360 degrees of pan and a 90-degree tilt. These knobs adjust independently, allowing you more versatility as you capture the image. There are no impediments to technicians to achieve those daring compositions, with the GorillaPodHybrid you have all the stability and freedom of framing you need.
In addition, the double-action adjustment knob with a separate locking mechanism allows safe horizontal and vertical movement, with uniform alignment and no tilt.
Its durability is guaranteed thanks to its components made of Japanese medical-grade ultra-durable ABS plastic and the German TPE joints, combined with stainless steel and zinc-aluminum parts is an instrument that supports very hard work and the most adverse conditions.
Quickly adjust your camera without sacrificing stability or losing the leveling of the frame, thanks to the quick release clip that remains connected to the camera. This will allow you to quickly change from vertical to horizontal, or to any intermediate point, while quickly reviewing your work or setting the frame for the next shot.
Likewise, the rubber feet, the surrounding legs and the stainless steel plates ensure that your equipment, whether professional cameras, external flashes, or video cameras, stand firm in the most difficult terrain.
This JOBY GorillaPod Hybrid is very lightweight and fits easily in any bag, so it should be your companion in adventures and be present anywhere.
Best flexible tripod for DSLR
Coupled with this, the price of these implements played against, since they were almost as much or more expensive than a digital camera. But why are tripods so important? Well, if you have ever taken a photo and the image was blurred, or there is a trail behind the figures reminiscent of Flash, the speedy superhero, it is because the photo has left “moved”. It means that during the time that the diaphragm was open so that the light that crosses the objective entered; there was some movement or vibration. As much as we think that our pulse is foolproof and that it is impossible for our hands to move in the fractions of a second that pass while we press the shutter and take the photo, the reality is that we are not as stable as we think and even a change in the breath it registers as a micro-movement able to lose our photo.
This situation is worse when we have low light. The reason is very simple: the less light, the longer exposure time will be required to record the image. This is something that you must adjust directly if you take the photo in manual mode, but that the camera does directly when we work in automatic mode.
A tripod can avoid these problems, because it provides the necessary stability so that the camera remains motionless during the filling, last as long as it lasts.
Also, if you have a basic knowledge of photography, you will know that with a tripod you can increase the sharpness and depth of field, without worrying about how bright the scene is.
It will also be very useful if you want to make time lapses, or continuous shots of the same frame, which allow different exposures and generate a sensation of the capture of the movement.
Obviously, in night photography, where light conditions are scarce, a tripod will allow you to capture elements such as the moon or night landscapes.
It will also be essential when the frame requires complicated positions or angles, which you could hardly keep without moving during the time necessary for the shot.
Surely you will already be convinced of its usefulness, but now you will wonder what factors you should take when choosing it. Well, to answer this concern, you must first know what the parts of a tripod are. It is very simple, as its name suggests, it is a three-legged contraption, and they constitute one of its parts. Then there is the column or central structure (which not all tripods have) and the head or patella, which is the platform on which the camera is anchored to the tripod.
Important Aspects of the best tripod
A good tripod should provide the maximum possible stability, be easy to assemble, light, and comfortable to transport, as well as having adjustable height and consistent with the type of photographs that we are going to make, and offer a good value for money. It seems like a wish list for Santa Claus and we could still add some more requirements. But the configuration of the ideal tripod will depend on the use you want to give it.
Defined and your needs, you should consider them in light of the different types of tripod that you can find in the market:
Low-end lightweight tripods
They are the most basic and are usually made of aluminum and plastic. The head and legs form a single structure and cannot be separated or interchanged with others.
Lightweight tripods for mid-range and medium-high travel
They are a little more solid and some of their parts are made of metal or resistant materials. In them, the lightness prevails, to facilitate the transport. Depending on the model they can be tripods all in one or with independent legs. The higher range models allow the kneecap to be exchanged.
Medium load tripods
In these, the load capacity is the most important factor, because they are designed to support heavier cameras, such as those used, for example, to take photographs of nature with large telephoto lenses. They also look for the balance between stability and portability but giving more emphasis if it fits stability. They mostly allow heads to be exchanged.
Study tripods
They are the heaviest and most robust and fundamentally they used to record videos.
Monopod
We can see them, especially in sports competitions. It has only one leg and they are very easy to carry and gives freedom of movement to the photographer. They offer more stability than we would have a show of hands, but not enough to make long exposures.
Pocket tripods
They are the most common among amateur photographers because they are perfect to take them everywhere. They provide stability and protect the team if we place the camera on a surface such as dirt or rocks.
Gorillapod tripod vs Gorillapod grip tripod
They are the newest. They have three articulated legs that allow their grip on different structures, such as tree branches, posts, etc. They provide stability to the camera while offering the possibility of obtaining points of view different from those of a conventional tripod.
Buyer Guide: Best Shooting Stick for hunting
That’s why flexible DSLR tripods have gained popularity very quickly. They share with the travel tripods their characteristics of lightness and ease of transport and even exceed them. But in addition, they have different models, which allow holding heavier cameras. And its differential advantage, the almost infinite positions, angles, and points of view that you can achieve with them. As if this were not enough, its price is incredibly competitive.
Whether you’re a professional who needs versatility on your equipment, or if you’re just starting out in the world of photography, the flexible DSRL tripods are your best option.
But as we have just said, there are many different models, with different features, so we are going to make it easier for you to find the one that best suits your needs with this selection of the best flexible DSLR tripods.
Best Flexible Tripods For Video Shoot
All flexible tripods for DSLR 2021 analyzed show a good performance in terms of grip characteristics and flexibility levels. Some models are more resistant and support heavier equipment, which makes them more versatile alternatives, which should be considered when working alternately with photography and video or different types of cameras.
The flexible tripods are an interesting alternative to the tripods of a lifetime. These are lighter and more compact than conventional tripods and also have their advantages and disadvantages. The fact is that some models are specially designed to firmly support an SLR camera and are a good option for traveling without carrying much weight.
The situations in which we can use a tripod are many, but these are some of the most common:
- Long exposures, such as capturing traces of lights, or star trails.
- Constant shots of the same object/subject at the same height, such as taking pictures for a time-lapse.
- Low light situations.
- When you want the maximum sharpness.
- Video recording
- Macro photography
In the same way, the quality of the materials is a factor to be weighed, as it will affect their useful life and their resistance to continuous use.
In terms of prices, the range ranges from less than $ 10 to almost $ 40, although it is a wide range, it remains within the most affordable options for a tripod with the benefits of which we evaluate here.
Opinions on flexible tripods for DSRL evaluated are very favorable, with all models being among the favorites of professional and amateur photographers.
Related Articles:
Professional Tripods under 200
Tripods For Spotting Scope For Birding
Джеймс Паттинсон
James Pattinson is a professional photographer who likes to write about what he experiences. He loves to share his honest review with people about photography equipment such as cameras, tripods, lenses, etc.
