Comparison Joby RM-90 vs Continent TR-F10

— Tripod. Tripods of traditional design, known as "tripods" or "tripods": three legs with a camera platform on top. This design is able to confidently stand on almost any more or less horizontal surface, regardless of irregularities — all legs will find support anyway. Note that in floor models (see "Installation") the platform is often mounted on a retractable bar and can be adjusted in height, and telescopic legs — in length; in the desktop, such adjustments are not provided, but there they are not particularly needed.

— Flexible tripod. Tripods with flexible legs. Most often, such a device looks like a table tripod (see "Installation"), the legs of which can be bent in different directions; there are also more original design options — for example, a flexible "neck" fixed to the edge of the table with a clothespin. Anyway, this design provides extensive features for adjusting the height of the tripod and the position of the camera. And many models can not only be placed on a flat surface, but also fixed on handrails, tree branches, etc., bending the legs so that they tightly wrap around the support. However, note that the main part of flexible tripods is intended for phones and action cameras, in extreme cases — portable digital "soap dishes"; such models are poorly compatible with SLR cameras. This is due to the fact that under heavy weight, the legs can simply “break apart”. For the same reasons, flexible tripods are not m...ade on the floor — the weight of the structure itself would be too large.

— Monopod. A monopod is a “one-legged” analogue of a tripod — a bar, on top of which the camera is attached. With the base of the rod, the operator rests on the ground or other support, in extreme cases — in his own belt, pocket, etc. At the same time, the camera must be held with hands, because. a monopod cannot stand on its own (with the exception of rare models with additional support — see below for details), so such a device, unlike a classic tripod, is not capable of completely smoothing out all fluctuations. On the other hand, this moment is not so often critical; At the same time, monopods are lighter, more compact and mobile, they are perfect for shooting with constant movement from place to place. Note that some tripods are capable of transforming into monopods (see below), however, such models are referred to in our catalog as classic tripods.

— Clamp. A device in the form of a tripod head mounted on a screw clamp. Such a clip can be attached to the edge of a countertop or other surface, on a railing, the edge of a window opening, a pipe, a tree branch, and other similar places. This can be a real lifesaver in cases where there is no suitable platform for a more traditional tripod nearby; At the same time, the clamps also have a very compact size, which makes them easy to carry. On the other hand, the need for such devices is quite rare — in most cases, a classic desktop tripod turns out to be more convenient. So the clamps did not receive much popularity.

— Shoulder. Tripods for carrying the camera based on the shoulder — more precisely, on the upper part of the operator's body. They can have a different design: a bracket with stops for the chest and back, fixed with a belt obliquely over the shoulder; device with an emphasis for a shoulder and two handles for both hands; “a bed with a butt” for holding the camera in the manner of a rifle, etc. Anyway, it makes sense to pay attention to shoulder tripods if the operator plans to constantly move from place to place — such models are created for such shooting.

General purpose tripod. Note that many models combine several applications; see below for more on this.

— For cameras. Tripods designed for cameras. When choosing such a device, note that not every photo tripod is able to withstand a massive “reflex camera” with advanced optics, so the allowable load on the structure should be clarified separately. As for the features of the device, models designed only for cameras (and for nothing else) are designed more for holding the camera in a stable position than for quickly changing this position. On the other hand, the design may include various devices to improve the installation accuracy — levels, azimuth scale, separate adjustment along 3 axes, etc. If the tripod also allows other uses (with video cameras, telescopes, etc.) , its design features are often determined by these specialization options, camera compatibility can be provided as an option.

— For video cameras. A distinctive feature of most tripods designed for video cameras is a characteristic long handle attached to the platform. Using such a handle, the operator can simultaneously control the tilt and turn of the camera and quickly change its position — this can be critical when shooting video, when you need to quickly capture various areas of the scene being shot into the frame. However, desktop models (see "Installation") may not have a handle. Tripods “only for video camer...as”, in addition, have an elongated platform, however, such a strict specialization is relatively rare, most models for this purpose can also be used with cameras (especially since many modern cameras also support video shooting).

— For telescopes and binoculars. Tripods suitable for use with telescopes or binoculars. Modern telescopes are most often equipped with their own tripods, and binoculars do not need such a support so often. Therefore, there are few models with this application option, and even fewer specialized only for telescopes; most often this purpose is combined with the possibility of installing a camera. However, the characteristics of such tripods are very diverse — from models with the simplest ball heads (see "Type of head") to advanced designs with a 3D mount and specialized "astronomical" functions. It is also worth considering that telescope manufacturers may use their own original mounts, so be sure to check compatibility before buying.

— For phones and action cameras. Tripods designed for use with smartphones, action cameras and other similar sized devices. The specificity of such devices depends on whether they can be used with other types of equipment. So, tripods only for smartphones / action cameras almost all have the form of compact desktop structures (see "Installation") — among other things, portability in this case is more important than the versatility of the installation. But models that are also compatible with cameras and/or camcorders may also have a floor version. Note that anyway, before buying, it's ok to clarify the compatibility of a tripod with a specific gadget: smartphones are usually installed in a universal clamp, but an action camera may require a proprietary mount.

The minimum height relative to the base at which the tripod base can be mounted.

The lower the minimum height, the better the tripod is suitable for macro and product photography; in addition, the range of height adjustment available to the user depends on this indicator. Note that for models with the ability to flip the boom (see below), the minimum height is given for the traditional position of the boom, platform up. And if the claimed minimum is significantly less than the length of the tripod when folded (for example, 15 cm with a length of 50 cm), this means that the legs can “spread” to a horizontal position or close to it, thus lowering the entire structure.

The maximum height from the base on which the tripod base can be mounted.

For desktop use (see "Installation"), a large height is not required, therefore, in most of these models, this figure does not exceed 20 cm — the only exceptions are some specific monopods. Accordingly, the difference in height between different desktop structures in most cases does not matter much. But in the floor models, the most "undersized" have a maximum height of about 40 – 50 cm, and the highest ones are able to open up to 2.5 m and even higher. In such cases, the choice should take into account the specifics of use. So, it makes sense to specifically look for a model at 150 – 160 cm if it is fundamentally important to install the camera at eye level (eye level is usually about 10 cm lower than a person’s height). At the same time, most camcorders and many cameras have swivel screens that allow you to comfortably look at the device from top to bottom; and even in the absence of such a screen, bending down to the level of the camera is not so difficult. And it makes sense to pay attention to tripods with a height of 170 cm and above mainly in those cases when shooting over heads is planned — for example, reports from public events.

The number of individual sections that make up the legs of a tripod or monopod shaft (see "Type").

In desktop models (see "Installation"), the legs are often not divided into sections at all, for such cases this parameter is not indicated at all. In turn, almost all floor tripods have several sections, and the number of the latter with the same maximum height can be different. Here it is worth considering that more sections means a smaller size of each of them and more compact dimensions of the tripod when folded; and a smaller number — simplifies the design, increases its reliability and reduces cost.

The most popular options nowadays by the number of sections are 2 pcs, 3 pcs, 4 pcs, 5 pcs, 6 pcs, 8 pcs.

The maximum camera weight that this tripod can support.

If the tripod is purchased for use with a smartphone or action camera, you can ignore this parameter: the weight of such gadgets usually does not exceed 200 g, any tripod of the corresponding specialization can easily handle such a load (see "By Purpose"). Compact point-and-shoot cameras usually weigh up to 300 g, and amateur video cameras - up to 700 g; but in both cases, there are also more massive models. This should be taken into account when choosing a tabletop tripod (see "Installation") for such equipment - some tabletop models have rather limited weight restrictions; but with floor-standing ones, there are usually no difficulties.

But if a tripod is purchased for professional equipment, special attention should be paid to the permissible weight. Thus, a professional video camera can “pull” 2.5 kg or even more; the average weight of a SLR camera is 600 – 800 g, but this is only the “body”, to which the weight of the optics is added – and in some powerful telephoto lenses it can exceed 2 kg. So such devices may require quite “durable” tripods.

Tripod head included. Most often, the head is supplied as a kit, however, some models (mainly professional level) do not come with a head — it is purchased separately and selected for the specific needs of the user (for more details, see "Removable head" and "Head type"). Therefore, in the characteristics of the tripod, this parameter is indicated separately.

The main material used in the construction of the body or legs (depending on the type) of a tripod.

— Plastic. The main advantage of plastic is its low cost, due, among other things, to ease of processing and suitability for creating parts of complex shape. In addition, this material can be flexible, have any colour, and even become transparent. On the other hand, its strength is significantly lower than other tripod materials; it is more than enough to work with light weight, however, plastic is not suitable for supporting massive equipment and creating long supports that are subject to significant bending loads due to the large length. Therefore, the main scope of this material today are clamps and small table stands, including flexible design (see "Type").

— Aluminium. Aluminium-based alloys have a combination of high strength and low weight, making them well suited for the construction of tripods of any format — including and classic full size. The cost of this material, however, is somewhat higher than that of plastic and steel, but not by much, and the mentioned advantages more than cover this drawback. Because of this, this material is the most popular in modern tripods, it is widely used in almost all types and price categories.

— Steel. Steel is characterized by high strength — even higher...than that of the aluminium alloys described above, at a slightly lower cost. At the same time, this material has a rather large weight. On the one hand, this contributes to stability, on the other hand, it makes it difficult to carry from place to place. And although the latter is relevant mainly for floor tripods (see "Installation"), however, even in compact desktop models, steel is still rarely used.

— CFRP. The most advanced of the materials used for modern tripods. Carbon fibre, or carbon fibre, is a composite composition of carbon fibers filled with a filler — usually a special resin. In terms of strength characteristics, this combination is comparable to steel, while this material weighs very little, which is especially useful for full-size tripods. Its main disadvantage is the high cost, which is why professional premium models remain the prerogative of carbon fibre. In addition, carbon fibre requires fairly careful handling due to its sensitivity to point impacts — cracks easily appear from them.

— Metal. This option is indicated in cases where the manufacturer, for one reason or another, did not specify the composition of the metal in the characteristics. Most often, this refers to aluminium or steel, the properties and features of the use of both are described above; however, other types of metal may occur. Anyway, when assessing the reliability and durability of such a tripod, it is best to focus on its price category.

— Carbon. Another name for the CFRP described above; used by some manufacturers for the sake of brevity and "solidity of sound".