Last updated on March 5th, 2023
Looking for the best budget tripod for DSLR, Mirrorless, or SmartPhone in 2023?
Great! It’s no surprise that we photographers spend an excessive amount of money on our equipment, everything from camera lenses to a camera tripod.
A camera tripod can take a photographer’s skill to the next level. Yet, a quick search for the best tripods on the market will show you hundreds of products, with prices ranging from under $50 to $2.000. So, how do you make the right choice?
Many people believe that the more expensive a product is, the better its quality. This can be true in some cases, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find high-quality tripods on a budget.
Don’t worry! We did our research for you on the top 8 best budget tripods for DSLR, Video, Mirrorless Camera, and so on so that you can easily buy & save money.
Let’s Drive-in!
How to Pick The Best Budget Tripod in 2023?
We often tend to compromise on quality when we buy something cheap. You may think the same way about investing in tripods under $50 or $100.
But, you don’t have to do that, many of the best budget tripod is surprisingly high quality and could potentially be great investments.
We understand that a tripod is almost a necessity for most photographers nowadays. Making any compromise on its quality or features means you’re putting your gear at stake.
When we started this business, we were on a tight budget. To save money, we bought the cheapest tripod we could find without doing any research.
It was supposed to accompany us on a camping trip to help us take some shots of the night sky. We never even got the chance because the entry-level tripod broke on our hike up.
That’s why it’s important to know how to pick the best budget tripod for DSLR. Here are a few things you should consider before buying a tripod, no matter how economical it is.
Height
Using a tripod that is short means you’re going to be stooping low over it all the time. Take it from us. Eventually, that’s going to lead to poor posture and some back pain.
We had this experience when we used a tripod with a max height that was way too short for us. All we got after using that compact tripod was a severe backache and some average-quality shots.
This experience made us realize the importance of buying a tripod with a height that matches ours. You can notice the min and max height of a tripod by simply reading its features and description.
Some tripods have a huge range and can get very tall and very short at the same time.
When considering which height you can work at most comfortably, keep in mind the nature of your photography. Then, go for a tripod that offers the closest height you need.
Generally, investing in tripods that offer highly customizable heights is the best idea.
Weight
The weight of your tripod is another factor that defines whether you can use it comfortably or not. A tripod’s weight is usually defined by its size, especially the height it offers.
As you’ll see later, a tripod’s material also plays a huge role in defining its weight. Most tripods are made of either aluminum or carbon fiber. You need to determine the most suitable tripod weight for you according to your needs.
Consider where you’ll be using your tripod the most and whether you’d be carrying it around or not. You also need to see the kind of surfaces on which you’d be placing your tripod. If your work involves a lot of travel, get a lightweight tripod.
On the other hand, investing in a heavy-duty tripod is smarter if you venture into irregular and rocky plains.
Material
The material of a tripod determines both its strength and weight. Good-quality tripods are usually made of carbon fiber or aluminum. You may also find a tripod that’s made of plastic and steel.
According to experts, carbon fiber tripods are usually the best in many ways. Such tripods are lightweight, offer easy grip, and last longer than others.
We suggest you go for aluminum tripods in case you can’t find the right carbon fiber ones. It’s best to avoid plastic and steel stands as much as possible.
Load Capacity
The load capacity of a tripod refers to the weight that it can easily bear. Every tripod will have a different weight capacity, and you need to select the one that suits your needs the most.
Unfortunately, finding exceptionally high weight capacity is rather hard when we’re talking about a budget tripod. However, you can still find decent options within this budget.
The best way to define your needed load capacity is to weigh your DSLR cameras and lenses. Find a tripod that can carry at least a few pounds more than your camera’s weight.
This way, you can easily attach different accessories to your camera and fit it on the tripod without the fear of breaking it.
We recommend you never compromise on the load capacity of your tripod. Otherwise, you risk damaging your tripod while using it, and even worse your camera might also get damaged after falling from the broken tripod.
Types of Tripods
You can find three different types of tripods on the market: pocket, travel, and studio. Choosing between these could be hard if you don’t know the difference:
1. Pocket tripods
Pocket tripods are very easy to carry around, as suggested by their name. You should consider buying a pocket tripod if you mostly use your mobile phone for photography.
These tripods do not have a good max height or high weight capacity, but they are very lightweight and portable.
2. Travel Tripods
Travel tripods are best for travelers who want a compact tripod with exceptional sturdiness. You can buy a travel tripod if you want something small with good capacity and a customizable height.
3. Studio Tripods
Studio tripods are meant to stay inside the studios. Mostly, professional photographers use these tripods for different purposes.
It’s hard to find a quality studio tripod on budgets like $50 or $100. These are extra strong and heavy tripods that you can’t take along anywhere.
8 Best Budget Tripod in 2023 (Under $50, $100 & More!)
1. UBeesize 67 (Most User Friendly)
Key Specifications
- Weight: 3 lbs
- Folded Length: 18.8 inches
- Extended Length: 59.6 inches
- Maximum Load Capacity: 11 lbs (5kg)
- Material: Aluminum
- Leg Locks: Twist Locks
This functional tripod enjoys immense popularity on Amazon for its user-friendly operation and compatibility with multiple devices.
It has claimed the Amazon award for the most user-friendly travel tripod with its lightweight aluminum construction. This portable tripod is easy to carry around on long hikes and walks through old city quarters.
It features a maximum capacity to carry around 5kg, and the aluminum build is quite sturdy. We took this Ubeesize 67 travel tripod on a little hiking adventure and really enjoyed the experience.
Its winning feature is the self-rotating foot pads that offer superior stability by adjusting to the terrain. An excellent camera tripod for adventuring through rugged and unpredictable terrains, it is fully compatible with multiple devices.
We recommend buying this budget tripod for your smartphone; you can easily plug in a Bluetooth remote control and a phone clip.
We strongly recommend this user-friendly tripod for beginners working with an entry-level DSLR or a mirrorless camera. It is also a great choice for live video and makeup tutorials.
2. Regetek 73 (Best Affordable Tripod)
Key Specifications
- Weight: 3.63 lbs
- Maximum Load Capacity: 8.8 lbs
- Folded Height: 18 inches
- Extended Height: 65 Inches
- Material: Aluminum
- Legs Lock: Flip Locks
This travel-friendly aluminum tripod from Regetek 73 is immensely popular amongst beginners and seasoned travelers. It offers a solid aluminum build and striking adjustability to support your photography agendas with multiple devices.
The Regetek 73 is fully compatible with smartphones, camcorders, DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, and GoPro devices. The features an innovative 2-in-1 design by combining a tripod with a monopod.
Regetek 73 features an adjustable center column for higher precision and stability. The foldable length and monopod feature make it ideal for nature photographers, hikers, and adventurers who shoot while exploring thrilling terrains.
It is an excellent tripod under 50 because it delivers power-packed features at a budget-friendly price. This affordable tripod features heavy-duty features that are typically added to high-end and expensive models.
For instance, it offers 360-degree rotation, panoramic flexibility, 3-way panning, tilt head, and built-in bubble view levels.
It features a telescopic pan handle, and the flip locks make height adjustment easy and simple. The rubber mats and rubber tripod legs enhance stabilization on rocky and rugged terrains.
We absolutely love the geared elevator center column that makes height adjustment as simple as a swipe across a touch-screen.
3. K&F Concept 64 (Best overall)
Key Specifications
- Weight: 2.99 lbs
- Contracted Height: 16.1 inches
- Extended Height: 62 inches
- Maximum Load Capacity: 22 lbs
- Material: Aluminum and Magnesium
- Number Of Leg Sections: 4
- Top Attachment: Ball Heads
- Extra Features: 180-degree reflex, Self-Locking ability, Cloud Platform
The K&F Concept 64 has more than just 2 limits when it comes to height adjustment. You can reflex it to a 180-degree angle, and it will become 18.1 inches tall (enough height to travel with).
If you leave out the center column of this tripod, your maximum height is 52.4 inches. Talk about options! This tripod has a self-locking ability. All you need to do is press the lock button to release or lock.
The ball head is oil-damp proof, meaning your camera rotation will be as smooth as butter. It has a 360-degree panorama scale at the base of the cloud platform, ensuring wide-angled photos and beautiful effects.
The center axis can be converted if you need to take some spectacular low-angled shots. This tripod is lightweight but still heavy enough: you can easily carry it with you wherever you go.
But you can also count on it to bear heavy winds under long exposures. This tripod kit has everything you need for extremely windy weather, as it comes with a mounting hook for sandbags or any external weight.
This is easily the best budget tripod for DSLR in terms of the overall features it offers. The features make it incredibly easy to use as well.
4. Neewer Carbon Fiber 66
Key Specifications
- Weight: 3.40 lbs
- Contracted Height: 19.3 Inches
- Extended Height: 66.5 Inches
- Maximum Load Capacity: 26.5 lbs
- Material: Carbon Fiber
- Number Of Leg Sections: 4
- Top Attachment: Pan Head
- Extra Features: 2 locks, Temperature resistance, Carbon Fiber Manufacturing
The Neewer Carbon Fiber 66 makes a great choice for many reasons. One of them is that it can also turn into a monopod.
This tripod has a quick-release leg lock and a ball head with 2 locks. It’s a purchase you will not regret making, as you get exactly what you pay for. The fit and finish of this tripod are excellent.
As far as the mechanisms are concerned, they are extremely smooth and easy to operate. Neewer is known for making high-quality tripods, and they tend to think about the small details.
The Neewer Carbon Fiber 66 tripod even includes a separate drawstring bag to protect your ball head while it is inside the bag. It includes a portable bag and an Allen wrench, just in case you need to change the tension of the connectors located on the tripod legs.
It has anti-skidding technology and a converted center column for low-positioned photography. Unlike other tripods, this tripod is made from high-density carbon fiber, making it pressure and high-temperature resistant.
Though it is an entry-level tripod, we were thoroughly impressed by how sturdy and durable it was. It allowed us to take excellent low-angle shots and the rubber feet make sure that it doesn’t slip.
This is why Neewer Carbon Fiber 66 is the best budget tripod for DSLR, and mirrorless cameras.
5. Neewer 2-in-1 (Best Quality)
Key Specifications
- Weight: 4.2 lbs
- Contracted Height: 24.4 inches
- Extended Height: 71.2 inches
- Maximum Load Capacity: 26.5 lbs
- Material: Aluminum Alloy
- Number Of Leg Sections: 4
- Top Attachment: Pan Heads
- Extra Features: Corrosion resistant, Removable leg, Monopod
The Neewer 2-in-1 is on the higher side of our budget limit, but it is well worth the money. It has a shock absorption technology that you won’t find with any of the other best budget tripod for video.
Unlike other tripods, this aluminum tripod comes with a fluid drag pan head, which helps obtain accuracy and balance while shooting. It promotes angular shooting, either at 360 degrees horizontally or -70 degrees vertically.
The fluid drag pan head comes with a security locking knob that can lock the equipment in place to prevent fall accidents.
The bubble levels are extremely handy while shooting, as they help maintain and adapt stability in all types of environments.
The tripod comes with a quick shoe plate, which can be converted into either ¼ or ⅜ inches so that you can shoot comfortably and accurately. This tripod has a removable leg that can be converted into a monopod too.
This is our top pick for a quality tripod as it is resistant to corrosion and sound heat and its aluminum alloy construction, ensures durability and makes it a heavy-duty tripod.
6. GEEKOTO 77
Key Specifications
- Weight: 3.37 lbs
- Contracted Height: 19 inches
- Extended Height: 77 inches
- Maximum Load Capacity: 17.6 lbs
- Material: Aluminium Alloy
- Number Of Leg Sections: 4
- Top Attachment: Ball head
- Extra Features: Flip-lock, monopod, 3 adjustable levels.
The GEEKOTO 77 is another great tripod that comes with a flip-lock so that you can adjust the height according to your preference in a matter of seconds. Also, the height can easily extend up to 77 inches.
It has a 360-degree panorama ability like the Mactrem professional camera. This tripod comes with a storage bag and 3 adjustable levels for the legs.
You can also disassemble this tripod, making it very travel-friendly. It can transform into a monopod within seconds.
If you are a traveler, photographer, beginner, or just an enthusiast, this tripod will fulfill all your aesthetic needs.
GEEKOTO 77 tripod manages to stay lightweight yet sturdy and high in quality. The flexible height adjustment gives you the freedom to take landscape photos from a distance without putting any extra effort.
7. Joby GorillaPod 3K
Key Specifications
- Weight: 0.86 lbs
- Contracted Height: 9.4 inches
- Extended Height: 11.8 inches
- Maximum Load Capacity: 6.6 lbs
- Material: ABS Plastic, Aluminum, Stainless Steel, TPE
- Number Of Leg Sections: 4
- Top Attachment: Ball Heads
- Extra Features: set-up for mics and monitors, 90° tilt
The Joby GorillaPod 3K tripod is a bit different from the tripods we have listed above. It is a bit smaller and has a different design. It can support most DSLR cameras and GoPro cameras that weigh up to 3kgs.
Being smaller than the other best tripods does not mean it lacks features. This portable tripod has a 360-degree panoramic head and the ability to do a 90-degree tilt.
The legs are flexible, meaning they can be fitted on any surface. It is also made of rubberized rings and has foot grips, which increases stability even in difficult conditions.
This Joby GorillaPod 3K is highly versatile. You can set up lights, mics, and monitors that weigh up to 3 kg on the GorillaPod 3K kit tripod.
Moreover, with a weight of 0.86 lbs, it is extremely lightweight and actually rated as the easiest tripod to carry in our list of the best budget tripod for DSLR.
8. MACTREM 62
Key Specifications
- Weight: 2.9 lbs
- Contracted Height: 21.5 inches
- Extended Height: 62.5 inches
- Maximum Load Capacity: 33 lbs
- Material: Aluminium
- Number Of Leg Sections: 4
- Top Attachment: Ball Head
- Extra Features: 360° panning range, phone holder, convertible to an alpenstock.
The MACTREM 62 tripod has a tilt range of 90 degrees and a panning range of 360 degrees. It comes with a carrying bag, user manual, wrench, and phone holder. You also get a 2-year warranty.
This tripod can do a 360-degree horizontal panorama rotation, making it quite flexible. It’s lightweight yet sturdy and detachable, meaning you can convert it into a monopod or an alpenstock.
Bactrim says, “it is as solid as a rock.” We believe this tripod includes a professional pipe diameter to ensure maximum stability.
The base of the legs is made of non-slip material. There is also a counterweight hook located on this tripod to distribute the weight of your equipment.
Is It Worth Buying A More Expensive Than Budget Tripod?
If you’re just a hobbyist, a budget tripod on our list is definitely a good choice. It’ll get the job done and save you a lot of money.
New camera enthusiasts need to know that the difference between a high-end and a budget tripod is only noticeable in its quality and feel. When it comes to taking photos, you’ll be able to take the same kind of pictures with both.
Some people may want to buy an expensive tripod for professional photography or for art school. If this sounds like you, then your best bet is to invest in a more high-quality tripod because a professional can pick up little nuances in a tripod’s features while a beginner cannot.
If you’re tight on budget, you won’t regret going for the best budget tripod on our list. As we said, it’ll definitely get the job done.
Conclusion
It is hard for new photographers and hobbyists to pick the best budget tripod for DSLR. That’s where our recommendations come in.
The K&F Concept 64 is the clear winner compared to its rivals due to its durability, material quality, and features it offers. It is also the perfect choice for traveling thanks to its lightweight.
The Neewer Carbon Fiber 66 tripod is our runner-up. Its aluminum build and ability to transform make it a great versatile choice.
I’m a videographer and travel photographer. I created this website to help you buy a Tripod or Gimbal for your DSLR, GoPro, or Mirrorless camera. I tried and reviewed most of the Tripod, Monopod, or Gimbal currently available on the market.