15 Best Camera Tripods for Under 100 Dollars (Between $50 to $100)

You need a tripod. Whether it’s a digital photo, small video or a film, you will need a tripod.

The current generation has seen a massive surge in the number of people taking up photography and videography as a profession.

However, while taking good pictures or videos is an art, at the same time the perfect photograph or video demands the best accessories. While cameras and lenses are the obvious requirements, you should never ignore the huge importance of tripods.

Tripods are an essential component of every photographer’s kit, whether he or she is a professional or an amateur. Capturing the perfect moment becomes extremely difficult if you are not using a tripod.

It is quite common that people fail to focus on the quality of the tripod and rather choose to be worried about the quality of the camera and the lenses. It is the tripod that helps a photographer become a true professional.

You must make sure that in your quest to find a tripod under $100, you do not compromise on quality and range of durability. It is understandable the most photographers work on a limited budget and cannot spend a large amount on a tripod.

Hence, here is a categorical list of tripods that will not burn a hole in your wallet.

Generally, there are three categories of tripods available

1. Compact Tripods
2. Light Weight Tripods
3. Heavy Duty Tripods

Let’s have a look at these categories of tripods, individually.

Compact Tripods

Compact Tripods are tripods that are smaller than the regular-sized tripods. This implies that this kind of tripods can easily fit inside your bag and would not take up much space. Some of the widely popular compact tripods are listed below:

1.  Slik Sprint Pro II Tripod in Gun Metal

Salient Features:

1. Maximum load capacity: 2 kg (4.5 lbs)
2. Has a maximum height of 64 inches
3. Maximum upper leg diameter of 20mm
4. All the three legs are padded
5. Quick-release leglocks for quick packing and adjustment

The new ball head SBH-100DQ along with the quick release system that is supplied makes the Slik sprint pro II an ideal choice for every kind of photographer. The tripod’s legs are divided into 4 sections for compactness and this makes this tripod very suitable for travel, as it has a collapsed height of only 18.5 inches.

Related ; 25 Best Tripods of 2018 to Take Your Photography to the Next Level

2. Davis & Sanford VOYAGER LTD Vista Voyager Lite Tripod

Salient Features:

1. A built-in ball head that allows quick release.
2. Built-in compass and spirit level.
3. The center column is removable.
4. The feet of the tripod are made of rubber and contains retractable spikes that allow firm footing on any surface
5. Extreme low-level shooting is allowed by the grounder feature.

The Davis & Sanford Voyager Lite Tripod is one of the most portable tripods in this class. The three legs of the tripod are made of durable and strong aluminum. The features mentioned above help the photographer make quick and accurate adjustment

Salient Features:

1. The maximum height of 60 inches.
2. High-Performance Ball Head that is removable
3. Low angle shots are possible with the removable center column.
4. Panoramic angles: 90 degrees (vertical) and 360 degrees (horizontal)
5. Weight: 1.85 kgs

The tripod comes with its own nylon padded tool kit and carrying case. This tripod is suitable particularly for travelers and for landscape photographers who need to hike a good distance to get a proper shot.

Product Link

4.Davis & Sanford MAGNUMXG Magnum Grounder Tripod

Salient Features:

1. Maximum height – 72 inches
2. 2 built in Bubble levels – One at the head, 1 in the tripod
3. Extra sturdy legs and body.
4. 3-Way fluid pan head

A built-in grounder aspect allows you to take photographs from a low angle. The FX12 3-way fluid head is perfectly suitable for DSLR cameraswith video mode, thereby giving extremely smooth movements for the perfect pans. The quick lift 2-section center post allows the photographer to make rapid adjustments and carry out low range shooting, while the 3 section snap leg locks(adjustable), as well as the rubber feet, add extra stability and adjustability. Perfect for photographers who demand high stability and performance.

Lightweight Tripod

Those of us who have an addiction for photography as well as hiking or traveling, are often faced with the conundrum of having to make a choice of thetripod that is capable of supporting sturdy cameras and is also easy to carry. These travel tripods are designed to be lighter than their full-sized counterparts and can easily fit into a carry bag. Hikers, wildlife shooters, boaters, photojournalists, travel photographers and anybody else that makes it on foot over fairly long distances with a camera bag will benefit immensely from having a high-quality lightweight travel tripod. There is a long list of lightweight tripods that are available in the market. Here is a collection of lightweight tripods that do not burn a hole in your wallet.

1. Koolehaoda K-666 Portable Camera Aluminium Tripod 

Salient features:

1. The horizontal panoramic head supporting 360**insert degree** rotation.
2. Offers complete control of ball head with extreme precision
3. Allows to adjust every rotation angle differently
4. One leg of the tripod can be used to monopod
5. Has a removable and quick-release plate

The Koolehaoda K-666 is extremely light weight and portable. It comes with ¼” screw and is suitable for every SLR camera. The tripod is durable and can be used as a monopod or alpenstock

2. Manfrotto Compact Action Tripod

Salient features:

1. Offers a photo- movie selector to quickly change modes
2. It doesn’t require ascrewdriver for attachment.
3. The shape supports the camera to prevent any issue with the camera orientation
4. It has a special adapter for cameras with higher resolution

The Manfrotto Compact Action Tripod provides ease and luxury at the same time to the photographer. It eliminates all hassles making your experience worthy of every penny.

3. Benro Compact Digital Tripod Kit A100EXU

Salient features:

1. Provides the easiest ball head
2. It is best suited for amateurs
3. Weight: 0.9 kg

This extremely lightweight trip is suitable for photographers who require a larger scope. It is suitable for pairing with a high wide angle lens for capturing landscapes, thereby perfect for people who are looking for an alightweight tripod for backpacking purposes.

4. Zomei Q555 Lightweight Aluminum Alloy Camera Tripod

Salient features:

1. Unique leg position allows to keep the tripod on uneven surface and restricted spaces
2. Allows to glide in and out with perfect ease
3. Has a 360-degree panoramic dial
4. It is extremely easy to be carried

5. Polaroid Studio Series 64″ Professional Tripod

Salient features:

1. Unique leg position allows keeping the tripod on an uneven surface and restricted spaces
2. It comes with retractable spikes allowing more support
3. Four section fully adjustable legs
4. Allows faster and easier height adjustments

The head is extremely smooth allowing rotation and it comes with dual bubble levels and a capacity of handling 8 pounds

Heavy Duty Tripods

When it comes to image quality, a full-sized heavy duty tripod is the best accessory a photographer can have. Although it may not be suitable for any form of travel, the heavy-duty tripods do not compromise on image quality. The durability and stability are usually higher in this kind of tripods and they utilize a special type of head. These tripods are generally designed to handle medium to large scoped cameras. You can check some of the top heavy-duty tripods that you can buy under $100.

1. Ravelli APGL4 New Professional 70″ Tripod

Salient features:

1. Unique leg position allows keeping the tripod on an uneven surface and restricted spaces
2. Contains a unique pistol grip ball head
3. It comes with retractable spikes allowing more support
4. Adjustable legs capable of quick release.
5. The feet of the legs are spiky and made of rubber

The tripod is sturdily built and the quality is good enough to accommodate entry-level to professional level gear. Although it is a heavy duty tripod that weighs 3.6 kgs, it is useful in a variety of adverse condition where taking photographs can be a problem.

2. Xit XT80TRPRO Elite Professional 80-Inch Tripod

Salient features:

1. Extends to 80-inches, along with carrying handle
2. Contains 2 bubble levels.
3. Contains a stabilizing hook

Xit Elite Series 80″ Professional Tripod contains 4 aluminum legs that end with rubber feet.  The leg-spreading allows the camera to attain a maximum height of 80 inches as well as low as 8 inches. This Heavy duty tripod is capable of allowing you to take photographs from a variety of angles

3. ePhotoInc Professional Heavy Duty Tripod

Salient features:

1. Extremely easy to set up and use
2. High durability and high-performance tripod legs
3. Has a greater load capacity of 13 lbs.
4. Rubber feet for functioning better on uneven ground
5. Plates have safety check

The ePhotoInc Professional Heavy Duty Tripod gives a professional experience but is also easy on the pockets. It is extremely durable and takes care of the safety considerations.

4. Celestron Heavy-Duty Altazimuth Tripod

Salient features:

1. The maximum height of 45 inches
2. A 25-inch mounting screw that is capable of sliding.
3. Heavy-duty mount head
4. Aluminum legs that are extendable.
5. Flexible slow motion cables that are suitable for both azimuth as well as altitude.

The Heavy-Duty Alt-Azimuth Tripod from Celestron is very useful in situations where you can use a spotting scope or giant binoculars for hands-free viewing. The tripod can be controlled in two ways to allow both altitude and azimuth-type adjustments. It is best suited for a photographer who prefers to take long-range photographs in testing conditions.

Conclusion

Even though this extensive collection of tripods can help you make a cheaper purchase for a quality photograph, the main aspect that you must consider is not the features of the tripod, but the compatibility of the tripod with your camera.

It is possible that some tripods have lesser number of features, but those would be more suitable for your camera. In any case, your choices are plentiful.

So finally, after you’ve found the most compatible tripod for under 100 dollars, it’s now time to buy one, fiddle with it, and take some awesome photographs! Happy Clicking!