Phone-specific tripods

[dbargaehr1]

Was doing research and thought I’d try to get some feedback here. I did a search and don’t come up with much.

I’m a flyfishing backpacker with a pretty high base weight of 23lbs (mostly from cheap gear that I’m slowly upgrading). A dedicated camera is out of the question (budget and weight reasons) as I carry all the fishing gear already. Plus I just don’t want to add more gear to the list! Prefer to stick to my new-ish iPhone just for simplicity.

After my last trip, I’d love to get better shots and I’m considering getting a tiny tripod (along with doing some photography 101 schooling as well). My first idea was to get one of those flexible-leg pods; figured I could attach it to a trekking pole stuck in the ground. Not sure if a clamp mount is better for that. Curious about what people’s experiences are with phone-specific setups or any product recommendations.

Weight is probably the most pressing consideration, followed by ease of setup/use.

[SirBC]

The most important benefit a tripod gives you is the ability to use slower shutter speeds, speeds that if you tried to use while hand holding the camera/phone you would get a blurry shot because you cannot keep the camera still for the length of the exposure. With phones, that means you are entering the "manual" or "pro" mode, where you are controlling the ISO and shutter speed (not sure if phones allow for control of aperture). Usually this means you are shooting at sunrise/sunset because if you are shooting when the sun is up you can likely just hand hold the phone and let it choose the shutter speed and ISO or dial it in yourself. If you don't see yourself entering the manual mode on your camera and just want to use the auto mode then a tripod would not be a benefit.

If you do want to increase your shutter speed and use manual mode, then the important part of the tripod question is the ball head, as that will have to be specific for gripping a phone. I can't personally recommend any, but they look like this. That is the part that attaches to the actual tripod. As far as tripods go, at that point it isn't specific to the phone as the ball head handles that, so you could just find something that fits your budget and has the features you want (how high does it go, how low to the ground does it get, how much does it weigh, etc).

I personally try and shoot handheld whenever I can as pulling out my tripod, getting the legs just right, then adjusting the ball head, etc, it just gets in the way creatively, especially when the light is changing quickly or the terrain is such that it's a real bear to get the tripod setup just right. I do want to shoot at my base ISO, which means slower shutter speeds, so I do use my tripod if I need to get shoot above ISO 200 or so as I am always thinking about printing large and the higher the ISO, the more noise shows up in the print at larger sizes. If you are not planning on printing large prints you may just be able to get away with hand holding your phone. The largest I've printed a photo I took on my phone was 24", I took it hand held and it turned out great.

BTW, a great book to learn about photography and exposure is Bryan Peterson's, "Understanding Exposure".

[bobby49]

In my early days of backpacking with a camera, I generally used one of those tiny tripods that is only about six inches tall. It was OK, except that it was so low that it was difficult to line up the shot without laying flat on the ground. More recently I've been using a taller tripod that weighs 17 ounces with ball head, and it elevates to about waist level. That is much more workable, in my opinion.

[The Other Tom]

For a small tripod that's very versatile, I'd recommend the Joby or similar. You can wrap it around almost anything to get the angle/shot you want.
https://www.amazon.com/GripTight-ONE-Go ... 179&sr=8-3

[dbargaehr1]

For a small tripod that's very versatile, I'd recommend the Joby or similar. You can wrap it around almost anything to get the angle/shot you want.
https://www.amazon.com/GripTight-ONE-Go ... 179&sr=8-3

Thanks, that is what I was strongly considering. The other option was a phone clamp mount that could simply be clamped onto my trekking pole, then use that as a monopod. Stick it good in the ground and away you go.

I was looking at this fellow but it's nearly 9oz. Trying to find something lighter than that, although I'm uncertain if such a thing exists. Perhaps the Joby or similar would work just to wrap around the trekking pole or a branch when necessary, or set up on a rock to use as a tripod for lower shots.

https://www.amazon.com/ULANZI-Camera-Mo ... r=8-6&th=1

[maverick]

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buyi ... d-supports
https://www.techgearlab.com/topics/elec ... for-iphone