11 Mini Tripod Options for Your Mirrorless Camera
- Why Use a Mini Tripod?
- Octopad Camera Mount
- PIXI Manfrotto Mini Tripod
- EVO Manfrotto Mini Tripod
- Gitzo Mini Traveler
- AOKA Carbon Fiber Tripod
- Neewer Desktop Macro Mini Tripod
- Joby GorillaPod 3K
- ULANZI Flexible Tripod
- JOBY GorillaPod 325
- Besnfoto Travel Tripod
- Sirui AM-223 Carbon Fiber Tripod
- Meet a New Kind of Tripod
- No Tripod? No Problem! Use One of These Alternatives
- Must-Have Items for Your Camera Bag
- Long Exposure Photography Gear List
- Inexpensive Photography Gear for Beginners
- Get Better at Landscape Photography
Your new mirrorless camera is a fantastic imaging device. Depending on what format of mirrorless camera you have, the camera and lens combo may also be very compact and lightweight.
The small size and lightweight, combined with other modern technologies of cameras and lenses, such as vibration reduction or image stabilization, make it easier than ever to hand-hold a mirrorless camera for longer exposures.
Alternatively, using one of the many versions of mini tripods with a mirrorless camera is also an attractive option.
Table of Contents
Why Use a Mini Tripod?
photo by stockforliving via iStock
The main reason to use a mini tripod for camera stabilization is that our practiced hand-holding techniques and vibration reduction technology can’t compensate for every situation we may find ourselves in.
In other words, sometimes the shutter speed is just too long to hold our camera steady enough without some help. Also, there are times that having a camera support such as a mini tripod or tripod alternative will improve our image captures, such as macro photography.
A mini tripod is very useful for videography, too. Let’s look at 11 mini tripod options for your mirrorless camera.
Octopad Camera Mount
As a mini camera tripod, the OctoPad Camera Mount is unique and extremely versatile. The base is a semi-flexible disc of heavy-duty material with a non-slip pad underneath and a ¼-20 screw on top. The top screw can be fitted with a ball head, an extension arm, a video head, or any combination of these.
The flexible nature of the disc base allows the OctoPad to be placed on a wide variety of indoor and outdoor surfaces. The non-slip material keeps the OctoPad steady at angles up to 45 degrees. So, a table or desktop, a stone fence, a car hood, a tree stump, a couch arm, a boulder, or almost anything else can be the surface.
You don’t have to rely on a suction cup, and since the material is heavy-duty, it can take some hard use in the rugged outdoors. Besides the camera itself, this alternative mini tripod can also be used for holding various accessories such as lights or a video microphone.
It’s lightweight, versatile, inexpensive, and durable, making the OctoPad a great alternative to a mini tripod for both still imaging and video recording.
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PIXI Manfrotto Mini Tripod
Manfrotto mini tripods are excellent examples of how a small item like a mini tripod can be very well made and provide stability for long exposure photography, high magnification photography, and video recording.
The PIXI Manfrotto mini tripod is the smaller of the two Manfrotto mini tripods in this list. Made as a simple set of legs that can be folded together to use as a handgrip and a ball head on top, this mini tripod is perfect for tabletop or desktop use, inside or outside.
EVO Manfrotto Mini Tripod
A slightly larger version of a Manfrotto mini tripod is the EVO version. This mini tripod has legs that extend a little bit for extra height, plus the legs splay out further for getting close to the ground or another surface.
The Manfrotto mini tripod ball heads are smooth operating and very rugged. It’s sturdy enough to hold your mirrorless camera tilted into portrait orientation for self-portraits or other options of composition.
Gitzo Mini Traveler
For outdoor and studio photographers who love the high-end Gitzo tripods, the Gitzo Mini Traveler is a great choice for a mini tripod or travel tripod that can fit in a camera bag, sling pack, or backpack.
The ball head is smooth in operation and locks down securely even with heavier mirrorless cameras and larger lenses.
AOKA Carbon Fiber Tripod
Slightly larger than the tabletop mini tripods, this travel tripod fits in well with many landscape photographer gear kits. The 3 section carbon fiber legs of the AOKA mini tripod extend up to 28 inches, and the ball head has a quick-release mount for added versatility.
Neewer Desktop Macro Mini Tripod
Neewer is a favorite brand of many budget-minded photographers and videographers for high-quality lighting equipment. They also make wonderful mini tripods.The Neewer Desktop Macro Mini Tripod extends and collapses in the legs and the center column. Multi-position legs allow many options for camera placement.
Joby GorillaPod 3K
The Joby GorillaPod 3K has a special construction to the legs that makes it a good choice and alternative for a mini tripod. Their flexible construction can alternate between holding the camera up as a regular mini tripod or can be wrapped around things such as tree limbs or fence posts when there isn’t enough even ground to place a tripod.
ULANZI Flexible Tripod
The Ulanzi Flexible Tripod works on the same principle as the GorillaPod with the ultra-flexible wrap-around legs. It also has a special adjustable camera mount on the ball head for holding smartphones and an added mounting position for accessories.
JOBY GorillaPod 325
JOBY GorillaPod 325 is a smaller, lighter-weight version of the original GorillaPod mini tripod for ultra-compact mirrorless cameras.
Besnfoto Travel Tripod
Besnfoto Travel Tripod is a larger version of a mini tripod, qualifying as a travel tripod, too. It has adjustable legs, a smartphone mount, a 360-degree panorama base, and is made of lightweight but sturdy carbon fiber.
Sirui AM-223 Carbon Fiber Tripod
The last item in our round-up of mini tripods for your mirrorless camera is the Sirui AM-223 Carbon Fiber Mini Tripod.
In addition to all of the features and capabilities of many full-size tripods, this mini tripod has an Arca Swiss quick release plate for camera mounting and can hold up to 15 KG of camera or video equipment.
Any of these 11 mini tripods should make an excellent addition to your mirrorless camera gear kit.
