The best tripods and tripod heads for wildlife photography
Anyone who is active in wildlife photography knows that it can quickly become difficult with a camera and a long telephoto lens without having the right tripod to hand. Whether monopod or tripod, video head or gimbal head. We want to take a differentiated approach to these questions here and offer you the best possible equipment for your way of working.
Monopod or tripod?
There is no general answer to this question, as many photographers who photograph wild animals in nature are more likely to use a tripod, as this provides a stable stand at any working height. A monopod is best suited to photographers who work on the sidelines, i.e. in sports photography, or in zoos, where the photographer usually has to straddle the fence anyway and is more on the move.
What should a tripod have
A tripod now comes with many functions that support the photographer in his work, but what does a tripod need specifically for wildlife photography?
A good working height, but it is more important that your tripod has a very good minimum working height. You need this to adjust your tripod to the eye level of the various animals, but also to maintain your camouflage.
Another practical feature here is the option of locking the tripod head via the half-shell, so that the head can be aligned straight again, which is particularly important when using a gimbal or video head.
Last but not least, you should be aware of the weight of your equipment in the heaviest possible combination in order to configure the load capacity of the tripod appropriately with sufficient reserve.
Sirui 2in1 tripod CT-3204 Camouflage with 15° leveling base 150 cm Carbo
- with 15° leveling base 150 cm high - AR series
- Stabilizing hook and leveling bubble
- lower leg segment with adjustment scale
- Rubber feet and metal spikes
- Tripod leg material: carbon fiber
Benro tripod Tortoise 35C + GX35 Kit Carbo
- compact ideal for traveling and easy storage
- Aluminum ball head
- with Arca-Swiss style quick-release plate
- 5 leg segments
- automatic leg angle adjustment
- Leg angle adjustable at the touch of a button
Rollei Lion Rock 25 Mark II incl. tripod head
- extremely resilient (load capacity up to 25 kg) and made of 100% carbon fiber
- robust and strong â in any location, even in sand and salt water
- 3 spirit levels
- Mounting plate with 3/8-inch and 1/4-inch connection
- with central column with a length of 38 cm
- incl. Lion Rock 25 ball head
Leofoto tripod Ranger LS-364C
- ideal travel tripod
- light, compact and super stable
- Load capacity up to 25 kg
- 4 leg segments
Manfrotto double tube tripod 645 Fast Twinn Carbon
- Particularly stable
- very low working height
- 3 segments
- Load capacity up to 25 kg
- Designed for a center spreader, the head can be locked very easily
Video head or gimbal head?
Let's start by asking ourselves whether the gimbal head or a video head is the right tripod head for you. If you not only take photos, but also record the odd video, the video head is much better, as it allows you to move the camera with the Lens more smoothly without jerking or other disturbing factors that negatively affect video recording.
The gimbal head is suitable for photographers who want to pan at different heights, for example to photograph a bird as well as a deer. Especially when an animal is on a hill or a little lower down, you can also set the head to the perfect angle. The head cannot be moved as smoothly as a video head, as these work with a fluid (lubricant) as resistance to slow down movements, especially in the higher quality models.
Why not a ball head?
A ball head is great for landscape photography, but not really useful for adjustments or movements for wildlife photography. This system will move as soon as you try to pull the camera along, because the ball in the head cannot really be adjusted at all angles. You can certainly loosen one or the other head in the panorama axis and fix the ball, but often you also need to be able to adjust the tilt flexibly.
The best tripod heads for wildlife photography
In the following, we present the various best heads according to type!
The best gimbal heads
- Diameter of the base attachment: 60 mm
- Shell size: 22.3 mm
- Quick release type: Arca-Swiss
- Load capacity of 30 kg
Benro Gimbal head GH2N incl. interchangeable plate
- incl. interchangeable plate
- ideal for long and heavy Lens
- Load capacity up to 25 kg
- integrated tension control for stability and operating control
Benro GH5C Gimbal Head Carbon
- made of carbon
- Scaled sliding track
- Rotate and swivel 360 degrees
- 30Kg load capacity
B.I.G. GIM-S Gimbal tripod head
- Load capacity 7kg
- Tripod connection 3/8 inch thread
- 360° degree panorama
Leofoto PG-1 Gimbal head
- Made of aluminum
- up to 25KG load capacity
- Traction control
- Weight-optimized design
- 360° rotatable
- Arca Swiss mount
Manfrotto 502 Pro fluid video panhead
- ideal for nature, animal and sports photography
- indispensable for bird photography and observation
- smooth camera movements and jerk-free panning
- complete all-round view thanks to 360° panorama function
- pan, lock, tilt
- ideal for long focal lengths due to the load capacity of 30 kg
- Arca Swiss quick-release plate and Arca-Swiss mount
Manfrotto Nitrotech 612 fluid video head
- stepless counterbalance system
- Control and precision: counterbalance system up to 12 kg
- Cinestyle footage: variable continuous fluid system
- simple attachment: quick side locking mechanism
- Accessory compatibility: 3/8 inch Easy Link connection for attachment
- Load capacity: 12 kg
Benro S8PRO video panhead up to 8kg
- 1/4 inch screw
- 75 mm video head
- Pan and tilt lock
- stepless pan and tilt tracking
- 8-stage weight compensation (0-7)
- max. carrying weight 8 kg
Our conclusion
If you are interested in wildlife photography in depth, there is no getting around a good tripod, but today it is no longer so relevant which tripod you take, but rather the choice of tripod head. This is particularly relevant for your final result! What you should pay attention to when buying a tripod is of course the load capacity and the working height.
