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Even with a good camera such as the Sony A6000, without using the right tripod, your handheld shot videos will be shaky and the photos blurred. In this review, I will help you identify the best tripod for Sony A6000 that will enhance your shooting experience.
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After hours of trying out different tripods, I found that the Manfrotto MK190XPRO4 is the best tripod for the Sony A6000. Its four-section structure, good payload, and ball head make it easy to stabilize shots using the A6000 camera.
Equipping yourself with the best tripod for Sony A6000 will help stabilize the posture and camera positioning for improved recording performance.
The Manfrotto MK190XPRO4 is distinguished by its convenient features and professional hardware, making it the overall best on our list. For instance, it features a Quick Power Lock System, which enables you to extend the legs using one hand.
Thanks to the 90 degrees column feature, you can swing into a horizontal position or use the vertical mode. With the enlarged leg angle selector tabs and the column in a horizontal position, you can get down to around 3.2 inches, facilitating macro photography using the best macro lenses.
With a maximum height of 68.11", it's the tallest in my list and most ideal for shooting in situations where you need to get your camera really high. It allows you to select four different angles on each leg, making it suitable for uneven terrain or rough grounds.
The feet are rubberized, which improves grip even when using it on slippery grounds such as floors. Also, the rubber on the feet minimizes the cold and heat conduction, making it convenient for use in extreme weather conditions. This makes it a reliable tripod when shooting real estate photos on a cloudy day.
The Manfrotto MK190XPRO4 employs a quick release plate to enhance camera attachment and detachment. It is equipped with an easy link plug, allowing you to connect accessories like camera flashes and LED lights effortlessly.
It comes with a ball head for enhancing adjustment fine-tuning using the dedicated knob. However, it weighs 6.8 pounds, which is the heaviest on my list, making it difficult to carry a long ways.
The Manfrotto Befree Advanced is an excellent support solution as a convenient tripod while traveling. It features a construction of high-quality aluminum alloy, which makes it secure and safe for use with your Sony A6000 camera.
With a maximum height of 59.4 inches, it's possible to shoot subjects with minimal obscuring and without much squatting. However, this height is not ideal for tall photographers compared to the Manfrotto MK190XPRO4.
When it comes to carrying, you can fold it to a minimum height of 15.7 inches, which makes it easy to carry in a backpack or camera bag. The legs feature four sections which you can adjust and lock into place, thanks to the QPL lever locks on these sections.
For versatility enhancement, it allows three angle setup configuration enhancing low-angle
The legs feature a center ball head with a knob that facilitates panoramic movement, allowing you to stitch photos in Lightroom. Besides, it's equipped with a friction adjusting knob which enhances precise tension control when in operation.
With a maximum load capacity of 17.6 pounds, it holds your camera securely and reliably, even better than the Manfrotto 290 Xtra.
The Manfrotto 290 Xtra is a great tripod suitable for a wide range of shooting conditions and scenarios. It comes with a maximum height of 67.5 inches, which makes it the second tallest on this list.
The height makes it convenient for shooting in places with obscuring objects. Also, you can fold down this tripod to a minimum height of 12 inches, making it suitable for carrying in a backpack or carrying case when mobile.
Unlike the Sirui AM-225, this tripod weighs 5.6 pounds, which is an average weight that provides more stability, especially when shooting in windy conditions. However, the weight might cause muscle fatigue in extended shooting, such as during walk-around shooting with the best walk-around lenses.
This tripod comes with a knob on the grip head which allows you to switch between video and photo functions. Typically, when selected for video, it maintains the camera's horizontal positioning, enhancing smooth pans. Once you select the photo mode, the camera freely moves on all sides, giving you improved control.
You might be in need of shooting landscape images in your real estate
The Vanguard VEO 2 265AB combines the BH-50 ball head with aluminum legs, making it ideal for doing compositions for interior photography. Like the Manfrotto Befree Advanced, it comes with a maximum load capacity of 17.6 pounds, making it reliably and securely support your Sony A6000.
The legs come in four sections with sophisticated twist locks, which can be locked by a ¼ turn. It allows an individual leg to adjust its position to range from 20 to 80 degrees, making it suitable for setup on uneven grounds.
Also, this stretch makes Vanguard VEO 2 265AB ideal for macro
It comes with three independent knobs, one for the panning, the other for controlling friction, and the last one for locking. Incorporating an Arca-type quick release plate makes it effortless to attach and detach the camera when frequently shooting between tripod and handheld capturing.
The maximum height of 59 inches allows you to use it for shooting even when there are some obscuring objects. Although it's lighter than the Manfrotto MK190XPRO4, the 3.4 pounds weight is still unsuitable for carrying in a camera bag or backpack when traveling.
The Sirui AM-225 is distinguished by its five sections in the leg column, making it flexible and versatile for use in a wide range of shooting grounds.
Thanks to the twist leg locks, you can fold it down to a minimum height of 2.76 inches, making it the most compact on my list, which enhances portability. It features rubberized feet, which helps to improve grip, especially when working on slippery grounds such as floors.
Additionally, when working on uneven terrain, you can replace these rubber fittings with stainless steel spikes to enhance grip. It weighs 2.05 pounds, making it the most lightweight on my list and most ideal for carrying.
The Sirui AM-225 comes with an interchangeable mounting screw, from ¼ inches to ⅜ inches, which enhances compatibility. Also, you can adjust the quick release plate easily and fix it with the screws to enhance horizontal balance.
Although the construction is lightweight, the maximum load capacity of 13.2 pounds is more impressive than that of the Manfrotto 290 Xtra. However, the small weight may compromise the overall stability of the tripod, especially when using it in rainy and bad weather conditions.
It's equipped with a snap hook which allows you to attach additional weight to increase stability in such situations, offsetting this downside. The Sirui AM-225 comes with a maximum height of 47.2 inches, which may not be convenient for use in places with obscuring objects.
The features and positioning performance of the tripods vary with brands and models, and choosing the best one, therefore, is challenging. Below are some of the essential features you need to consider for the best tripod for the Sony A6000.
| Tripod | Max Load Capacity | Leg Sections | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manfrotto Befree Advanced | 17.6 pounds | 4 | 3.5 pounds |
| Vanguard VEO 2 265AB | 17.6 pounds | 5 | 3.4 pounds |
| Manfrotto MK190XPRO4 | 13.2 pounds | 4 | 6.8 pounds |
| Manfrotto 290 Xtra | 8.8 pounds | 4 | 5.6 pounds |
| Sirui AM-225 | 13.2 pounds | 5 | 2.05 pounds |
The primary thing that you should consider is the tripod maximum load capacity. Photographers make a blunder by purchasing a tripod that only weighs a few pounds and is not designed for heavy photographic equipment.
What will happen at the end is obvious: at some point, everything will fall apart and destroy the lens and the camera. Always ensure that the tripod you purchase can hold at least 1.5 times the total weight of your heaviest lenses and that of the camera.
At least means around 2x more is preferred keeping in mind that when shooting with a long lens, sometimes you press the camera and even put your hand on it, which adds weight. You can also add camera accessories like a flash grip to the camera in the future.
Typically, a tripod with a bigger payload such as the Vanguard VEO 2 265AB is safer and preferable.
It's advisable to purchase a tripod that fits your shooting height, so you don't have to bend down to look through the viewfinder. After you have placed the camera on a tripod, the viewfinder should be at your eye level.
It doesn't matter if it's above eye level, as you can shorten the legs. However, if it's below eye level, you'll find yourself bending constantly, which can be a tiresome experience, especially if you're waiting for an action and constantly have to look via the viewfinder.
In cases where you are purchasing a tripod that is connected to the head, the tip of the head should be at your chin height.
If purchasing a modular tripod that is separated to the head, ensure that the legs end around the shoulders. To be on the safer side, go for a tripod with a big maximum height, such as the Manfrotto MK190XPRO4.
Weight is a crucial factor when selecting a tripod, which is why you must check if the tripod's material is aluminum or carbon fiber. Your tripod should not be too heavy as you might end up leaving it at home instead of carrying it with you on a trip. The best and the most lightweight tripods constructed of carbon fiber are long-lasting and don't rust.
Aluminum is the second-best building material, and it is heavier than carbon fiber. Also, you can also find stainless steel tripods that are too heavy for regular use, but you can use them for video shooting.
If your plan is to shoot for an extended period, a lightweight tripod like the Sirui AM-225 will suit you best. In reference to the total weight, the weight of the tripod legs should be below 7 pounds, excluding the head.
Typically, the carbon fiber legs weigh 3 to 4 pounds, while aluminum legs weigh 5 to 6 pounds or more, depending on their size and the maximum load capacity.
Generally, there are two forms of tripod legs: non-tubular and tubular. All carbon fiber legs are tubular and have a thread locking system to secure them. The aluminum legs like the ones in the Manfrotto Befree Advanced are sturdy and durable.
The tripod legs can be in 3 to 5 sections depending on the tripod height. The higher the tripod, the more the sections, and typically, the less the stability.
The modern tripods allow you to swap tripod feet for different situations and conditions. You simply unscrew the bottom of the tripod. Tripod feet are in two different types for outdoor use and indoor use.
Unless your plan is to capture in freezing, rainy, or slippery conditions, your tripod comes with the regular rubber feet that are fine to work with. However, having a tripod such as the Sirui AM-225, with which you can interchange the feet makes it ideal for all surfaces.
At the bottom of every modern camera is a thread that enables you to attach it to a monopod or tripod, while heavy lenses feature a similar cable on the tripod clamps.
The spiral-shaped system makes it very difficult to mount cameras and lenses on a tripod because you either rotate the tripod or the camera to mount them together.
Manufacturers have found a great solution to make
For instance, the Manfrotto MK190XPRO4 comes with a quick-release plate to enhance attachment and detachment of the camera gear.
A tripod that has a heavy end doesn't mean it's stable. There are many heavy and durable tripod systems that lack the necessary stability when used in different weather conditions.
A tripod must withstand not only the occasional knocks and bumps but also the wind that may occur when it is fully set.
Always ensure that the camera and lens are balanced on a tripod and not tilted in one direction because if the front is heavier than the back and the head is not tight, you can damage the tripod, and everything falls out of the ground.
However, tripods such as the Vanguard VEO 2 265AB allow the attachment of additional weight to improve stability.
A center post is a single leg found at the center of some tripods, which allows you to vary the height of the camera without changing the position of the tripod legs. However, it is advisable that you avoid setting the center post too high, as it can affect the stability of the camera.
Most tripods that feature a reversible center column can look down, allowing you to capture images that are down, directly between the legs.
The best way to know whether the camera will fit the tripod is to check the weight of your camera and lenses and multiply it by 1.5 or 2. Then, look for a tripod that has a bigger maximum load capacity than the result.
All tripods for Sony A6000 are not designed the same, and some are more secure and stable than others. In this regard, deciding on the one that will suit your needs best may be confusing. However, any of the tripods from the above list will suit your camera positioning goals.
