Six alternative camera supports you might not even know existed

Tripods are big, bulky and awkward to set up, and they’re especially tricky in confined spaces. Worse, although there’s a good selection of tripod head designs to choose from, they’re not all suited to modern content creation styles.

So, being a bit of a tripod nerd and, by association, a bit geeky about anything to do with camera supports, here are my top tips for keeping your camera steady. Some will be obvious for those in the know, some might seem a bit left-field – but stay with me – and hopefully there might be something in my list that gives you that lightbulb moment. And none of them are Gorillapods.

1. Platypod Delta

DCW’s Ben Andrews ran a news story on this unique low-level camera support that follows on from its inventor’s Platypod design. It’s basically a flat, level plate with threaded holes for mounting a ball head, lights, mics or anything else you fancy. It has titchy fold-out feet for horizontal surfaces or it can be strapped to trees, posts or other objects. What’s the point? This is an extremely clever ground-level or table-top camera support that packs away flat in any camera bag.

2. DJI RS4

Yes, yes, yes, we all know what gimbals do – but had you thought about mounting your gimbal on a tripod for stills photography as well as video? As long as the gimbal handle has a regular threaded socket, it’s easy. What you get then is all the advantages of the best gimbals, including self-levelling for panning shots and panos, controlled motorized camera movements, and automatic subject-tracking via the app on your phone if you mount it on the camera. Smart, huh?

3. 3 Legged Thing Docz foot stabilizer

We all know that even the best monopods have only one leg, but they can still have three feet. This DocZ foot stabilizer from 3 Legged Thing screws into the base of the company’s monopods and also, we presume, into any other monopod with a threaded socket in the base to give you a free-standing support for cameras, lights or whatever. OR you can simply screw a tripod head to the top to get a low-level tabletop tripod. A monopod with feet is not going to be as stable as a tripod, so it’s not a direct replacement – but it is a fast and effective alternative in the right conditions, and a ball and socket in the base allows regular monopod movements too.

4. Benbo Trekker

It’s a tripod, but not as you know it. Benbo’s tripods use a unique curved bolt for deploying the legs so that they can be swung out at different angles and locked into position with a single action. The center column is mounted on the same curved bolt so it can be rotated to any angle you like, even towards the ground for low level macro shots. This is where the Benbo Trekker excels – for outdoor landscape and nature photography, where even the best tripods can get downright clumsy. Just be aware that it until you get used to this design it’s like wrestling an octopus.

5. SmallRig Top Handle with Shoe Mount

So let’s say you want to film a run and gun sequence at a low level. What are you going to use? A gimbal makes sense, but they you’ve got to mount and balance the camera and then figure out your gimbal’s flashlight and underslung modes. Or you could just slot this top handle into your camera’s accessory shoe. Not everyone approves of hanging a camera from its hotshoe, but it works fine on my EOS R8 for low-level video work.

6. 3 Legged Thing Camera Desk Mount System

If you’re producing regular content from a home studio then you’ll need to mount your camera on something. A tabletop tripod? Yes, but it’s easily moved and takes up desk space. What you need is this 3 Legged Thing Camera Desk Mount System (other brands are available). It doesn’t just give you a fixed, rigid mounting point for your camera but clamps to the side of your desk and takes up no space. You can also get accessory arms for lights and mics.