Mitchell Vanlerberg- Digital Storytelling Ninja, Learn to Flourish

The landscape of video creation is rapidly changing and it’s easier than ever for the average individual to produce high quality video content. One tool that makes video creation more accessible is a cell phone. Great content can be created using a camera from a cell phone, but to improve the production quality of the videos taken from a cell phone there are some additional tools to use.

(Get our FREE InShot guide to learn how to effectively use your cell phone to create professional videos!)

Something that can help is a solid, stable tripod. Tripods are important for being able to set up a stable shot for your recordings and to hold the phone if no one else is around to record.

There are so many options when it comes to tripods, ranging in size and quality and this blog we give you a review of some of the options and our recommendations.

 

Adaptor

Before we discuss tripods, an adaptor is an essential component if you are planning to attach your phone on your tripod. Having a detachable adaptor has the added benefit of being able to switch between multiple tripods that have different heights. One of the best phone to tripod adaptors is the Arkon universal smartphone holder tripod adaptor. This adaptor is able to fit on any type or size of phone that is up to 3.6 inches in width. It also has the ability to switch between filming vertically or horizontally for phones. The Arkon adaptor is currently listed for $21.

 

Arkon 11-inch Tripod

The same brand that provides the phone to tripod adaptor also has an 11-inch tripod that comes with the adaptor. One issue with small tripods is that they have difficulty maintaining balance when the phone is switched to film horizontally. However, this tripod does not fall victim to that weakness. The Arkon tripod bundled with the adaptor is currently listed for $30.

Pros:

• Comes with the adaptor
• Flexible legs that can wrap around objects
• Maintains balance for both filming sides
• Can be folded to be used as a selfie stick
• Has a tilt lever

Cons:

• Short in height, so it might have to stand on top of something for higher angle shots
• Doesn’t have a handle for panning shots

 

Neewer 56-inch Tripod

The Neewer 56-inch tripod doesn’t come with an adaptor but it is a major step up in features in comparison to the Arkon tripod. The tripod has extendable legs that can adjust from 18.5 inches to 56 inches in height. Despite being a bigger tripod it is still lightweight, weighing in at 2.73 pounds since it is made out of an aluminum alloy tube. It also has rotatable plastic feet that are able to adapt to various locations you might be filming in. The Neewer 56-inch tripod currently listed at $57.

Pros:

• Extendable legs to reach up to 56 inches
• Lightweight (only 2.73 pounds)
• Rotatable feet to handle difficult shooting locations
• Has a swivel pan head to create pan shots
• Hook for stability

Cons:

• Doesn’t come with an adaptor
• When fully extended can be easily knocked over

 

K&F Concept 62-inch Tripod

One word to describe this tripod is versatile. It can extend to reach 62 inches and has the ability to invert the center axis of the tripod to swing the camera upside down to get extremely low angles. The tripod has a ball head so it can be moved in any direction to achieve 360 degree panoramic shots. It also has a hook under the center of the tripod to put on additional weight to increase stability. The K&F Concept 62-inch tripod is currently listed at $101.

Pros:

• Extendable legs to reach up to 62 inches
• Lightweight (2.42 pounds)
• Can create very low angle shots
• Adjustable center axis
• Versatile ball head to move in any direction
• Hook for stability

Cons:

• Doesn’t have a long handle to move the ball head
• Doesn’t come with an adaptor
• When fully extended can be easily knocked over

 

Recommendations

Personally I like the Neewer 56-inch tripod. It doesn’t need to rely on being stood on top of another object to get a shot at eye level, has a swivel pan head to have more control on where the camera is aimed, is lightweight, and easily compatible. It doesn’t come with the adaptor for the phone, which can be bought separately; but if the intention is to get a tripod to improve your video production quality, Neewer is my favorite option.

 

Wondering what software to use to edit the raw video footage you capture with your phone? There are tons of different video editing tools on the market that range in features. Check out our article on Video Editing Tools for our recommendations.

 

One of our favorite free tools for the on-the-go video creator is InShot. InShot is a video editing and creation app that is available for Android and iPhone. Grab our FREE InShot guide now to learn how to use this software to edit your footage, add photos, stickers, text and effects and share your video creations in the correct size on all the social media platforms.

 

Wishing you inspiration, innovation, and continuous learning!

Lorena and the Learn to Flourish Team

 

(Prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of publication. Learn to Flourish does not receive a share of sales or any compensation from sharing any of these products, they’re just some of our favorites!)