Tall Tripods

A tripod that stands at head height

A tall tripod has extending legs and stands at head height or above. It is the one for filming yourself standing up, recording a talk, a dance, a lesson, a workout or a product demonstration, and for anyone who streams or makes videos regularly. It also puts a phone at a natural eye level for photos of a group, rather than the low angle a small tripod gives from a table.

The tall tripods here

• Phone tripods with a clamp that extend to around 1.5m or 1.8m and fold short for carrying. One folds to about 26cm, small enough for a rucksack. Some come with a remote as an option.
• Aluminium travel tripods with a pan head that tilts and turns smoothly, and a quick-release plate, so the phone, or a camera, clicks on and off without unscrewing.

How a phone fits a tall tripod

Cameras and tripods share a standard screw thread, a quarter of an inch across, set out in ISO 1222, the international standard for tripod connections. A phone has no thread of its own, so it sits in a sprung clamp that grips its sides and has the thread underneath. A tall tripod with a quick-release plate takes a camera as well as a phone, and a clamp that turns lets the phone go upright for short social videos or on its side for photos.

Setting one up well

Spread the legs fully before you extend them, and pull out the thicker sections before the thinner ones. A tall tripod is steadiest with its legs wide and its centre column low, so raise the column last. In wind or on a slope, weigh it down, keep the height lower, and never leave the phone unattended at full height. Indoors, put it where nobody will walk into the legs. Check the extended and folded heights on each product page against where you will use it.

Questions people ask about tall tripods

Can I use a tall tripod for live streaming?

Yes, and it is what most people streaming standing up use. Add a ring light or an LED video light, and a wireless microphone if you are more than an arm's length from the phone.

How do I start recording from across the room?

With a remote shutter, the phone's timer, or on an iPhone an Apple Watch's Camera Remote, which shows the shot on the watch.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when it usually arrives.

More to look at

• Tripods with remotes
• Mini tripods
• Ring lights
• Wireless microphones
• Phone rigs and cages
• For creators
• Guide: Phone tripods, gimbals and selfie sticks
• Guide: Ring lights and video lights for phone filming