Amazon Basics 70 Inch Test Results

The Amazon Basics tripod is a re-branded import from somewhere in China.  It is built as cheaply as possible, and it shows in the fit and finish.  It is heavy and cumbersome, but actually somewhat stable.  The aluminum tubes are a reasonably large diameter and it has rubber platform feet.  The damping is actually pretty good, especially about the radial axis.  The upside of having less rigid plastics and rubber is that they damp well.

NameAmazon Basics 70-Inch
ClassAll Around
Stiffness About Vertical Axis506 +/- 10 Nm/rad
Damping About Vertical Axis0.371 +/- 0.037 Js/rad
Stiffness About Radial Axis1690 +/- 62 Nm/rad
Damping About Radial Axis1.88 +/- 0.19 Js/rad
Retail Price$65
Weight5.12 lbs (2.323 kgs)
Manufacturer weight rating11 lbs
Maximum Height53.9 in (136.9 cm)
Minimum Height19.6 in (49.8 cm)
Max Height with Center Column63.2 in (160.5 cm)
Center ColumnYes
Base Diameter2.3 in (5.8 cm)
Folded Length27.5 in (69.8 cm)
Folded Circumference15.3 in (38.9 cm)
Folded Volume512.0 cu. in. (8.4 liters)
Leg MaterialAluminum
Leg Sections3
Primary Leg Angle22 deg
Leg LocksFlip
Top Tube Diameter32.3 mm
Second Tube Diameter28.2 mm
Third Tube Diameter24.0 mm
Exchangeable FeetYes
Foot TypeRubber Platform
Bottom HookYes

The stiffness and damping data are the averages of 10 trials for each measurement.  The reported error is the standard error, except in the case of the damping data.  I have set the error in the damping at 10% as the standard error metric does not appropriately capture the error in fitting to the data.  All of the reported specifications are measured, with the exception of the weight rating.  The tripod is measured at full height, with the center column down.

 

Example data for oscillations about the vertical axis of the tripod:

Great fits here, no issues.

Example data for oscillations about the radial axis of the tripod:

On the other hand, the fits for the radial direction are a nightmare.  There is so much damping that we don’t have enough oscillations to get a really good fit on the frequency.  We got into the right ballpark though.