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.
| Name | Amazon Basics 70-Inch |
|---|---|
| Class | All Around |
| Stiffness About Vertical Axis | 506 +/- 10 Nm/rad |
| Damping About Vertical Axis | 0.371 +/- 0.037 Js/rad |
| Stiffness About Radial Axis | 1690 +/- 62 Nm/rad |
| Damping About Radial Axis | 1.88 +/- 0.19 Js/rad |
| Retail Price | $65 |
| Weight | 5.12 lbs (2.323 kgs) |
| Manufacturer weight rating | 11 lbs |
| Maximum Height | 53.9 in (136.9 cm) |
| Minimum Height | 19.6 in (49.8 cm) |
| Max Height with Center Column | 63.2 in (160.5 cm) |
| Center Column | Yes |
| Base Diameter | 2.3 in (5.8 cm) |
| Folded Length | 27.5 in (69.8 cm) |
| Folded Circumference | 15.3 in (38.9 cm) |
| Folded Volume | 512.0 cu. in. (8.4 liters) |
| Leg Material | Aluminum |
| Leg Sections | 3 |
| Primary Leg Angle | 22 deg |
| Leg Locks | Flip |
| Top Tube Diameter | 32.3 mm |
| Second Tube Diameter | 28.2 mm |
| Third Tube Diameter | 24.0 mm |
| Exchangeable Feet | Yes |
| Foot Type | Rubber Platform |
| Bottom Hook | Yes |
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.