Amazon Basics 50-Inch Lightweight Tripod Review

Likes

The Amazon Basics 50-Inch Lightweight Tripod weighs only 1.23 pounds, making it one of the lightest models we've ever tested. When fully folded down, it is also only 16.9 inches long, so you can slip it into a camera bag or, for most domestic flights, fit it into your carry-on luggage without a problem.

The flick-lock design also makes it easy to adjust the legs of the Basics 50-Inch. The tripod legs are aluminum and sturdy enough for cell phones and cameras under 2-ish pounds, but the plastic construction of the flick-locks raises questions about the long-term durability of these moving parts.

While 3-way heads are often a bit more finicky for shot adjustment, the Basics 50-Inch has a simple tilt-and-pan design that was relatively easy to use when fine-tuning cameras up or down, or side to side. We tested the tripod with it's traditional head, but you can get a kit with a phone mount included for a similar price.

Ultimately, we loved the Basics 50-Inch the most for its ease of transport. As long as you're using a lightweight camera kit or cell phone, this is about as portable as an adjustable tripod gets.

Dislikes

As is often the case with the lightest tripods, the Basics 50-Inch is not particularly stable. Our team grew to trust this tripod at lower heights, but it was nerve-wracking to put a bigger camera on it in windy conditions. Not something we'd recommend to a friend who just invested in a brand new 70mm-200mm zoom lens.

The Basics 50-Inch's 50-inch max extension is adequate for some photographers, but it's below average in the tripod world. To accommodate this, we had to be more deliberate with our setup. If photographing a soccer game, we had to find some high ground on the field. For events, we had to set up on a raised platform or at the top of a flight of stairs.

Last but not least, the Basics 50-Inch is not very durable. Amazon uses plastic throughout this tripod to keep weight and cost down, but it results in a flimsier 3-way head and more delicate locking mechanisms that are more likely to break if dropped.

Should You Buy the Amazon Basics 50-Inch Lightweight Tripod?

This is a staggeringly cheap tripod that's 10 times less expensive than higher-end models. However, you get what you pay for. The plastic construction makes this more susceptible to breaking if it gets dropped or it tips over, and its lack of stability makes it more likely to tip over than most tripods. It has a pretty low load capacity. Keep brewing on this model if you use light camera setups, including a cell phone, and need your next tripod to be as portable as possible, but if you are looking for something dependable you can use on a regular basis, we'd recommend going for an upgrade.

What Other Tripods Should You Consider?