AmazonBasics 62-Inch Aluminum Ball Head Tripod CA014-1 – Review

Price | Specifications | Recommendation | Ratings

AmazonBasics has been developing a fairly solid line up of budget equipments for photographers and videographers over the past few years. AmazonBasics 62-Inch Aluminum Ball Head Tripod is one such of their latest products and I must say that I am fairly impressed. It’s not top-of-the-line and it doesn’t compete with big brands like Manfrotto and vanguard, but it isn’t meant to. It’s one reliable piece of equipment, that does not gives cheap feel like the entry-level gear you find in the camera department of the big retail giants and  nevertheless its affordable.

Photo tripods are usually expensive, start from $ 100 and the popular ones might cost you as much as the camera itself. What differentiates photo tripod from video tripod is the “head”. Ball head is the most popular choice for still photography enthusiasts and professionals alike. The versatile position adjustment and angle control has always been the USP of ball-head tripods. But leave alone the tripod, the actual head itself costs hundreds of dollars. Luckily there are some inexpensive yet sturdy options out there like the AmazonBasics 62-Inch, Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ravelli 65″ Ball Head Camera Photo Tripod. All of them cost the same around $40 and are excellent choice for a beginner’s first tripod or a spare one for the professionals.

Price –

Price of AmazonBasics 62-Inch Tripod is $40 Approx  Get Latest Price!

Buy New : (From $40)
Buy Used / Refurbished : (From $20)

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Specifications –

Head :

AmazonBasics 62-Inch Aluminum Ball Head Tripod has got a small yet decent  ball head. It being a photo tripod, video shots like panning and tilting is not available by default but you can always improvise with some DIY hacks. Mounting is served with a quick release plate which seems proprietary and I was unable to find any replacement on the amazon itself.

 

Maximum Height :

62″ inches (157.5 cm). I am 6 feet tall and I find this thing high enough for me. So I believe for most people this tripod is going to be satisfactory.

Minimum Height :

20″ inches (50.8cm) – very portable and very small. It is one inches long than the Ravelli 65″ Ball Head Camera Photo Tripod, just in case it makes any difference to you. It fits most of my camera backpacks and travel suitcases.

Minimum Height to shoot :

Minimum height with the reverse mounted center column for AmazonBasics 62-Inch Aluminum Ball Head Tripod is 0″ inches. I was able to get this tripod almost to ground level both with feet spread or centre column reversed.

Maximum Load Capacity :

Rated capacity for AmazonBasics 62-Inch Aluminum Ball Head Tripod is 8.8 lbs or 4 kg. For me it is so so. But with a regular Dslr and moderately heavy  lens this is going to be ample. Although i personally believe that this tripod can take much more weight than mentioned on the box.

Weight of the Tripod itself :

3.6 lbs or 1.5 kg. This is feather light given the load capacity, build quality and price.

Camera mount screw size :

1/4″ . The universal quarter inch screw is available for mounting cameras or any other gear with the regular 1/4″ screw threads.

Material :

Legs are made up of aluminium. The lock knobs on both feet and head are coated with rubber but the base is some kind of metal, which is one good sign for durability. The skeleton to hold the legs seems to be made up of some hard plastic (not the cheap one). The feet are provided with rubber pads and metal spikes for a better grip on rough terrain.

Warranty :

AmazonBasics 1-year limited Warranty.

PixeLarge Recommendation –

If I was to list the Positives about the AmazonBasics they would be the

• Ball head that provides smooth adjustments at any angle,
• Quick Release Camera Plate,
• Rubber feet with metal spikes,
• Built in level and a hook on centre column to add weight for added stability .
• Centre column and the legs can be inverted for low angle shots and
• Foam grips are there on all three legs.

The tripod comes with a carry bag and manages to serve the purpose.

The negatives are not many but it’s worth mentioning that

• The ball head is not big and strong enough to hold bulky Dslr, I noticed sagging even after tightening the knob as much as I can. However it was not evident with regular Dslrs and moderately heavy lenses.
• The quick release plate being not generic it is hard to find a replacement or just in case you need a spare one.

That being said I must say that given the price, we are being unmercifully critical here.

So do I recommend this tripod?

 

For Novices/ Beginners – It is a decent tripod and probably it’s the only tripod you will ever need. The build quality is good enough to rely upon. Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ravelli 65″ Ball Head Camera Photo Tripod are also there to choose from. They are equally good and almost the same thing, even in terms of price.

For Enthusiasts – AmazonBasics 62-Inch Aluminum Ball Head Tripod is good but only for the given the price, it’s certainly not the best in terms of quality or stability. So if you are on budget then you can buy this one without hesitation. Also you might  consider the Ravelli Professional 65-inch Carbon Fiber 3 Axis Ball Head Camera Video Photo Tripod and the AmazonBasics 70-Inch Pistol Grip Head Tripod. Ravelli is a great carbon fiber update for sub $100 price on amazon.

For Pros-  For a spare tripod you can consider AmazonBasics but other than that you better trust this tripod with your expensive gear on your own risk. Though this tripod is a decent buy overall, but the head is not big enough to support the pro gear. Again you can consider the carbon fiber version if you are really hitting a low in the budget section.