We’re surprised at how many of you own mobile tripods

Movement is a huge challenge for many smartphone cameras, but many devices today tout effective image stabilization tech. Be it software-based electronic stabilization or hardware-based OIS, it’s become easier to get that blur-free night shot or that recorded video with minimal judder.

Still, there are times when a smartphone tripod will be handy. But we wondered whether Android Authority readers actually owned one of these gadgets. So we posted a poll to ask you, and here’s how you voted.

Do you own a mobile tripod for your smartphone?

Interestingly, none of the reader comments on our poll article reflected this position. Nevertheless, we can see why many people wouldn’t have a mobile tripod, as today’s night modes and Super Steady video modes mean you don’t need a tripod for many situations.

Meanwhile, 48.85% of respondents said they indeed had a tripod for their smartphone. Comments point to uses such as night shots, group pictures, selfies, time lapses, and images of the sun (!). Still, this figure is definitely higher than I expected. There’s no doubt that our enthusiast audience is more likely to own a mobile tripod, but it’s still a pretty interesting result.

Comments

• Paul: Yes, but my wife got it for me though Walmart’s Spark Reviewer program
• Albin: I have a mount and little folder in a amall beltpack (with Moto Mod snap-on battery) and in a backpack a larger Gorlillapod that mounts either a regular camera or the phone. Oddly, I’ve found just attaching the mounting bracket alone provides a better landscape grip than ordinary handholding (though I’ve been tempted by the Adonits with bluetooth shutter).
• duckofdeath: Yes. Used it to take photos of the sun with my S22U. The 100x zoom is good enough to produce clearly visible sunspots. Remember to use a solar filter if you want to try something like that.
• Joe Black: I do have one or two cheap ones, I managed to break a few of them as they have plastic parts holding a screw. But I used them probably only for night shots.
• Michael Schaap: Yes. Not so much for night shots and other long exposures, but to take better group pictures with myself in it. I rarely have it with me, though, when I need it… 
• mattc: Yes, I tend to use it for night time photography, time lapses and the occasional selfies.