Use it as a gimbal for GoPro

The first time I saw someone using a tripod as a gimbal for their GoPro, I kind of laughed. I mean, a gimbal is a fancy motorized stabilizer, right? A tripod is just a thing that sits on the ground. But then I tried it myself, and honestly, it changed how I shoot action footage forever.

Why a Tripod Makes a Surprisingly Good Gimbal

Let’s be real – electronic gimbals are great, but they’re also expensive, fragile, and need charging. Out on a long hike with a GoPro strapped to my backpack, the last thing I want is another battery to worry about. That’s when I realized my Peak Design Travel Tripod wasn’t just for stills. It’s basically a battery-free, rock-solid “gimbal” that never runs out of juice.

The trick is all in the ball head. With the tension set just right – not too loose, not too tight – you can pan and tilt the camera with one hand while keeping the tripod planted on a rock or railing. It’s not smooth like a motor, but it’s surprisingly organic. The footage looks like you had a camera operator on a fluid head, not a shaky handheld mess.

My Go-To Technique: The “Lazy Pan”

Here’s how I do it for vlogging or cinematic travel shots:

• Set the tripod at waist height or chest height, legs fully splayed for maximum stability.
• Mount the GoPro (with a standard Arca-Swiss plate if you have the Peak Design clamp) directly on the ball head.
• Loosen the ball head’s lock just enough so the camera can tilt smoothly, but not wobble freely.
• Then I just grab the GoPro’s housing and gently pan across a sunrise or track a friend walking. The weight of the tripod absorbs any shake, and the friction of the lock gives that “gimbal glide” feel.

The first time I tried this, I was blown away by how stable the resulting clip looked. No jitters, no drifting horizon – just buttery smooth motion. And the best part? Zero batteries. Zero setup time. Just fold out the legs, slap the GoPro on, and go.

Real-World Scenarios Where This Shines

Time-lapses – The tripod keeps the GoPro perfectly still for hours, and you can manually rotate the head a tiny bit every few minutes for a subtle parallax effect. Totally impossible with a handheld gimbal.

Low-angle action – I love setting the tripod at its lowest height (about 4 inches with the center column removed) for skateboard tricks or grass-level biking shots. Then I hold the top of the tripod and pivot it around – like a poor man’s Steadicam. The footage looks like it’s from a tiny drone.

Selfies and group shots – The integrated phone clamp inside the center column is great, but for GoPro, I just use the ball head as a selfie-stick surrogate. Lean the tripod against a tree, set the 3-second timer, and boom – you’re in the shot without any gear visible.

What’s the Catch?

Okay, it’s not a perfect substitute. You can’t walk with a tripod gimbal – the legs will wobble. And for fast-paced follow shots (like a mountain bike chase), an electronic gimbal is still king. But for static shots that need a little dynamic movement, this is a game-changer.

Also, you’ll want a lightweight GoPro setup. Don’t slap a full DSLR on the tripod and call it a gimbal – that’s just asking for a snapped lock. The GoPro is light enough that the ball head’s friction range works perfectly.

Final Verdict

The Peak Design Travel Tripod is already my favorite thing for stills, but discovering its “gimbal mode” was like finding a hidden cheat code. If you already own one, go outside and try it. If you don’t, well, maybe now you have another reason to justify the splurge. Just don’t blame me when you start leaving your electronic gimbal at home.