Silver Camera and Photography Equipment Design · 2020
Centennial Photography Tripod
by Thomas Cassaro and Graham Clark
- A' Design Award 2020 Silver Winner in Camera and Photography Equipment Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Colorado Tripod Company
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 37,515
- Verification code 25774D811D · Verify this award
About Centennial Photography Tripod
Centennial is a midsized tripod designed for landscape photographers. The legs are made of ten layer carbon fiber, selected for its strength to weight ratio. The leg joints and the top apex are CNC machined from aluminum and hard anodized for a smooth finish and corrosion resistance. Contoured holes in the aluminum parts reduce weight while keeping the structure rigid. Twist locks allow quick leg deployment, and spring loaded levers adjust the leg angles with one hand. The center column can be removed for photographs taken close to the ground.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The Centennial is a midsized carbon fiber tripod with machined aluminum legs joints and apex. Contoured holes in the aluminum parts reduce weight while maintaining structural rigidity. Twist locks make leg deployment quick and easy and leg angle adjustments can be performed with one hand via spring loaded levers. The tripod can be used with or without a center column.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Height Without Center Column: 127 cm /
Max Height With Center Column: 158 cm /
Collapsed Length: 52 cm /
Minimum Height: 8.4 cm /
Weight Without Center Column: 1315 g /
Weight With Center Column: 1496 g - Tags
- tripod, photography, camera, outdoor,
- Production Technology
- 10 layer carbon fiber was used for the tripod legs because of its strength-to-weight properties. The leg joints and top apex were CNC machined and hard anodized to provide a smooth finish and corrosion resistance.
- Project Duration
- The project began in mid 2018 and completed in June 2018 with all design and engineering taking place in Denver, CO
- Operation Flow
- The Centennial tripod legs can be deployed using the three twist locks and the angles adjusted using the spring-loaded levers located on the top joint. These two operations allow the user to level the tripod on uneven ground and adjust the height. The Centennial has a center column which can extend the height to its maximum or the column can be removed to take pictures very close to the ground. At any angle or height the Centennial provides stability and rigidity needed to produce sharp photographs.
- Inspiration
- The Centennial is an everyday, lightweight tripod for landscape photographers. The design is focused on ease of use and stability while keeping the aesthetic clean and minimalistic. Weight is a big concern for photographers taking their tripod in the field, so the apex and top joints are engineered to remove material without compromising rigidity. We studied carbon fiber weaves and construction to ensure the Centennial legs were optimized for strength and weight.