Tripod Stability Calculator
Enter your tripod's base spread and center-of-gravity height to estimate how far it can tilt before it tips, and how much a boom arm or off-center load costs you.
Stability estimate
The physics behind the number
A rigid object resting on the ground tips over once the vertical line through its center of gravity moves outside the footprint formed by its supports. For a tripod with its weight centered over the middle, the angle at which that happens is the arctangent of the base radius divided by the center-of-gravity height — a wider stance or a lower center of gravity both push that angle higher, meaning the tripod can tilt further before it tips.
A horizontal offset — from a boom arm, an off-center gimbal, or the legs sitting on a slope — shifts the center of gravity sideways before any tilting even happens, effectively shrinking the base radius available to resist tipping. Enough offset and the setup becomes unstable at rest, with no tilt required at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'critical tipping angle'?
It's the angle a tripod would need to be tilted before it tips over, assuming the center of gravity sits directly above the center of its footprint. It follows a standard base-of-support formula: the arctangent of the base radius divided by the center-of-gravity height. A wider stance or a lower center of gravity both increase this angle and make the tripod harder to tip.
What counts as 'base radius'?
The horizontal distance from the tripod's central axis out to one of its feet, with the legs spread to whatever angle you're actually using. Spreading the legs wider increases the base radius and improves stability, at the cost of a lower maximum height.
How does a horizontal offset affect things?
A boom arm, an off-center gimbal head, or shooting with the legs on a slope shifts the center of gravity sideways relative to the base. That offset is subtracted directly from the base radius before the tipping angle is calculated — enough offset and the effective radius hits zero, meaning the setup is already unstable before it's even tilted.
Why is my center-of-gravity height just an estimate?
The true combined center of gravity of a tripod, head, and camera depends on the weight distribution of every component, which isn't something most people measure directly. A reasonable estimate — roughly the height of the camera itself, perhaps adjusted for a heavy lens sitting further forward or up — is normally close enough for planning purposes.
Educational tool only. This is a simplified rigid-body physics estimate — real ground softness, leg-lock play, and gusting wind aren't modelled, so treat the result as a directional guide rather than a guarantee.