Aspen

Tripod Head for Colorado Tripod Company

The Aspen tripod head is designed to simplify compositional framing for photographers. The open construction creates a large range of motion which allows for quick adjustments in both landscape and portrait orientations. A hollow ball with holes provides weight savings while maintaining strength and rigidity and the lever clamp is secure, adjustable and intuitive. The matte black anodized aluminum finish gives the Aspen a streamlined, modern look that can withstand years of use.

Download Press Kit № 108315

Download Press Kit № 108315 Tripod Head for Colorado Tripod Company by Colorado Tripod Company to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.

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Aspen by Colorado Tripod Company

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Tripod Head by Colorado Tripod Company

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Colorado Tripod Company Aspen

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Colorado Tripod Company Tripod Head

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Aspen Tripod Head Press Releases

Discover our press releases for Aspen available in the following languages: English.

Aspen Tripod Head Media Articles

Explore our ready-to-use articles on Aspen, available in multiple languages: German, Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin), Dutch, Hindi, French, Turkish, Arabic (Standard) and Indonesian, for your feature stories.

Unique Properties

The Aspen tripod head provides photographers with a large range of motion to simplify photograph composition. An open frame design allows an attached camera to rotate well beyond 90 degrees in both directions for quick adjustments in both landscape or portrait orientations. The ball features a hollow core with holes to reduce weight while maintaining strength and the adjustable lever clamp offers a quick and secure attachment to a wide range of camera plates.

Tags

tripod head, ball head, camera support, tripod, photography accessory

Production Technology

The Aspen is constructed primarily from aluminum 6061 which is hard anodized for increased scratch and corrosion resistance. Stainless steel and bronze are also utilized for interacting threaded parts. All parts are CNC machined with either live-tooling lathes or 5-axis mills and the machining process was fine-tuned over many iterations to optimize tolerances and fit. The custom locking knob is constructed of an injected molded rubber to improve feel and ergonomics.

Design Challenge

In order to maximize range of motion, an open framed design was chosen for the Aspen. However, the construction proved difficult to ensure proper locking force and rigidity. The locking pads have much less surface area than traditional ball heads, so a number of pad shapes and materials were tested to optimize the locking mechanism. The surface finish of the anodized ball also proved to be a factor in the locking force. Additionally, the correct tolerances of the interacting parts was difficult, as a balance between tight fit and smooth movement was needed to achieve the end result.

Project Duration

The project started in 2018 and finished in early 2020 with all design, prototyping and manufacturing taking place in Denver, Colorado, USA. The product officially launched in July 2020.

Operation Flow

A camera is mounted on the adjustable lever clamp that is attached to the Aspen hollow ball. When adjustments are needed for compositional framing, the locking knob is released and the camera is rotated into position about the center axis of the ball and then re-locked. The friction control sets drag on the ball when moving freely for a customized experience. A panning lock can be tightened or loosened to create a secure lock or to rotate the ball head 360 degrees for panoramic photographs.

Research

A wide variety of competitor references were studied for load capacity, vibration dampening, material selection, weight and mechanical operation. Various test rigs were created to acquire data in addition to disassembly and reconstruction of parts. A weight gauge was created to measure the max load of ball heads at various locations of load relative to the center of the ball. A vibration dampening and rigidity test was created using gyroscope and accelerometer devices attached to the ball heads. Using the data, our design team gained insight into the mechanisms and features that create a high-strength, rigid, low-weight tripod head. Range of motion was also evaluated in all of the tripod heads reviewed to ensure the Aspen exceeded the limits of traditional ball heads.

Inspiration

The Aspen design is centered around increasing range of motion to simplify the process of compositional framing for photographers who need to align their cameras quickly. The open frame construction eliminates the need to adjust the tripod legs to level the camera and makes bulky L-brackets unnecessary for switching from landscape to portrait orientations.

Project Overview

Aspen Tripod Head has been a Silver winner in the Camera and Photography Equipment Design award category in the year 2020 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.

Image Credits

For design images and photos please credit Colorado Tripod Company.

Silver Recognition

Colorado Tripod Company was recognized with the coveted Silver A' Design Award in 2021, a testament to excellence of their work Aspen Tripod Head.

Colorado Tripod Company Press Releases

Discover Colorado Tripod Company's journey through our press releases, available for all press members and journalists to use without restrictions. For immediate journalistic use: 2 press releases are available right now.

Colorado Tripod Company Introduces Innovative Aspen Tripod Head

Colorado Tripod Company unveils the Aspen tripod head, designed to simplify compositional framing for photographers with its large range of motion, eliminating the need for bulky L-brackets and providing quick adjustments in both landscape and portrait orientations.

Colorado Tripod Company Newsroom

Explore Colorado Tripod Company Newsroom to uncover award-winning design projects and more.