Aspen Statiefkop by Colorado Tripod Company

Aspen Statiefkop by Colorado Tripod Company is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award in Zilver in Camera- en Fotografie-apparatuur Ontwerp Competition Category.

ZilverFotografie-apparatuur· 2021

Aspen Statiefkop

by Colorado Tripod Company

Client: Colorado Tripod Company

A' Design Award in Zilver Winner in Fotografie-apparatuur Category

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The Design

About Aspen Statiefkop

Aspen is een statiefkop ontworpen om fotografische compositie te vereenvoudigen. Een open frame stelt een bevestigde camera in staat ruim voorbij 90 graden in beide richtingen te draaien, waardoor snel kan worden gewisseld tussen liggende en staande oriëntatie zonder omvangrijke L-beugels. De bal heeft een holle kern met gaten die het gewicht verminderen terwijl de sterkte behouden blijft. Een verstelbare hendelklem houdt een breed scala aan cameraplaten vast, een frictieregeling stelt de weerstand in, en een pan-vergrendeling maakt volledige rotatie mogelijk voor panoramafoto's. Aspen is gefreesd uit hard geanodiseerd aluminium.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Zilver

Aspen Statiefkop is winnaar van de A' Design Award in Zilver, een buitengewoon prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan topontwerpen die prachtig en indrukwekkend zijn. Winnaars in Zilver zijn enorm briljante en uiterst creatieve werken die de uitmuntende expertise, het talent en de scherpzinnigheid van hun ontwerpers illustreren. Aspen Statiefkop wordt verwacht een prachtig paradepaardje te zijn dat opmerkelijk professioneel en diepgaand innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in Zilver heeft gewonnen, is een hoogst opmerkelijke, bewonderde uitvinding die baat en de grenzen van kunst, wetenschap, ontwerp en technologie verlegt. Aspen Statiefkop is een zeer benijde creatie die verlangens oproept, positieve gevoelens brengt en verbazing en verwondering doet ontvlammen.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

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.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width: 134 mm x Depth: 55 mm x Height: 95 mm
Weight: 440 g
Ball Diameter: 48 mm
Load Capacity: 13.6 kg
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.
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 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.
Patents: Patent Pending. Application Number 29725750. David Graham Clark. 2020. USA
Team Members: Colorado Tripod Company