Tripod Selection

You have decided on a camera and lenses. The third essential to enjoying your photography hobby is a tripod. A tripod allows you to create images that can not be made otherwise. For some moving subject photography, such as wildlife and sports photography, a monopod might also be useful. It is possible to specialize in just about any genre without using a tripod. I have seen it done! In fact, I often go out without a tripod for specific reasons. But, a tripod increases your options in so many ways.

A tripod keeps your camera in a fixed position, allowing you to take long exposures to achieve special effects where only the moving areas (water, boats, people, etc) are blurred. It allows you to take exposures in dim light without shooting at a high ISO, thus decreasing noise and improving sharpness of an image. It allows you to blend images that are taken over time, such as the night sky or for a short video of a flower opening. With a tripod you can put yourself in your photos with a remote or timed shutter release. And often overlooked, it will maximize the sharpness of many shots that could be termed acceptable when hand held. Most tripods will also allow you to pan smoothly. This is great for creating panoramas or tracking birds in flight keeping the subject in focus while blurring the background.

This article will not tell you what tripod to buy, but it will cover features that are important considerations, especially as they relate to Photoboomers.

There are two main parts to a tripod. These are the tubular legs and the head and are commonly sold separately on higher end tripods. Heads come in various configurations for various purposes and allow for the smooth movement of your camera to a new fixed position.

Size and Height

For most photography it is helpful to have a tripod that extends at least to your eye height while standing. So a photographer over six feet tall might have a taller tripod than would a five foot tall photographer. Some tripods come with a center extension tube, allowing them to be raised an additional 6-10 inches. While this would justify buying a shorter tripod, center extension tubes tend to be less stable. They are also quite inconvenient when you need your camera close to the ground. If your camera has an articulating viewing screen, you can go with a tripod that extends taller than your viewing height if you are willing to carry the extra weight.

Tripods come in tubular sections (usually 3 to 5) that extend. The fewer sections you have, the more stable the tripod will be. It also means you will have fewer adjustments and less work for arthritic or soft hands when switching your tripod from one height to another (a good thing). The biggest benefit of more sections is that the tripod can compact into a shorter length when not in use. If you travel by air this can be an important feature. Before shopping, measure the length of the bag you would pack your tripod in to make sure the tripod will fit. It may be possible to remove the head of the tripod prior to travel, allowing you to take a pack your larger tripod.

Whatever height you select, you will almost always find situations where the tripod does not go high enough. There will be bushes in the way, other photographers’ heads may be in the way, or the water will be too deep. Find the best compromise that your are willing to accept and carry!

Weight

A tripod is likely to be your heaviest piece of gear. If you are still able bodied, you want to make a wise choice without scrimping. The leg tubes of tripods are made of aluminum, carbon fiber or titanium. I will not cover titanium tripods here, as they are limited in availability. For portability, carbon fiber weighs less than aluminum. It is stiffer than aluminum and conducts less cold and heat. Carbon fiber costs more. If weight is your primary criteria or your main goal is to stand in the middle of a lightning storm, then do what you can to afford a carbon fiber tripod.

Heads

You have several choices of head design. These are pan and tilt, fluid, ball and gimbal.

A pan and tilt head has two lever handles that allow you move your camera in lateral and vertical directions. It also will have a separate rotational axis, usually locked down with a knurled knob. If the handles are long, packing and transporting the tripod may be difficult. They may come with an attachment that fits to the bottom of your camera and is used to lock your camera into the head with a lever or knurled knob. A pan and tilt head becomes more frustrating if you are on uneven surfaces or spreading the tripod legs to get a lower camera position.

A fluid head is similar to a pan and tilt head but utilizes one stick to maneuver the tripod head and lock it into position. This type of head is primarily useful for video production, but you will often find them with other tripods in the camera store. Be aware of what it is for before buying.

A ball head allows multi-directional movement from the rotating ball within the head. Almost all will come with an Arca-Swiss receptor. They will also have slots that allow you to rotate your camera 90 degrees to a portrait position. Tightening is either with a round knurled knob or a smooth flattened knob. These heads are usually more costly than pan and tilt heads.

A gimbal head allows the weight of the camera and lens to be balanced over the center of the tripod. This is especially important if you are shooting with a huge lens. It allows fluid movements that might be necessary to track and photograph moving objects such as wildlife, planes, and such. A gimbal head can also be useful for shooting a panorama sequence. For these uses, the gimbal head is usually not locked down, but if you need a lock down feature, be sure that is available. Because of its shape, this head may need to be detached for air travel.

Attaching your Camera to the Head

Cameras come with a female thread on their bottom plate. Tripods will come with the male that screws into this insert. This can be quite a nuisance to screw and unscrew each time you move your location. And you need to be sure to have strong fingers or carry a quarter with you all the time to perform this action. The better replacement for this is an attachment built into the tripod head called an Arca-Swiss attachment. A plate that fits semi-permanently onto the bottom of your camera fits into this attachment. When the plate on the camera is placed into the Arca attachment, it is then tightened with a knurled knob or a locking lever clamp. I find the clamp to be more user friendly, but you should try both systems at a dealer.

The Arca plates come in two basic forms. A simple plate can fit on the bottom of your camera. To change your composition from a landscape (horizontal) to a portrait (vertical) format, you will need to turn the ball head or plate of the tripod to a vertical position. You are limited to a 90 degree change in positions with this setup. To accommodate additional positions and easier switching of positions, an L-bracket may be fitted to your camera. Instead of adjusting the tripod head to allow the portrait composition, the camera is unclipped from the tripod and clipped back on using the shorter section of the bracket. Then the head can be further adjusted to keep your horizon level.

Whether you select a flat bottom bracket, or an L-bracket, you should purchase one made for your specific camera model to minimize loosening of the bracket. Some L-brackets also come with an enlarged area that wraps to the front of the camera, facilitating hand holding of the camera. If you have purchased a camera that feels too small for your hand, this feature may be useful. Like tripods, there is considerable increase in price for an increase in the precision of manufacturing for brackets. L-brackets also cost considerably more than a straight bottom bracket.

Leg Height Adjustments

There are two basic leg height adjustment systems, knurled knobs or latches. You should test out both of these systems before buying. The knurled knob system that I use does require some hand strength to adequately tighten and loosen the legs for height adjustments. If you are constantly adjusting your tripod over a few hours and your hands get sore easily, you may find this challenging. Some tripods require a much greater range of turning the knurled knobs to lock the legs in position. Look for a tripod that locks the legs in place easily. When testing your ability to use this type of system, make an adjustment then put some weight on the tripod to see if it slips. Latch systems are less commonly available and still require some strength in your hands. You should be able to adjust the tightness of the latches, as their ability to lock the leg position will diminish with use.

Leg Spread Adjustments

The most often overlooked feature on tripods is how they adjust to spread the legs wider for more stability, difficult positioning around uneven terrain and to get really low. These adjustments are done frequently in landscape photography and macro photography. Manufacturers use various configurations to allow the legs to be spread wider and then lock into those locations. Some of these can do a great job of pinching fingers. Try all of these actions prior to purchasing your a tripod.

Hex Wrenches

Tripods legs loosen with time as do the brackets that fit on your camera. Be sure to carry all the necessary hex wrenches for tightening these attachments in the field.

Load Capacity

You will see this listed in specifications. Except with very heavy lenses or small, inexpensive tripods, it is usually not an issue. While mentioning this feature, most tripods come with a hook on the under side of the head (or on the bottom of a center extension tube) that can be used to stabilize a tripod in windy conditions, turbulent water or on soft ground. For these situations, a rock-filled mesh bag can be attached to provide stabilization.

Other Pods

Gorilla Pods by Joby are small tripods with flexible legs that can be wrapped around convenient objects. Because of their size, they travel easily and may come in handy when you just can’t take that big tripod on a trip. The height you photograph from is dependent upon your ability to find a tree limb, railing or other nearby small object to wrap the legs around. They can also be used like a regular tripod on the ground, a table top or other surface. There are a number of other knockoffs available, but Gorilla Pods have established the mark for quality. These small tripods come in a variety of sizes and strengths. They also may allow the attachment of brackets and small heads allowing you to position your camera more ideally. Some come with the ability to place a smart phone holder, especially useful if you intend to record video. Be sure to test the ability to securely support your camera and lens weight before purchasing. My advice is to buy one capable of supporting double your camera and lens weight and also buy any necessary heads and brackets you might want.

A monopod has a single expandable leg. The primary uses for a monopod are for sports and wildlife photography with a weighty lens or for videography. Essential features are stiffness and the ability to raise to eye height when standing. Since you will be holding the monopod constantly, be sure there is a non-conductive surface on the largest (outside) section to maximize your comfort during cold weather.

Now to Make a Choice

A good tripod can last a decade or more with heavy use, but if you aren’t sure, go ahead and start with something more minimal. If you plan on hiking many miles with your tripod, go with something light and sacrifice height. If you are going to be around home or in the studio, go with sturdy and tall. If you are into landscapes and macrophotography, be sure you can get close to the ground without a center column.

The quality of tripod often identifies your experience and skill level to other photographers around you. As you progress in these areas, you will not want advance beyond an entry level tripod. But you do not have to have the most expensive tripod to make impressive images or deserve a front position at Mesa Arch. Above all, keep yourself out there and shooting. Don’t let your tripod’s weight slow you down!

Most beginning photographers will have cost as their major consideration in their tripod purchase. In general, lower end tripods cost in the $100-300 range. Higher end tripods will cost in the $500-$1500 range. Buy what you can afford and what fits into your travel needs and photography genre. Do not be afraid to shop for a used tripod from an experienced photographer if that means you can move up in quality. Some favorite brands are Really Right Stuff (high end only), Fotopro, Colorado, and Gitzo, Feisol, Sirui and 3-Legged Thing, but there are many other manufacturers to consider.

Tripod Selection

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