Tips on shopping for a tripod for Christmas. By Peter Gold
Camera supports come in many sizes and shapes for all occasions. There are monopods (one leg), tripods (three legs), sand bags, car window clamps, and chest brackets. I’m sure I must have missed out a few contraptions that have been developed to stabilize the camera while taking photographs.
Let’s go over your options.When you’re taking photographs in low light levels and you have to hand hold your camera at slow shutter speeds, quite often you can’t hold the camera completely still during the long exposure, even with the latest image stabilization offered in lenses and/or cameras. The resulting image tends to be slightly blurred. A solid tripod is the very best in image stabilization offered today.
Monopods basically are single legs that are adjustable for height. It has a screw at the top that attaches to the bottom of the camera. Obviously it won’t stand up by itself. The principle use of the monopod is to support the weight of the camera while you hold and position the camera. The advantage of the monopod is it’s very portable. It is available in aluminum, steel or a carbon fiber material which is lighter but more expensive. Adjustable heads are available for the monopod to allow you to tilt the camera while still keeping the monopod vertical for maximum support.
Tripods come in many sizes, materials and qualities. It is very important to select the right tripod since it is very common that you might leave the camera sitting on the tripod without you nearby to catch it should it’s legs weaken and fall over.
Points to check when shopping for a reliable tripod:
Extend the tripod to it’s maximum height. A good tripod should extend at least 5 feet before you raise the center column. How wide are the bottom leg sections? If they are the width of Chinese chopsticks, they won’t offer much support and vibrate in any wind conditions. If the tripod doesn’t feel solid when you push down from the top where the camera would sit, don’t buy it.
Do you have to flip a lever or turn a collar to release the leg sections? Collars work but do get tighter as weather conditions get colder. It’s much easier to release the legs in any temperature by flipping a lever. Make sure that the levers are solid metal and not plastic which could snap off over time and are usually not replaceable.
Some tripods come with adjustable heads which is where you would attach the camera. The best of this type allow you to tilt the camera front to back and ninety degrees to the side in case you want to shoot a vertical composition instead of a horizontal. If the head only rotates and tilts front to back, it’s a video camera head. Make sure the head is made of metal too, not plastic parts. The hand crank to raise and lower the camera that you find on some inexpensive tripods are totally useless and irritating. It just becomes something else that you want to attack with a hammer. If you had a camera heavy enough to need a crank to raise or lower it, you wouldn’t be using that cheap tripod, would you?
The majority of the better tripods are made of aluminum. They are light but strong. Manfrotto, Gitzo and Velbon are three very good brands to look for. These tripods come in both aluminum and carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is a much stronger, lighter and more expensive alternative to the aluminum models. With the airlines all being very strict with maximum luggage weights, the carbon fiber versions travel better. If you’re going on any backpacking adventures and want to take a tripod with you, again the carbon fiber wins. The three brands I mentioned above all offer a warranty and long term support. If a part is damaged, they have replacement parts.
As I said, tripods that include heads are usually inferior to those where you select the appropriate head for the type of photography and equipment you are using. Manfrotto, Gitzo and Velbon all have tripods with the ability to attach your head of choice. Heads come in a variety of sizes and styles depending on what type of equipment you plan on supporting. Some are ball heads which basically adjust to any angle by rotating around a metal ball. When the angle is right, you tighten up the knob to stop the movement. If you are planning to use the head for panoramas as well, make sure the head has two controls, one strictly for rotation only. Otherwise the ball head will not keep a consistent horizon line. Some ball heads are fine; many are too weak to hold the equipment firmly in place. The specification sheet that comes with the heads usually give a maximum weight it will safely support. If the ball slowly slips, it is possible to have the equipment on top to shift far enough to topple the whole tripod and fall over. Not good! The other type of head gives you separate adjustment levers for each of three planes. There is less problems with these although not as compact as ball heads.
Finally, check the bottom of the legs. Some have spikes to grip in soft ground. Some have rubber tips to be used on hard floors. The best ones have spikes with rubber collars so that you can use them in both surfaces. Just a small point but you don’t want to be scratching hardwood floors with your tripod.
Smaller alternatives to tripods are sandbags and GorillaPods. The “Pods” come in several sizes and are extremely light and effective. While they are only miniature tripod supports, they are very effective if you need to position your camera on a table or any uneven surface. What makes them unique are their legs which can wrap around a tree branch or fence post and hold on with the camera attached. Not expensive and great for traveling.
A good tripod makes a great gift. A good tripod will last a lifetime. It’s worth it’s weight in gold if it allows you to capture that once-in-a-lifetime shot that you couldn’t have captured hand-holding the camera.
Peter Gold MPA
The Camera Store
pgold@thecamerastore.com
