I own quite a few tripods and monopods. Monopods are Manfrotto and used for sports and some casual wildlife shots in good light. I have a large Gitzo which is a bear to carry but it is on every serious trip to shoot wildlife. I have a smaller Gitzo which I do not use much but my wife does for night shots and for her night photos of the milky way. We have two lightweight travel tripods with a detachable monopod, both MeFoto which are okay if not pushed to their limit of weight holding. These go with us on foreign travel in our checked luggage. We kind of use each different support system according to the situation.
-
Cameraderie, a friendly photography forum, join now for free!
How important is a tripod for you?
- Thread starter L0n3Gr3yW0lf
- Start date
-
- Tags
- tripod
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
- Name
- Chris
I'll have to admit I'm like many others. I've got 3 regular tripods and 2 Minolta table top tripods.
And I couldn't tell you the last time I used any of them....
And I couldn't tell you the last time I used any of them....
- Location
- Seattle
- Name
- Andrew
Do folks get much use out of smaller tripods? I was looking at a SmallRig model a little while ago which looks like it packs up small, but when I viewed the product photos, the fully extended legs only bring it up to your waist. The middle post does raise it up to eye level when fully extended, but I wonder about the stability when almost half of the support is made up of a single post rising up out of the tripod legs. I have no experience with these types of tripods, though I can see the compact ones like this are gaining popularity.
Our MeFoto tripods collapse down to a very small size. They reach almost eye level with a little extension of the center section. I am 6' even. I would never think of using these small tripods for a full-frame camera with long lens but they worked okay with the Olympus with 40-150mm 2.8. I would not use them in windy conditions nor would I use them when I wanted to have really firm support for wildlife like moose, elk, etc. My wife does astrophotography and she will not use the small ones when doing this type of photography. Another thing is a sturdy ball head. My large Gitzo has an Arca Swiss Ball head which is very heavy and locks tight. Wife uses an Acratech ball head which is also very secure.
AlwaysOnAuto
All-Pro
I forgot, I actually have three tripods. The two Sliks and an REI Ultrapod, which is a small tabletop like pod that is versatile in that you can strap it to posts or branches or whatever is around, as long as it's not too big in diameter.
I removed the 'stock' angle head from one of the Sliks and installed my pistol grip ball head to it. This setup comes in handy when shooting my wife's quilts.
I admit, I don't have a lot of money tied up in any of this stuff, but when you need one you need one.
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
I admit, I don't have a lot of money tied up in any of this stuff, but when you need one you need one.
- Location
- Marlow, UK
A three-legged friend, a three-legged friend
He'll never let you down ...
-R
He'll never let you down ...
-R
The best way to decide if IBIS alone is enough is to find a scene that represents what you like to photograph, then take several photos with and without a tripod (borrow/rent one if you do not own one). I did this a few years ago for landscapes. For smaller images it is not a huge difference, but for larger images with fine details or heavy crops, I can definitely see a difference when I examine the image. Even in the best of circumstances, there is a discernible difference for me, my camera, and my age. This might not be the case for you particularly if you are younger (which is likely). But it won't be all that noticeable for common image sizes on social media platforms in most cases, depending partly on subject.
- Location
- Beaumaris, Melbourne, Australia
- Name
- John ...
Apart from the person, IBIS varies greatly in its effectiveness, from nearly useless in my E-PM2 to fantastic in my E-M1 MkII.
archaeopteryx
Regular
I do, since I do more μ43 with the (discontinued) Gitzo GT0531 I have than without it. Took the center column out not long after I got it and haven't ever put it back in. Wouldn't want anything shorter, really. With a 25 mm ballhead it's about 900 g, which I find nice to work with. Overall, I've found it an excellent compromise for general nature photography.
There are times when a 1 or 2 series would be nice but I don't miss the 3 series I used with 4x5 and film era ultrateles.
The Electric Squirrel
Top Veteran
- Location
- Finland
IBIS will never do what a tripod does for me. Shooting landscape the thing that a tripod does is give you the ability to first lock your composition in place, then fine tune it with great care and finally dial in all the necessary settings. It's hard to handhold a composition steady for minutes, at least for me it is. The tripod keeps things fixed while I try assessing the composition, and when I have to stop to wait for light.
Since a picture lies more than a thousand politicians, here's a shot of the spikes on my 2-yo Genesis BASE C5 carbon fiber tripod. It's seen a couple of riverbeds..:
Yes, I use a tripod sometimes...
Since a picture lies more than a thousand politicians, here's a shot of the spikes on my 2-yo Genesis BASE C5 carbon fiber tripod. It's seen a couple of riverbeds..:
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Yes, I use a tripod sometimes...
mnhoj
gee aahrr
- Location
- Los Angeles
- Name
- John
I have a few aluminum flimsy travel tripods. They get the job done and carry is easy.
Hesitantly, I picked up a Leofoto LS-324C with LH-40 ballhead. I really don't like spending a lot on a minimal use item but a recent sale on a sale pushed me over the edge.
Very happy with it. Carry isn't bad at all. Build is excellent. I've used it more in a month than I've used one in year.
Hesitantly, I picked up a Leofoto LS-324C with LH-40 ballhead. I really don't like spending a lot on a minimal use item but a recent sale on a sale pushed me over the edge.
Very happy with it. Carry isn't bad at all. Build is excellent. I've used it more in a month than I've used one in year.
- Location
- Massachusetts, USA
For me a tripod is just as important as having a couple of lenses. Just like any individual lens, I don't use one on every shot. But when it's needed, well...
a tripod is one of the best learning tools I have. When I'm trying something new I usually take multiple shots. The tripod keeps the camera in the same position throughout. I use lights a lot. There can be multiple test shots. It's not unusual for me to be the model in a photo.
I may set up a shot with the camera on a tripod then take it off for more freedom of movement. A quick release is important to me. There's lots of inexpensive Arca-Swiss compatible parts out there. It's pretty much a standard now. I try to avoid proprietary systems.
Sometimes I want to see the movement of my subject but not the background. Long shutter speed and a tripod. Stabilization won't do that for me. Even with my Olympus EM1 I've never been able to handhold the 1/2 sec. and 1 sec. exposures that others have been able to do.
I have an old steel Smith-Victor monstrosity that I got in the early eighties. I use it occasionally but it never leaves the house these days. The one that sees the most use is an older Benro fitted with a good ball head. Both bought second hand. I think it's one of their carbon fiber Travel Angel series. The ball head has a separate friction control knob so when I loosen the main knob the camera doesn't just fall. That's really important to me. I had a smaller, less expensive ball head when I was still using u4/3 all time but had to get something better for the bigger camera I'm using now.
a tripod is one of the best learning tools I have. When I'm trying something new I usually take multiple shots. The tripod keeps the camera in the same position throughout. I use lights a lot. There can be multiple test shots. It's not unusual for me to be the model in a photo.
I may set up a shot with the camera on a tripod then take it off for more freedom of movement. A quick release is important to me. There's lots of inexpensive Arca-Swiss compatible parts out there. It's pretty much a standard now. I try to avoid proprietary systems.
Sometimes I want to see the movement of my subject but not the background. Long shutter speed and a tripod. Stabilization won't do that for me. Even with my Olympus EM1 I've never been able to handhold the 1/2 sec. and 1 sec. exposures that others have been able to do.
I have an old steel Smith-Victor monstrosity that I got in the early eighties. I use it occasionally but it never leaves the house these days. The one that sees the most use is an older Benro fitted with a good ball head. Both bought second hand. I think it's one of their carbon fiber Travel Angel series. The ball head has a separate friction control knob so when I loosen the main knob the camera doesn't just fall. That's really important to me. I had a smaller, less expensive ball head when I was still using u4/3 all time but had to get something better for the bigger camera I'm using now.
Last edited:
- Location
- Massachusetts, USA
One more thing. I used to have a tabletop tripod but I can't find it so I'm shopping for one now because they're so useful.
Irene McC
Legend
- Location
- CPT, South Africa
Check out the Smallrig brand
I own a tripod, but I don't use it often at all. Mostly just for digitizing film.
Most of my subjects run around a lot, as do I, which is not particularly compatible with a tripod. I guess half the time I use my camera as an excuse for going outside anyway.
On a trip last year I went to Ireland with a friend who was greatly into long exposures. He would perch next to his tripod for literal hours, while I only used mine when the light got too low for unstabilized shooting. I hated the experience, to be honest, and much preferred to stay nimble and reactive. But to each their own.
Most of my subjects run around a lot, as do I, which is not particularly compatible with a tripod. I guess half the time I use my camera as an excuse for going outside anyway.
On a trip last year I went to Ireland with a friend who was greatly into long exposures. He would perch next to his tripod for literal hours, while I only used mine when the light got too low for unstabilized shooting. I hated the experience, to be honest, and much preferred to stay nimble and reactive. But to each their own.
I'll only carry a tripod if I have a particular shot in mind where I KNOW I'll need one (ie: any shot where I'll be doing a 1 sec or longer exposure). Otherwise, when travelling, I'll just bring an Ultrapod II since it's light and small yet can handle my typical travel camera + lens combos. For a while I tried to do the same with a Manfrotto super clamp but it was just too heavy to be worth carrying.
- Location
- Massachusetts, USA
Smallrig has one whose legs I like but not the ball head. Those legs show up on a lot of Chinese made brands. An outfit called Manbily has it legs only so I'll probably go with those. And when I get tired of swapping back and forth buy a dedicated ball head. The big question is will it stand up with a Fuji GFX body and 120mm lens on it.
Mark Thornton
New Member
- Location
- Hertford, UK
I mostly use a tripod when I want to include myself in the picture (deliberately).
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK.
- Name
- Charles
When a similar question was asked elsewhere, SIRUI was recommended by several people. I have no personal experience though!
If I bring a tripod on a travel trip, it's a SIRUI carbon fiber travel tripod. Very compact & lightweight and just strong enough and tall enough for my needs.
