A Good Tripod
Makes Great Pictures Possible

A good Tripod will hold your camera as steady as a rock. It will allow you to Stop Down for a longer Depth of Field. You can use a telephoto lens without the worry of camera shake resulting in a blurred image.

It will also help a great deal with your Composition. Allowing you to carefully frame the shot for the Highest Visual Impact without the worry of accidentlly changing anything when you press the shutter release.

If you just hold your camera to your eye, everytime you change position or move, the light and your composition change. A tripod will remember your last thought! After you set up a shot, you can move around to get different perspectives, then go back and compare new ideas with your original composition.

There are many good units available today made from a variety of materials. Wood, aluminum and carbon-fiber are some of the most common. So how do You choose one that's right for your needs?

Professional Camera Supply Store

Here's where that relationship you cultivated at your Professional Camera Supply Store comes in really handy. By supplying them with information like the make and model of the camera and lenses you have? What type of photography are you interested in? Macro, outdoor, wildlife, birds, portrait, etc. Do you plan on purchasing a different camera? This will help them assist you in choosing a tripod and head that will meet your needs without emptying your wallet!

One thing to remember is most Professional Style tripods do not include the head, they consist of the legs and center column. Studio photographers usually use a geared center column for ease of making minor height adjustments. A non-geared column is quicker and easier to use. Try them both you see which works best for you.

So let's talk about legs. Wood is still very popular with Large Format landscape and studio photographers. It is very sturdy, does a great job at dampening vibration and looks great! Wood is also more comfortable to handle in extremely hot or cold weather.

The down side to a wood is it is very heavy and can cost Big Bucks. Probibly not the ideal choice for digital photography, especially if you are planning to move it great distances on your shoulder!

Since most of the weight of a tripod is in the legs, aluminum legs would be a good choice. Aluminum is lighter and less costly than wood. A High End aluminum model would prove to be an excellent choice providing good stability at a reasonable price.

But remember, your tripod has to be sturdy enough to support the weight of your camera and lens combinations. A Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III body and 600mm lens can weigh over 20 pounds!

Carbon-fiber is the New Hi Tech material. Carbon-fiber legs dampen vibration better than wood and are about 25-30% lighter than aluminum! They are used by most professional outdoor photographers for those reasons. But to every upside, there is a downside and the downside to carbon-fiber legs is they are very expensive! But if you do alot of Back Country Photography, the savings in weight may be worth the extra expense.

Leg locking mechanisms come in many varieties. Twist knobs are easy to use but can get caught on brush and other snags. Twist-lock collars are fast and easy to use. Quick levers are just that, Quick, but they can also pinch unsuspecting fingers! Try them all to see which ones you are most comfortable with.

Last, but not least, consider Working Height. You want one that allows you to shoot form as low or high as you require. Some photographers do not like to raise the center column for better stability, so choose a model that has longer legs. Whereas a photographer who does alot of low angle work may require one where the legs extend out parallel to the ground with a removeable center column.

What about a Monopod?

You've all seen Photographers using monopods at sporting events. Why don't they use tripods? The reason is really quite simple, self preservation! Monopods are alot easier to run with when 300 pound tight end is heading in their direction! And when covering sporting events, shutter and film speeds have to be realatively fast to Stop the action. This makes stability and camera vibration less of a problem.

Really, a monopod can be almost as steady as a tripod when used correctly. Place the monopod about 18 to 24 inches in front of your body. Spread your legs slightly more than shoulder distance apart. Now lean the Monopod back into your body. You have just created a tripod!

I always carry a monopod in our van. It comes in handy when photographing Wild Horses where you are always moving around. Depending on the type of photography you are interested, a monopod is a piece of equipment to consider adding to your inventory.

Let's not forget the Head!

My wife Stacy and I use Manfrotto Ball Heads, but there are many good heads on the market today. These heads are basically a ball and socket arrangement. The ball and socket attach to the center column and your camera attaches to the ball by means of a Quick Release Plate.

The ball is secured in position by a clamping mechanism usually controlled by a knob on the socket. Loosening the knob will allow you to tilt the camera any direction using only one hand! And the Quick Release Plate will allow you to remove your camera from the head very quickly should you need to.

Most heads come with a Panning feature. This allows you to rotate or Pan the camera a full 360 degrees. This comes in really handy when you are taking a series of shots to create a panoramic image.

Which ever styles you choose, your tripod and head remain two of the most important pieces of equipment you have. Take your time to learn how to use them correctly. The results will be great images You will be proud to share with your friends and family!

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