Importance About Camera Tripods

A Camera tripod is used to stabilize and rise up the camera or to support flashes and other photographic equipment. More expensive tripods are sturdier, stronger, and usually come with no integrated head. There are several heads available for the camera tripods according to the needs of the photographer. There are expensive carbon fiber tripods, used for applications where the Camera tripod needs to be lightweight.

There are some less expensive tripods which also contains leveling indicators for the head as well as legs of the tripods. Tripods are used for both still and motion photography. These tripods are very useful for taking slow speed photography or video or while using the telephoto lenses for the camera movement and if the shutter is open, then it will produce blurred image.

In the same vein they reduce shaking of camera and thus are instrumental in achieving maximum sharpness. In order to receive the highest stability, the most photographic tripods are provided with a center post along with the telescoping section at the top which can be easily raised higher and lowered as well as the collapsible telescoping legs. At the top of the Camera tripod is the head, which includes the camera mount several joints to allow the camera to pan and tilt.

 The lowest price tripods costing less than US$100 are usually made up of aluminum tubing and are mainly used for the consumer’s still and video cameras. This type of tripods is provided an attached head as well as rubber feet. The head is very basic and often not entirely suitable for smooth panning of a camcorder Small tabletop Camera tripods are also available ranging from relatively flimsy models.

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Camera Tripods

In photography a Camera tripod is used to stabilize and elevate a camera or to support flashes or other photographic equipment .More expensive tripods are sturdier, stronger, and usually come with no integrated head. The separate heads allow a Camera tripod-head combination to be customized to the photographer's needs. There are expensive carbon fiber tripods, used for applications where the

Camera tripod needs to be lightweight. Many are even some relatively inexpensive ones also include leveling indicators for the legs of the tripod and the head. Tripods are used for both still and motion photography. They are necessary when slow-speed exposures are being made or when telephoto lenses are used as any camera movement while the shutter is open will produce a blurred image.

In the same vein they reduce camera shake and thus are instrumental in achieving maximum sharpness. For maximum strength and stability and most photographic tripods are braced around a center post, with collapsible telescoping legs and a telescoping section at the top that can be raised or lowered.

At the top of the Camera tripod is the head, which includes the camera mount several joints to allow the camera to pan and tilt. The least expensive, generally made of aluminum tubing and costing less than US$100 is used primarily for consumer still and video cameras; these generally come with an attached head and rubber feet. The head is very basic and often not entirely suitable for smooth panning of a camcorder Small tabletop Camera tripods are also available ranging from relatively flimsy models.

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Tripods - How To Avoid Blurry Photos

All of us had the experience of shooting photos just to find out they look blurry or too soft. In almost all cases the reason for that is camera movement. When the camera moves while the shutter is open the result is a soft or blurry photo. Usually camera movements are small and for that reason in high shutter speeds the camera does not have an opportunity to move enough. However in some scenarios such as slow shutter speeds or high zoom values even the tiniest movement will result in a blurry photo.

 Most photos are taken when the camera is held in your hand. The hand is an unstable platform and tends to move quite a bit. Moreover new digital cameras are smaller and lighter than ever before and are much harder to keep stable. Another cause for camera movement is aggressively pushing the shutter button which in return moves the camera. It is always better to squeeze the shutter button very slowly to prevent the camera from moving.

Choosing the right camera for weight, grip and shutter button sensitivity is a recommended way to minimize camera movements in the future. As a general rule photos that are taken with slow shutter speeds or high zoom values should be taken using a more stable platform than your hand. A stable platform can be anything that is stable: a table, a shelf, a chair or a newsstand in the street. However the platform that is considered the most stable and professional is the tripod.

 There are many types of tripods and they vary in size, weight, price and other features. The most important criteria when choosing a tripod is to pick one that will be easy to use. For example if you are traveling consider a tripod that is easy to carry and lightweight otherwise you will end up leaving the tripod in the hotel room while missing great photo opportunities. On the other hand if you take photos in a studio consider a heavier professional tripod.

 Another important feature to consider is the tripod's height. Many tripods can be locked at any height up to a maximum. Ideally you would want a tripod that extends to your height allowing photos to be taken from the same angle as your eyes as if they were taken by hand. Many portable tripods extend to a waist height or less. In these situations the tripod will be put on a raised platform or the photos can be taken from a low angle.

 In cases where a tripod is not available but a stable platform is needed you can improvise by using many other available platforms around you. For example you can place the camera on a table when taking a photo or if you're outdoors you can use a newsstand, a tree to lean on, a fence or anything else that is stable enough.

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Tripods - When Do You Need One? (How to Make Sure Your Photographs Are Sharp)

With very rare exceptions, the main subject of your photograph must be sharp - not necessarily the whole picture, but certainly the subject. Even if you want the subject blurred, to give a sense of movement, then the background must be sharp. And you'll get the sharpest photographs by using a tripod.

There are three ways your photo can be unsharp: either the focus is wrong, the camera moved, or the subject moved. Here's how to tell the difference:


If something in front or behind the subject is nice and sharp, then the problem is poor focus. For example, your baby is blurred, but the carpet underneath is sharp.
If the background is sharp, but the subject is blurred, then the subject moved. Sometimes you can do this on purpose to give a sense of movement, but that's outside the scope of this article.

If everything is unsharp, then it's camera shake. Serious camera shake will leave everything streaked in the direction you moved the camera, usually vertically.

This article deals with how to avoid camera shake.

Most of the time, you can simply hold the camera in your hand. Obviously, this is much quicker, and gives you time to grab a shot of that yeti before it disappears.

The great disadvantage of tripods is that they slow you down. Perhaps the clouds move while you're setting it up, or the sun sets, or people waiting for you have time to get bored.

The great advantage of tripods is that they slow you down. You have time to see the coke can in the foreground, and move it, before you take the shot.

So when should you use a tripod?


The longer the focal length of the lens, and the longer the exposure, the more time the camera has to wobble. You will need a tripod if the shutter speed is longer than the reciprocal of the focal length (e.g., 1/60th for a 50mm lens, or 1/500th for a 500mm lens).

The bigger the enlargement, the more obvious any camera shake becomes. If you're hoping to make a 24" x 16" enlargement, you need a tripod.

If you're hoping to sell your photos for stock photography, you need a tripod.
Macro subjects -- anything over 1/4th life size -- always need a tripod because you're so close to your subject.

Negatives bigger than 35mm are wasted unless you use a tripod. Besides, plate cameras are too heavy to comfortably hold by hand.

Choosing a tripod

Different tripods suit different situations.


Flimsy tripods are a waste of money. It's not a bargain if you never use it.
Heavy tripods are fine in a studio, but not for hiking up a mountain.
Some tripods have a hook and the bottom of the center column so you can hang a weight there for greater stability. This is great for taking landscape photos in a gale, but you rarely get gales in a studio.

Some tripods open up considerably taller than others. Check the height with and without the center column raised. (And check the stability of the center column, too.)

Some are easier to adjust than others.
And of course prices vary widely. But bear in mind that a tripod might well last you 25 years.

Alternatives to tripods


Monopods (Also called a unipod) These are easier to carry around, and faster to point, but less effective. They're popular with sports photographers, who tend to use long lenses but obviously can't spend five minutes setting up each shot.
Table tripods These are small (about 6" high) and therefore extremely portable. They're not much use for landscapes unless you can find something to stand them on, like a rock or wall. (I once used the speakers at a rock concert. Don't. Speakers vibrate!)

Clamps These are also small and portable, but you need to find something to clamp them to. I have a combined table tripod and clamp, and over the years it's proved very useful.

Beanbags You can buy photographic beanbags, or make your own from anything that isn't so full that it's rigid. For example, you can use an old sock half-filled with rice. You can also take an empty sock on a hike and fill it with sand or gravel before use. That way you don't have to carry the filling around. I use a bag of peanuts. One of these days I'll be stranded on the side of a mountain in the mist, and I'll be very glad of those peanuts.

(Kendal Mint Cake doesn't make a good lens support.) The big disadvantage is that you need something to put the bean bag on. Sometimes there's a nice convenient wall, just the right place and height -- just not very often. Sometimes you can park your car and use the roof - sometimes. Failing that, there might be a lamppost that you can push the camera against.

The car window If you haven't got the right kit, or you haven't got time, wind the car window down to the height you require and rest the lens on that. It's not nearly as good as a tripod or beanbag, but it's better than holding the camera by hand. Just remember to turn the car engine off and ask any passengers to sit still.

If you haven't got a tripod

This is definitely second best, but it's inevitable that you'll get caught without a tripod at least occasionally.


Use as fast a shutter speed and as wide a lens as possible.If possible, get into position to use yourself as a tripod, for example with your back and feet against rocks and your elbows on your thighs. Warning: bystanders may snigger. If this isn't possible, plant your legs a little apart, like a sailor, and tuck your elbows into your ribs.

Hold the camera to your eye and compose the picture. Take a deep breath and then breathe out. Squeeze the camera top and bottom to release the shutter. If you just press from the top, the camera will move down a millimeter or so.

These tips should enable you to take consistently sharper photos.

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How to Shop For a Light Weight Tripod

The best way to make sure your camera does not move and you get exceptionally sharp and crisp pictures is to use a tripod. This is true for taking pictures at anytime of the day or night because having a tripod provides a method whereby your camera is held perfectly still and steady with no human hand to switch the camera or move it only slightly.

Shopping for and purchasing a light weight tripod will take some research and study to make sure you have the best fit for your camera and your work. There are many brands of tripods and they can be made of different materials from plastic to aluminum to high-end carbon fiber.

Some are of better quality than others, so be sure you know what your are looking for in a tripod and ask enough questions to prevent a choice which may not suit your needs, work or aptitude. Among the more prominent brands are Canon, Nikon, Bogen Manfrotto, Joby, Velbon, Gorillapod, Davis. and Sanford. Prices for tripods will vary with the accessories included.

When shopping for your tripod consider the following points:. The tripod should be able to hold the weight of your camera gear thus preventing camera "droop," which happens when your camera drops after you've set up for the shot.

Choose a tripod that is strong enough to support your present camera and a future camera kit or a heavy zoom lens you might buy in the future. Be sure the minimum and maximum extended heights on the tripod you choose can allow you to get close enough to the subjects you are photographing. Macro nature photography, for example, might require a tripod that can be lowered quite close to the ground.

If you are planning to shoot photos outside make sure that the tripod's weight is heavy enough to withstand windy conditions. Some tripods come with a hook where your handbag or camera bag can be hung to decrease the possibility of your tripod and costly camera being blown over.

Confirm that your tripod will allow you to quickly adjust it for different poses or subjects. Some tripods come with a geared center column while others may have a center column that can easily be shortened and adjusted. Also be sure the tripod is not too heavy for you to carry comfortably and for this you might consider a carbon filter tripod.

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