• Home
  • Archive
  • Tools
  • Contact Us

The Customize Windows

Technology Journal

  • Cloud Computing
  • Computer
  • Digital Photography
  • Windows 7
  • Archive
  • Cloud Computing
  • Virtualization
  • Computer and Internet
  • Digital Photography
  • Android
  • Sysadmin
  • Electronics
  • Big Data
  • Virtualization
  • Downloads
  • Web Development
  • Apple
  • Android
Advertisement
You are here: Home » How to Choose a Tripod ?

By Abhishek Ghosh July 22, 2013 8:29 am Updated on July 22, 2013

How to Choose a Tripod ?

Advertisement

How to Choose a Tripod ? Tens of thousands type of Tripod heads cam make your head spinning when you have to choose a tripod. Here is a guide to choose tripod. Basic articles like Tripod in Digital Photography, Is Tripod is Really Useful, Details of Tripod Head can additionally help you apart from this article on how to choose a Tripod.

 

How to Choose a Tripod : Introduction

 

The camera tripod is virtually an indispensable tool for any photographer. No camera kit would be complete in the absence of this essential product, which should not be defined only as an accessory. The stand, in fact is critical to many types of photography; among which there is landscape, architecture, macro, still life and photographic safari for wildlife and bird photography. It is also very useful in portrait and sports photography or in any case of action (although for the latter case we prefer the monopod), as well as for studio photography – such as for fashion photography or glamor photography. Therefore you should not skip at all to research and invest the money to buy a tripod, as you do for camera bodies or lenses.

 

How to Choose a Tripod : Typical Types and Construction

 

Before you think about how to choose a Tripod, you must know the basics to distinguish what are the issues to be considered for a tripod in photography, better to identify the main parts. The trestle is usually formed by : three legs of course often divided into sections as telescopic part, a base on which the legs converge and on which you can directly mount the head or the camera, a central bracket extension (which is supportive and sliding into the base) to increase the total height of the stand. Besides these parts,  the head should be considered, all are necessary complement of each other. In cheaper models, they are integrated but the best solutions lives in those in which the head can be separated from the tripod. So you can choose the right tripod head for your needs. For a conscious decision, you have to consider the features and details of all the Tripods and all its parts.

Advertisement

---

 

To choose a tripod, you should also focus on two requirements often in conflict : portability and usability. There is no doubt that a tripod is big, tall and heavy. The tripod is bulky and heavy, it is less convenient to carry and use in some specific fields. But the basic thing it offers is the stability.

 

Dimensions 

 

To adequately judge the size of the tripod see if they are suitable for your needs and you must evaluate them both when is opened and is closed. In the latter case of course, the shorter and therefore occupies less space is desirable. Let us say for portability 40-50cm (excluding the head) are in average, is the usual value for the tripods, more bigger can exceed this value, the more you will be uncomfortable to carry it around. The tripod should be suitable to bring the camera up to your eye level when you are standing, so it should be proportionate to your height.

We must remember that necessarily tripod head must be mounted (which may be from 10 to 30cm high, typically), if it is not integrated and the camera itself, which will add more to the total height about 10cm (even more in the case of SLR with battery grip, less with mirrorless). So it will be a good foresight to choose a Tripod that at maximum extension is about 20cm lower than your height.

A tripod, that is taller than you, might be still handy for shooting in certain conditions; for example, to overcome the embarrassment of an obstacle (using the live view) or holding the lens diagonally for very high frame. It is important to evaluate the maximum height of the stand is with the center column can be extended and with the center column down: with the same other parameters the tripod will be the perfect one that will reach the most comfortable height without removing the center column. Even the minimum height is very important to consider : often in some special shots you require to be close to the ground. Some genre are almost impossible to do without a tripod, such as macro photography. In these cases, you can choose to have an additional stand which is very small, especially for these occasions.

 

Weight

 

The weight is also important: a very heavy tripod is stable and suitable for long exposures, but it is also inconvenient and annoying to carry around on a few occasions, such as excursions into the mountains or in cases where there the need to move often. Even in this case, collision of usability and portability matters. Heavy tripods are those that exceed a pound and a half, reaching up to three pounds and beyond. The lightweight tripod instead fall below this value too much, sometimes even under two pounds.

 

Materials

 

The weight depends almost exclusively on the materials those are used to build the product: aluminum, magnesium and titanium have generous weight, excellent stability and immobility generated due to vibration. They are the most common materials (especially aluminum) and represent the widest range of the market. Their price, compared to other materials, it is quite cheap. The carbon fiber re-in forced materials is the material that instead ensures greater lightness, at the expense of a little stability (but with an excellent vibration damping). Unfortunately, the cost of this material are much higher than the previous common ones and obviously carbon fiber prove to be very expensive. In addition to aluminum and carbon, there are wooden Tripods (also of excellent quality, and at very high prices) and plastic (usually extremely unstable and suitable only to compact or mirrorless) tripods.

 

Stability

 

How-to-Choose-a-Tripod

Stability is a structural characteristic, as said is influenced by all of the previous features more or less in this way : the stability increases as the weight increases and vice versa, stability is higher in tripods which are less tall and less in the hight, stability is much greater in tripods with the center column not extended, while stability decreases greatly when the center column is extended to the maximum height. In addition to the size and weight, stability is also affected by some constructive aspects of the tripod, in particular: stability is greater when the number of sections are divided is less, stability can be increased when at the lower end of the central column allows to attach weights so as to better the balance the whole system, stability may increase even in the case in which the feet are designed to adapt to the land, for example by the steel spikes designed to be driven in the ground in certain occasions.

 

Construction and details

 

First, the sections of the legs of the tripod can be tightened from various systems : they can be closed clamp or made tight by a screw. The systems in the grip are faster and practical, but last less and may be less secure. The screw systems suffer a little less intensive use on the passage of time, but on the field may be a bit less immediate to use, especially in case of tightening screw of non-optimal quality. Furthermore it is not always easy to understand at a glance if the closures are tight or less, but must be re-checked every time, to prevent from falling all over the ground.

Secondly, some tipods do not have the center column, but allow you to screw the head or the camera directly on the base. It is an extremely stable, but unfortunately not very versatile if you are going to change the height of the frame often and / or faster. Then, a few tripods have the center column for shift lens through various systems. In this way the center column  will no longer only to vary the height, but also allow to place the camera in awkward positions and in creative way. You can find them to be very useful, for example, for macro photography or in all those situations in which you can not intervene on the position of the subject to be photographed. Finally, some tripods include a monopod, integrated in one of the legs or in the middle column. In this case, you just need unscrew / remove the monopod to have it available. It can be very handy if you often use the monopod and you do not want to bring one extra in addition to the already cumbersome tripod.

 

Abhishek-Ghosh Tagged With suitable materials for a tripod

This Article Has Been Shared 129 Times!

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Abhishek Ghosh

About Abhishek Ghosh

Abhishek Ghosh is a Businessman, Surgeon, Author and Blogger. You can keep touch with him on Twitter - @AbhishekCTRL.

Here’s what we’ve got for you which might like :

Articles Related to How to Choose a Tripod ?

  • Polarizing Filter in Digital Photography

    Polarizing Filter is a polarizer for light source to be entered through the Lens, is based on dichroism and split up light into beams of different wavelengths.

  • Post Processing in Adobe Photoshop for Digital Photography

    Post Processing in Adobe Photoshop for Digital Photography is a basic startup guide to show you step by step how we will edit an image taken by a mobile camera.

  • Photos Inspired by Nature

    Photos Inspired by Nature – Grassy plains to lush forests to arid deserts, nature is a matter of exceptional inspiration for photographers. Let us explore.

  • Flash Modes : Using the Built-in Flash on DSLR

    Flash Modes are another important point to learn DSLR Photography. Virtually all DSLR cameras are sold with a built in flash though the quality is unfortunate.

  • Zoom Lens : Design and Technical Details

    Zoom Lens contains the word zoom, means a quick motion indicating the capability of changing focal length. Technical know how of zoom lens is discussed in this article.

Additionally, performing a search on this website can help you. Also, we have YouTube Videos.

Take The Conversation Further ...

We'd love to know your thoughts on this article.
Meet the Author over on Twitter to join the conversation right now!

If you want to Advertise on our Article or want a Sponsored Article, you are invited to Contact us.

Contact Us

Subscribe To Our Free Newsletter

Get new posts by email:

Please Confirm the Subscription When Approval Email Will Arrive in Your Email Inbox as Second Step.

Search this website…

 

Popular Articles

Our Homepage is best place to find popular articles!

Here Are Some Good to Read Articles :

  • Cloud Computing Service Models
  • What is Cloud Computing?
  • Cloud Computing and Social Networks in Mobile Space
  • ARM Processor Architecture
  • What Camera Mode to Choose
  • Indispensable MySQL queries for custom fields in WordPress
  • Windows 7 Speech Recognition Scripting Related Tutorials

Social Networks

  • Pinterest (24.3K Followers)
  • Twitter (5.8k Followers)
  • Facebook (5.7k Followers)
  • LinkedIn (3.7k Followers)
  • YouTube (1.3k Followers)
  • GitHub (Repository)
  • GitHub (Gists)
Looking to publish sponsored article on our website?

Contact us

Recent Posts

  • What is an Automatic Ethanol Fireplace February 8, 2023
  • Disadvantages of Cloud-Native Computing February 7, 2023
  • Projector Screen Basics February 6, 2023
  • What is Configuration Management February 5, 2023
  • What is ChatGPT? February 3, 2023

About This Article

Cite this article as: Abhishek Ghosh, "How to Choose a Tripod ?," in The Customize Windows, July 22, 2013, February 8, 2023, https://thecustomizewindows.com/2013/07/how-to-choose-a-tripod/.

Source:The Customize Windows, JiMA.in

PC users can consult Corrine Chorney for Security.

Want to know more about us? Read Notability and Mentions & Our Setup.

Copyright © 2023 - The Customize Windows | dESIGNed by The Customize Windows

Copyright  · Privacy Policy  · Advertising Policy  · Terms of Service  · Refund Policy

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT