Buying a Tripod Update

In 2018, I blogged about taking Sharper Photos and buying a tripod. It seems that most of my students are asking questions about purchasing a tripod. A few weeks ago, a student said, “You know you should blog about tripods with a buyers checklist”. So, I’m updating the blog post on tripods.

First, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a usable sturdy tripod. I am not recommending spending (<$50) , but at that cost, you will get a tripod that will stabilize your camera. However, low-cost tripods are made with many plastic components and don’t have long-term durability. The more you spend will result in stronger construction with greater precision, i.e. a larger range of set-up choices. If lighter weight is a consideration you can get one made of carbon fiber.

Tripods can be purchased with and without a tripod head. My recommendation is to purchase your first tripod with a head. There are two good choices of heads: a ball head or a pan-tilt (see images below).

For beginning photographers, either works well. The ball head is quicker to set up than a pan-tilt. I do prefer the pan-tilt. I like to take panorama photos, which allows me to easily swivel the camera while maintaining a fixed height. Tripods with ball heads offer the same feature, but you need to ensure that you purchase a ball head with two separate locking mechanisms: one rotation and the second for ball head position (see photo on the left below). Tripods with ball heads and pan-tilt heads cost about $50-$140+ depending on load capacity when purchased separately.

Tripods have three/four major components: a head, legs, feet, and possibly a center column.
(Note: The tripods that come without a head are professional grade allowing the user flexibility in using more than one head with the same leg system.)

If you have a long telephoto lens, say 300 mm or greater, and are interested in wildlife or bird photography you may want to consider a gimbal head. Gimbal heads allow the movement of your camera to track wildlife and birds in a smooth motion. This type of head costs $250 or more. See the Gitzo Fluid Head below which sells for about $640. If you want to use a gimbal head you will need to buy a professional-level tripod.

Tripod legs are generally tubular or non-tubular. Tripods made of carbon fiber come with tubular legs and they use a threaded twist-lock system to secure the legs. Tripods made of aluminum and steel are non-tubular and come with a snap-lock.

My personal preference is the snap-lock as I find it easier to adjust. However, if the overall weight is a concern then a carbon-fiber tripod is your best choice. Some photographers prefer tripods that do not have an adjustable center column, as they feel you can lose stability. I agree this could happen. It’s important to check the play (wobble) of the connection between the tripod and the column. I have not found this to be an issue with the well-constructed tripods.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Adjustable Center-column

There are several different feet available. The two shown below from left to right are a rubber foot for use indoors and a studded foot for use on soft surfaces outdoors. My experience is both types work inside or outside with no issues.

Most importantly, I recommend you purchase a tripod that has a quick-release plate. The quick-release plate screws into the 1/4-20 threaded hole in the bottom of your camera. The quick-release plate makes the installation and removal of the camera on your tripod quick and easy. There are basically two types of plates: proprietary plates that fit only manufacturers’ tripod heads and ARCA- Swiss which has become standard among many different tripod manufacturers.

Over the last year, I have been using an ARCA- Swiss Plate. Why? I find the installation and removal of my camera from the tripod is easier than using the proprietary plate that often has some kind of cam locking mechanism, which can be a little bit cumbersome to work.

A few important points for determining which tripod:

First, you need to determine the weight of your camera and your heaviest lens. If you’re planning to buy any additional lenses make sure you know their weights. It’s important to purchase a sturdy tripod with sufficient support capacity for your camera, without buying more than you can possibly need. Once you have determined the total weight, multiply by 2 to determine the minimum capacity you require.
Next, you need to know what height of tripod you need. The height should be approximately equal to the distance from the floor to your chin. So, when the camera is mounted it will be at eye level.

Most tripod manufacturers and camera equipment retailers have search functions on their websites that allow you to narrow down the choices based on the capacity and height requirements you have determined. If you are able to purchase a tripod at a local retailer I strongly recommend you test the tripod by raising the center column to its maximum height locking position and seeing if there’s any play in the connection between the column and the tripod.

While I am not endorsing any particular manufacturer, I do have 4 different tripods:

The Quantaray video tripod I purchased many years ago, is still serviceable but spends most of its time in the back of the closet. (This is my loner for students who don’t have a tripod and have an interest in exploring photographing landscapes, flowers, or macro photography.)
Manfrotto 390 with ball-head, is compact when folded, so it fits in my camera backpack easily.
Manfrotto 190 with a pan-tilt head is used most of the time. This tripod can have the center post at 90 degrees to the legs. This feature allows you to shoot photos from above and the center column can be installed upside down so the camera can be located closer to the ground. In addition, the legs can be folded out to have the camera at ground lever. (see photos below)
Joby GorillaPod® 5K Kit with ARCA Swiss compatible quick-release plate is also capable of taking photos at ground level or being wrapped around a railing or fence to provide a stable platform for your photos. (see photo below)

The general rules when using a tripod are as follows:

Turn off your camera’s image stabilization. Why? Your camera’s stabilization needs movement to function properly.
Use a remote triggering device, either a wired remote, an IR remote, or an RF remote. Many of today’s cameras provide a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection that allows triggering and control of your camera from a smartphone. You need to consult your camera’s manual for details.
You can use your camera’s time delay feature if you don’t have a remote-triggering device.
The two-second delay will allow you to depress the shutter button and then give the camera
and tripod time to stabilize before the shutter is triggered. I prefer using a wired remote when using a tripod or a smartphone app for my camera. Many of the close-up photos in my Flowers Photo Gallery were taken using a tripod and wired remote.