Bring The Right Equipment: Tripods, Monopods, or just anything to brace your camera!
Let's face it. One of the main reasons why a photograph fails is due to lack of proper equipment, be it equipment you packed along, or the ability to create an impromptu stand-in for the equipment that you need.
Case in point, the equipment required to keep your camera fixed in a position so that you can shoot with the knowledge that your shots will come out tack sharp. Hand holding at anything longer than 1 second is asking for blurry images. At least, that's the case for me!
So, let's look at the various things you can do to keep your camera stable, positioned, and taking great pictures.
The Tripod
The tripod is the tried and true, commonly known, means of stabilizing your camera body.
While the varieties of design, color, materials, and features are varied, the main things to look for, is a good fit between what you intend to do, and what the tripod can offer you.
For those who are hefting around higher end DSLR cameras that indirectly build up arm muscles, thanks to the weight of the camera, a sturdier tripod designed to hold a good deal more weight, would be recommended.
For those who are carrying around a light compact DSLR with a compact zoom lens, you can get away with a tripod that isn't rated for as much weight.
I own a few tripods, and as this series of posts suggests, the purchases were a matter of trial and error. Let me get into the nitty gritty details...
What Didn't Work
I spent $10 on my first tripod. It was a telescoping affair with no real locking mechanisms. It only stood 3' tall, but weighed in at around 5 pounds. Yeah, it wasn't much of a bargain.
The next tripod cost me around $35. Yep, still bargain shopping and ended up with a fairly decent tripod... if I didn't mind that the feet were all in lock-step, the action on the extension wasn't smooth, and there was a good deal of wiggle when the tripod was extended.
The most recent tripod is one that I happen to like, but falls short. It cost me around $50, is made of heavy gauge aluminum, nice locking legs, independent leg action, and a reversable extension column. The downside? At maximum leg and column extension... it was only 2' above the ground.
Needless to say, saving money on a tripod will result in much effort to work around the tripod's deficiencies.
What To Consider For The "Packing Light" Photographer
In a word: composites. More specifically, carbon fiber. You aren't going to get a better strength to weight ratio than carbon fiber.
You'll be wanting a tripod that packs up neat and small, doesn't weigh a ton, and can be flexible with the positioning of the tripod on a variety of terrains, be they level or not.
If you are a fan of macro photography or just like the low-to-the-ground style, you will want one that can invert the column or can reconfigure so that the camera is very low to the ground.
Carbon fiber tripods will give you lightness, strength, and stiffness. All of which contribute to a sharp image.
What To Consider For The "Pack It All" Photographer
Oddly enough, carbon fiber is still your best bet! The only real difference is the size and compactness of the tripod itself. Whereas most tripod legs are single columns, those who are going to REALLY weigh down their tripod can opt for larger tripods with dual column legs, which, with the legs fully extended, but with the center column full retracted, is at or above eye level of the average person.
These are not small tripods. Even though they are composites based, they carry a bit of heft and are not the most compact of camera tripods. However, if you've got that new 10lb lens...
Next Time...
In the next installment, we look at the other camera stabilizers... Monopods!
