Articles NEWS

Importance of a Good Tripod

At some point, in an ongoing quest to improve your photography skills, every photographer comes to the realization that they may have to divert some of their camera budget towards something to actually support the camera, like a tripod or monopod. So you go to your favorite local store or photography retail website, and start pricing. At first a few hundred dollars doesn't seem that bad, but then that could also buy that new lens you've been drooling over.

Then you keep researching, and see what some of the more infamous photographer personalities use, and quickly get to the "Ouch - that's the cost of the pro f2.8 zoom lens I was saving for" point. Then you start looking at quick-release plates, L-brackets, panoramic setups, and if you are like me, go ahead and buy the lens instead.

But you keep coming back to tripods, especially if using bigger lenses, and wonder if you are missing anything? The short answer is a lot, and depending on what you photograph, a decent tripod may make a lot more difference than that new lens. Buying the right gear the first time can save you hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars in the long run, and avoid much frustration.

A decent tripod setup helps eliminate camera shake and gets you sharper pictures. This becomes increasingly apparent if you ever use a longer lens (anything over over 200mm-300mm), or are shooting landscapes (which you are likely doing around sunrise or sunset when the quality of light is better, but the quantity of light is not).

Sturdy support is also critical for application like macro photography, and a tripod opens up possibilities for creative effects like long exposures, as well as freeing up your hands to allow you compose a shot in a studio or portrait environment (adjusting the position of the subject, or moving lighting around, attempting to direct your model(s), frantically waving your arms at the "assistant" who's not paying attention and so forth).

Bottom line, for the majority of photographers, getting a decent tripod or monopod will do significantly more to improve their photography than spending the same money on a new lens or body: Not only will your images be sharper, but new opportunities will open up to you to get shots you never could before. Perhaps just as important, using a tripod slows you down, and makes you think about each shot more, which generally leads to higher quality results.

Readers Rating: