So this is more a HABIT OF MIND question than an equipment recommendation one. I have an okay tripod... I just never bother to use it. And I know that I should be using it more often. It's just that I'm a shoot-from-the-hip kind of guy.
Whatever tripod I've owned, I've found to be unwieldy, unspontaneous, conspicuous, and a hassle.
Does anyone have any zen, sage advice about how and when to add a tripod to one's daily photo habits... how to make it feel like a part of you, rather than a burden?
Tripod is essential for long exposure shots. Maybe set some time to do such shots to learn to love your tripod a little. Maybe waterfall shot? Star trails? Sunrise or sunset?
I hate using a tripod. Hate carrying it, hate setting it up, hate trying to get the camera adjusted just right on it, hate figuring out how to partially extend the legs to get the right height, hate trying to figure out how to stand near it without tripping over one of the legs and sending my camera crashing to the ground, etc., etc. As you said, quite accurately: "unwieldy, unspontaneous, conspicuous, and a hassle." That about sums it up.
@squamloon@sjoblues So glad to find some kindred spirits! I have been feeling like less than a photographer because I almost NEVER use one! thanks for making me feel better about it! ;~}
My tripod broke and while it was a gift from someone I love dearly, I felt no sadness when I threw it out in the rubbish. And it is not on my Christmas wish list.
Although I have just purchased a Gorrilapod for my GoPro.
it's all in the equipment. get a carbon fibre, they're so light you don't realize you're carrying it.
then, get a GREAT head. I use a pistol grip as my go to head, but I have a few others, too. a pistol grip head lets you move the camera in an instant to whereever you want it. convenience of handheld, with the steadiness of a tripod.
I also have one and hate using it. I can't ever get it level properly or angled properly. By the time I do, the shot is gone. LOL Seriously, I only ever use it for family self portraits--so maybe twice a year.
I have one of the Manfrotto pocket tripods always attached to my camera it just folds away http://www.manfrotto.co.uk/photo-pockets-pocket-series of course I also use a grown up tripod when it's needed but this little fellow is really handy
I use a tripod a lot for some types of photography. Examples - I'd almost always use one for landscape, but hardly ever for portraiture. Reasons - for landscape it ensures getting sharp pictures and releases you from worrying about shutter speeds, and it also slows you down, makes you think about what you are doing a bit more. For portraiture it is restrictive, prevents you moving around the model, reacting to poses and so on.
So, I'd say sometimes it's essential (to me) and other times a hinderance. Not using one just because you can't be arsed though is not a good thing. Why use an SLR - that's relatively big and cumbersome. Why don't we all use phone cameras? - they're nice and small and convenient.
@squamloon I'm like you, a shoot-from-the-hip photographer. 99% handheld. I like my tripod, it is very light, but compared to handheld, it is just as you described: unwieldy, unspontaneous, conspicuous, and a hassle. I did use my tripod last month for a selfie, and I'm going to use it this week to take a friend's portrait. But when I am out and about, I like to travel very light - my DSLR and one lens is as heavy as it gets for me. That being said, I do want to shoot some waterfalls and that requires long exposures and tripod, so my tripod may be coming with me this spring on some nature shoots.
I am not a daily user because there are so many make do tripods. I really assess what camera to bring out depending on if I am bringing lunch and gym clothes to work. I will take it out for night shooting, slow shots, or shots I have put a lot of thought into so I can get them just right.
I carry a bean bag with me. It's great for low shots or you can set it on a fence or pole and the camera sets itself into the bag pretty well. Saves me the hassle of luggin around a tripod all the time.
like many of the others who responded, i only bother with a tripod if i am planning long exposures or expect to have to be shooting in low light where slow shutter speed is feasible...
@orangecrush do you have a special beanbag for your camera? or just any ol' beanbag? i'm having trouble finding beanbags for cameras in the store and clearly haven't been looking in the right spots online because i haven't found anything that looks remotely right!
I agree with the other John (@johnf ). You use it when you have to.
If you think that it is a hassle to use, I'm guessing that you haven't used it enough to become familiar with it. See that dial on the top of your camera, just turn it to the green box. Can't be bothered with setting all those adjustments. Too much hassle and not spontaneous enough. LOL I'm only ribbing you guys!
Yes, lugging a tripod around is a pain but needing one when you don't have it is worse. I keep one in the car at all times. And my main one is a heavy SOB! But I want it to be solid when I use it.
If you are going hiking, take a bean bag as Jerry suggest ( @orangecrush ). I remember hearing about this in the 70s.
Aye, I rarely take mine out, though. I imagine it'll get more use in the summer.
@serpantmedia I've also a little Manfrotto table top number - which I take /everywhere/ - along with a bundle of 16" cable ties; railings, litter bins, drainpipes, lamp posts, small trees all look like tripods to me. Indeed, if it had a quick release plate, it'd be perfect...
I used to have a really crappy tripod. My friends used to always say why don't you get a decent one. Mine finally bit the bullet and I was going on a night shoot, so it forced me to get a new one. We have a really nice tripod mfg in town and I spent way too much on it, but you know, I have never been sorry! Having a decent one that works quickly (Ball head, quick release and easy to open leg) made all the difference. I went from being a only if it is totally necessary to a use it when every I can person.
I too am a shoot for the hip kind of person too and still prefer to shoot that way, but I now enjoy using a tripod more and get much better results when I do.
@catwhiskers@aponi I rarely bring a tripod, and when I do, my husband says "Who are you trying to impress?"
My tripod comes in a case with a comfortable shoulder strap. Sometimes I leave it in my car, like if the weather is really nice, but usually it's for selfie's and if I really don't have a choice
If you don't want to carry a tripod everywhere, i recommend a zipshot tripod. I have one. The are almost weightless and you can attach it to your camera bag and basically ignore they are there. And no pain at all to use and get it ready for shooting.
This tripod seems fragile, but it handles well rather long exposures. In this picture, for instance i had my t3i with a rather heavy 18-200 lens and an exposure of almost 3 sec. No shake visible. :)
@serpantmedia Does it matter which version of the pocket tripod -- or is there one you'd recommend over the others? And, does it have a way of attaching to something or is it just to make the camera rest more stably? I had rarely used my tripod and then took a night photography class It really changed my attitude about it -- for longer exposures, it makes everything so stable and clear compared to my handheld ability. But living in a city, I mostly walk and use public transport, and it isn't realistic for me to carry it around so the pocket one sounds like a good compromise.
I sometimes carry a plastic ziploc baggy and fill it with whatever material is at hand when I need a way to prop the camera. You can fill it with whatever you like and empty it when you finish the shoot. It works with desert sand, rice, beans, gravel, snow, even air to a certain extent :)
I can't imagine not having my tripod, but I guess it depends on the style of shooting. I was on holiday in Malaysia last week and so glad I took the tripod, was taking 4 minute exposures with the tripod positioned on the rock wall:
I use it when I have to, but I certainly weigh in on the side of hating most everything about it. . .except if I don't have it when I SHOULD, and then I'm kicking myself! There's no way I could have taken this shot without it:
I use a monopod a decent amount but had found tripods a hassle. After reading this though, I may try a zipshot! Thanks @gabrielklee for the idea of the zipshot, just checked it out on B&H. Looks incredibly portable and quick to use!
This post reminded me that I have a tripod somewhere in my basement. Maybe I'll be inspired to get it out and have my husband carry it for me just in case I ever need it.
I would like to use a tripod more often but i am just starting out in photography and for some reason i have this phobia about being out in public with one.I hate it when people are staring and pointing all the time.Did anyone else ever have this problem?
@northy Funny you ask! I heard of using bean bags before so I just made one out of an old pair of jeans and a bag of dried beans from the market! Kinda of cool though, I used the back pocket so I have a place to store my filters or a cloth to clean my camera after a day at the beach!
@squamloon long exposure or generally when lighting conditions are poor...meaning use a tripod when you have a slow shutter. Also use it when doing macro. I initially hated taking my tripod out but that's all changed now. I never leave home without it. Got a spare in the trunk too. It's as important to me now as the lens I buy. @mitchell50 just do it. Don't worry what others think.
@mitchell50 Just wait until you start laying in the middle of the street to get the right angle!
Also, if you're worried about what someone thinks of your tripod, maybe you have tripod envy!
Is you tripod small, does it feel inadequate? LOL just kidding. Don't worry about what you think other people are thinking! They are probably staring in jealousy with their tripod envy!
@squamloon I couldn't agree more - I feel the same about camera bags. I've had 4 or 5 different bags-every one of them was useless. They're badly designed, overpadded, heavy (even when empty) and never carry what you need them to carry. I do a lot of motorsport photography, so I need a bag that will carry the camera, plus at least 2 lenses, a light/flash meter, speedlight, tripod or monopod, filters, batteries etc. In addition to that I have to take a packed lunch and water as most race circuits have no facilities available on practice/press days. I'll probably spend 2 days out on the track then half a day shooting portraits of drivers, etc in the paddock, so I need to take a lot of stuff. If any manufacturer out there wants to get together so that we can design a camera bag that actually works, I'm your man!
I take a lot of long exposure shots - I've developed a steady hand to about 1.6s and longer than that I use anything flat that I can - in situations where I know that's not going to be an option to me I carry a small gorillapod around with me
I don't use my tripod that often though I do take it on holiday. I use it if I am doing night shots or fireworks (provided I am not coming from home during the day). I use public transport and work in an office so it is not handy carrying it about all day. Although when I am working in a city there are plenty of stable surfaces you can put your camera on for long exposures.
@northy I've been thinking bean bags too... I'm going to try a gallon ziploc full of cereal. That way if I get hungry..... or want to attract small animals.... :-)
oh, I hate hate hate my tripod! See it as a necessary evil. The monopod is slightly better, but I'm thankful for all these ideas -- will be studying this discussion for alternatives.
@m9f9l actually, i've decided that next chance i get to go to the craft store il'll pick up some plastic peas or whatever they are called and use those... that way they won't get soggy if they get wet ;p
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with a small travel sized one that fits in a messenger bag, shot taken of camera in
situ doing long exposures
Although I have just purchased a Gorrilapod for my GoPro.
then, get a GREAT head. I use a pistol grip as my go to head, but I have a few others, too. a pistol grip head lets you move the camera in an instant to whereever you want it. convenience of handheld, with the steadiness of a tripod.
ProMaster SystemPRO T325P Platinum Series Carbon Fiber Tripod http://www.amazon.com/ProMaster-SystemPRO-Platinum-Series-Carbon/dp/B002XUKCR6
Manfrotto 324RC2 Joystick Head with Quick Release http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-324RC2-Joystick-Quick-Release/dp/B003AM7UZS
So, I'd say sometimes it's essential (to me) and other times a hinderance. Not using one just because you can't be arsed though is not a good thing. Why use an SLR - that's relatively big and cumbersome. Why don't we all use phone cameras? - they're nice and small and convenient.
@orangecrush do you have a special beanbag for your camera? or just any ol' beanbag? i'm having trouble finding beanbags for cameras in the store and clearly haven't been looking in the right spots online because i haven't found anything that looks remotely right!
If you think that it is a hassle to use, I'm guessing that you haven't used it enough to become familiar with it. See that dial on the top of your camera, just turn it to the green box. Can't be bothered with setting all those adjustments. Too much hassle and not spontaneous enough. LOL I'm only ribbing you guys!
Yes, lugging a tripod around is a pain but needing one when you don't have it is worse. I keep one in the car at all times. And my main one is a heavy SOB! But I want it to be solid when I use it.
If you are going hiking, take a bean bag as Jerry suggest ( @orangecrush ). I remember hearing about this in the 70s.
@serpantmedia I've also a little Manfrotto table top number - which I take /everywhere/ - along with a bundle of 16" cable ties; railings, litter bins, drainpipes, lamp posts, small trees all look like tripods to me. Indeed, if it had a quick release plate, it'd be perfect...
I too am a shoot for the hip kind of person too and still prefer to shoot that way, but I now enjoy using a tripod more and get much better results when I do.
My tripod comes in a case with a comfortable shoulder strap. Sometimes I leave it in my car, like if the weather is really nice, but usually it's for selfie's and if I really don't have a choice
This tripod seems fragile, but it handles well rather long exposures. In this picture, for instance i had my t3i with a rather heavy 18-200 lens and an exposure of almost 3 sec. No shake visible. :)
@mitchell50 just do it. Don't worry what others think.
Also, if you're worried about what someone thinks of your tripod, maybe you have tripod envy!
Is you tripod small, does it feel inadequate? LOL just kidding. Don't worry about what you think other people are thinking! They are probably staring in jealousy with their tripod envy!
A friend of mine used to carry his monopod when bird watching to protect himself against snakes.