Tripods for Digital Cameras

How to Take Sharper Images

The Head

Let's start with the most important piece of tripods for digital cameras, the head. The two most common heads are Ball and Pan/Tilt. The difference between the two is in the way the head moves.

A ball head is infinitely adjustable and allows you to quickly switch from portrait to landscape. A ball head takes a little getting used to as you adjust it with one knob, whilst moving the camera with the other hand. Ball heads come in a variety of configurations including pistol grips.

The pan and tilt head allows you to pan (move left to right) and tilt (move up and down) using two distinct controls.

A third type of tripod head is the gimbaled head. This head is commonly used by wildlife photographers and useful for handling heavy lenses such as 400mm on up.

Legs

A good set of tripod legs compromise between size, weight and stability. Cost has to be factored in too. As the legs hold the weight of the camera and lens, they form the heart of a good tripod. If they're too light, the camera shakes like a rag doll; too heavy and you'll probably not want to carry it with you when you actually need it.

If you travel, a good feature is legs that fold onto themselves. What this gives you is a set of legs with the least amount of length which should mean easiest to pack.

Height

Finding the right height tripod is essential, that is, one that allows you to use the least amount of column adjustment. The higher the camera is on the column, the more unstable it becomes. Making it shorter is easy--just lower the legs a bit. But the only way to make it taller is column height.

Weight

The next factor is weight. Carbon fiber, aluminum and steel are all common materials used in the construction process. Carbon fiber followed by aluminum and steel are lightest to heaviest.

Other considerations

Other considerations include the locking and adjustment mechanisms used for the legs, column height adjustments and accessories.

Stability depends on build quality. If a tripod is poorly built, it's not going to provide a stable platform for your equipment. Note the weight of your heaviest gear and factor that into your decision.

Common locking mechanisms include a click type lock found on Bogen models and the twist lock found on Gitzo's. Column height is usually done using a twist lock although you can find some less expensive models with a geared track. A useful accessory found on some columns is a hook--this hook can be used to weight the tripod in a stiff breeze or for added stability. Speaking of accessories, you can find small trays that fit between the legs to hold small items as well as foam covers for the upper part of the legs. This is useful if you plan on using your tripod in cold weather.

While carbon fiber is the lightest material, it's also the most costly and most easily damaged of all three materials commonly used in construction. Steel is rarely used in the construction of tripods. It's a heavy material, which makes it impractical to carry around. This leaves aluminum as the most commonly used material. It's light weight and durability are just what is needed.

Tips for Using Tripods for Digital Cameras

• Don’t hand-hold your camera. Even if you have the best reason in the world not to use a tripod in a particular situation, still use a tripod. Tripods have tremendous benefits in all kinds of light. If you’re doing landscape work in good light, a tripod allows you to use a slow shutter speed for great depth of field. In low light or at night, a tripod enables you to take a good quality picture without having to increase the ISO. This prevents digital noise that degrades the picture quality.

• A tripod is especially important for macro shots. Your pictures will not be as crisp without it. Using a tripod also means that you can increase your depth of field substantially.

• When using a tripod, make sure not to raise the centre column too high. Instead, ensure maximum stability by extending the legs fully.

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