Hi all

I'm wondering about tripods and their use in general. Would like to know in what (different) situations (various) tripods are used. I've seen them used at weddings and even sporting events. I understand that they can pretty much prevent "camera shake," which is a big problem for me. I guess I'm mostly interested in the "out in the field" situations. I sometimes take photos of sunsets and I find myself using the hood of my car to steady the camera. If I want to take low to ground shots of say flowers or something, then I would want a short tripod? I just don't know. Tell me about situations and how you use your tripod / tripods. Thank You!

First, I use tripods for long shutter speeds. (Astrophotography. Macrophotography.)

Second, I use tripods when I want to reproduce the same lighting, viewing angle and perspectivein mulitple shots. (Still lifes. Portraits. Tests.)

For sunsets, I don't bother, but I've got image stabilization.

Tripods have legs with multiple sections, and for "low to ground shots of say flowers or something", you can just not extend all the sections. And for situations where the tripod needs to be as stable as possible, leaving all the sections collapsed has worked well for me. It may not always be convenient for me, but its best for the shot, and that's what counts.

TYVM for your info TCav. I got anti-shake also, but I'm just a really bad shaker and I don't even drink. I'm new to the digi-photo world, so perhaps I'll get better with practice? I've been looking at tripods, but haven't made up my mind yet as far as type / brand goes. Don't think I'll be doing weddings or anything like that, mostly outside stuff. As far as shooting the kids & family, I most likly will be doing some of that. Thanks for passing on your shooting situations with tripod. Much appreciated! Oh and incase your wondering, I have the Sony-dsc-h50.

Cig...

I've seen people try to use tripods in typical family settings. They usually fumble around trying to set up, and end up missing the candid shots and have to go for the posed stuff.

Perhaps you could work on your technique. If you use the LCD display to frame your shots, you might try using the eyepiece instead; keeping your arms close to your body and the camera braced against your forehead might help keep things steady.

Yes, I could see that happening to me, cause I'm such a newbie.

OK, I'll try that TCav and see how it goes. Thanks!

have been blessed with steady hands when it comes to picture taking. But I still use a tripod when possible. As TCav pointed out there are times it’s really not practical. At a wedding for example a tripod would be good for the formal portraits but a hindrance when trying to shoot the reception. For a sunset or other scenic shots a tripod comes in handy for precise framing. For low to the ground stuff I use a camera clamp that I attach to one leg of my tripod.

As Tcav also pointed out you should use the eye level finder when hand holding not the LCD. If you have ever fired a rifle you’ll find all the same techniques apply.

I haveonetripod with a second one coming.

Whytripods? For stability and repeatability. Repeatability is actually more important than stability. Why? Because there are better ways to achieve stability than a tripod. Maybe not always better, but definitely faster. And fast setup is more important for casual shots.

Take theclassic sunset photo. Setting up a tripod and getting the right angle can a minute or much, much longer. Alternatively I can slap a beanbag on the hood of the car to hold the camera steady and shot a great shot in about 5 seconds. Quick results that are going to be as good as a tripod.

What is wrong with a beanbag for everything? Repeatability. A tripodallows me toswap out parts or use different settings while achieving exactly the same composition in the shot.Shifting thecamera on the beadbag wlll always result in small changes in composition.

A monopod might give you better results. A monopod is much quicker to use than a tripod and gives you greater positioning freedom than a tripod. Yes a monopod is not perfectly still in movement, but many people find a single plane of reinforecement sufficient for achieving a stable shot.

tjsnaps: .. Yes, I have fired rifles and good to know the same applies. I'll remember that. I've never heard of the camera clamp thing, so it's something I can check out. I've been working long hours lately, so not much time for the camera and pictures. I do understand (like TCav said) that shooting formal portraits might be fine with a tripod, but in other related situations, could prove to be a hindrance. I'll remember that to and glad you are blessed with those steady hands! Wish I had been. I'll stick with the view finder when I get more time to play. Which should be soon. Thank You kindly for info tjsnaps.

Cig...

StevieDgpt: .. The beanbag thing is a great idea for quick / casual shots from the roof of the car. Thanks for sharing.

Good points and explanation on tripod verses the beanbag and repeatability / composition. I'm starting to get the picture. No pun intended. I'll look into monopods and see what I can find out. It might be just what I want. I might even want both a tripod & monopod. Oh and a beanbag. Thank You for your imput StevieDgpt.

Cig...

For my style of photography, I never use them.

I like to walk around and explore lots of angles; crouch down, move to the left or right.

I also like to chat with people and then take one step back and shoot a nice person shot (at 10mm wide angle).

Ciggie, if you have problems with shake, you should be able to get a shudder speed so fast you could practically throw your camera and get a solid shot.

For instance, if you shoot 1/1000th of a second shutter speed, everything should be pretty rock solid.

Hi [email protected] ..

It would be nice to be able to do it. I haven't tried yet, but I will try various shutter speeds and see how it goes. Thank You!