Tripods have been an integral part of my photographic toolkit since the beginning of my career when birds and flowers were among my most frequent subjects. In those early days in the 1970s, even though I was determined to get a really good tripod, the best I could find were clunky models designed for movie cameras with no ball joint head and limited maneuverability.
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I still sometimes get students who bring these sort of antiques or some flimsy model to my workshops and they quickly see how much better their photographs would be with a better tripod. At the end of some workshops, we’ve dug a hole and given those tripods a well-deserved burial.
In my last article, we focused on the importance of a really good tripod. Now I want to walk you through the process of purchasing one that will stand you in good stead for many years. I had a chance to use three different tripods during a recent workshop to White Sands National Monument and Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, where we photographed birds and landscapes: the Sirui T-025X Carbon Fiber Tripod with C-10S Ball Head (); 3 Legged Thing Eclipse Leo Carbon Fiber Tripod System with AirHed Switch Ball Head (); (and my old Gitzo GT2545T Series 2 Traveler Carbon Fiber Tripod with Swiss Arca Mono Ball Head). It was a good opportunity to home in on the tripod features that were most important to us:
Sturdiness
You will definitely want a tripod that will stay where you put it and not bounce or tip over with the inevitable gusts of wind. So make sure the tripod can hold a camera with a heavy and/or long lens and stay put. Also, check that the tripod is made with quality materials and craftsmanship. Try pressing down on an open tripod to see if it holds.
Maneuverability
A tripod should be easy to set up and take down. Check that the tightening knobs turn smoothly and that the leg segments extend and collapse easily. Also, check how high and how low you can set your camera without added accessories. You will want the tripod to let you set your camera at least as high as your eye level when standing. On the other hand, if you want to shoot close to the ground, check how wide the legs of the tripod can go and if the leg release mechanism is easy to use. (You can also opt to purchase a short center post that will let you get very close to the ground.)
Another consideration is where to place the legs. If you are on terrain that is uneven or soft, like sand, take a few extra moments to make sure your tripod is firmly anchored on the ground. This is especially important if you’re working under windy conditions when the camera can be jostled and fall over. In general, set your legs wide enough apart so they have a sufficiently low center of gravity.
Ball joint head
There are tripods that come equipped with ball joint heads and others where you can purchase a separate ball joint head. Either way, the ball joint head is designed to attach your camera to the tripod and let you move the camera while it’s on the tripod. The ball joint head should have no more than two knobs for moving the camera: one for rotating the camera into any position you want; another that lets you move the camera just horizontally, as you’d want to do when you are panning.
At the top of the ball joint head is a plate that lets you attach your camera. A larger plate is generally preferable to a small one because it will keep your camera more steady. The plate has a release mechanism if you want to take your camera off the tripod. It’s very important to have a release mechanism that’s easy to find and use. Keep in mind that the plate has two parts, one that stays attached to the ball head joint and another that stays attached to the bottom of your camera. To mount the camera on the tripod, you’ll insert one plate into the other until it snaps in place so you’re camera is securely connected. The release mechanism reverses that connection.
If you work with more than one camera body, be sure to attach a plate to each one. Also, if you are using a very long lens, you should mount the plate to the lens or its weight may topple the camera because it would be off balance. Long lenses should come with a collar on which the plate can be mounted. Again, if you have more than one long lens, mount a plate on each one.
Weight
Today’s tripods are considerably lighter than older models because they are made of materials like carbon fiber and aluminum, which are both light and strong, though maybe not as sturdy as heavier models. A light tripod is a real boon for carrying into the field and for packing when you travel. Also, since today’s cameras are also lighter than earlier ones, the lighter tripods are up to the task of keeping them steady.
Price
Most people have to work within budgets. For decent tripods, you’ll need to spend at least $200 and the sky’s the limit on the high end. As a rule of thumb, expect a new tripod to cost roughly 30 percent of what you spent for your camera.
The good news is that today’s tripods, as with today’s cameras, are all high quality.
How did the new tripods I was using compare after using them in the field? Both exceeded my expectations in terms of how sturdy and maneuverable they were. They were both quite user-friendly so I didn’t need to consult manuals to figure them out. The Sirui was lighter, slimmer and more elegant but it has a small plate for the ball head; I’d exchange the head for one with a larger plate. The Leo is a bit sturdier (and therefore a bit clunkier) because the legs are thicker and have shorter segments; plus the head has a larger plate, which I prefer. You can’t go wrong with either model as long as you don’t plan to use it with a long lens over 300mm. For such very long lenses, you’ll need a tripod designed especially for them.
