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There are plenty of reasons to use a camera support. They can save your back and shoulders from the weight of heavy gear, and they can help you achieve sharper shots.
Tripods are the most common type of camera support for a variety of photographic genres, but sometimes it’s not practical or convenient. Tripods can be bulky and heavy, and they’re sometimes forbidden for use in certain locations.
The most important factor in any camera support is stability. Many alternative camera supports rely on the stability of the ground or sturdy structures like vehicles, benches, walls, or tables to keep your camera in position.
Bean bags are a terrific tripod alternative. You can position them as needed around available structures and adjust their shape to better support both your camera and lens.
If you’re going on safari and worried about keeping a long telephoto lens stable, consider a bean bag instead of a tripod. You won’t have to think about the footprint of tripod legs in the back of a safari vehicle, and a beanbag is better at absorbing bumps in the road to cushion your camera.
The two most common types of camera bean bags are a thick flat disc and a U-shaped or V-shaped bean bag. U and V shapes work well for resting a long lens on a railing, car door, or the side of a safari truck. Disc-shaped bean bags work well in most other situations.
Ideally, the bottom side of the bean bag should be made of a grippy fabric or material for a non-slip connection to car doors, railings, and other supports. Look for bean bags that let you replace their filling for cleaning and maintenance. A strap that goes around your lens is also a helpful feature for better stabilization.
When shooting from an animal hide or photographing birds from the ground, a very short tripod is all you need to stabilize your lens. Look for a compact ground pod so you can keep your profile smaller and less visible to your subjects.
Choosing camera supports from leading names like LensCoat andNovoflex means being ready to photograph successfully in any type of environment or location.