Why would you ever want a tripod? They are heavy, expensive and cumbersome to carry aren’t they?

Yes. But if you want great images then investing in one will reap dividends.

Consider the following image opportunities:

- a night time shot of the moon
- a beautiful church in the evening
- a stunning landscape
- making running water appear fluid

You won’t get very far without a tripod with any of these shots. You will have an image, but it will be inferior to what you could have produced.

A tripod holds your camera steady and allows you to do the following

- take long exposures without camera shake
- use maximum depth of field (smallest aperture) for landscapes
- allow movement in your shots whilst keeping the background steady

Imagine you have a wonderful building in your local town. In the evening it is beautifully lit and there are trees and bushes surrounding it giving you a perfect opportunity for a gorgeous shot when there is still a bit of light in the sky. Even at full aperture you are thinking of perhaps half a second or more for the shutter speed.

If you don’t use a tripod, whatever you do, your shot will be blurred.

The answer?

Get out your tripod. The you can choose a long enough exposure not only to take the initial shot you were anticipating but an even longer one to enable you to close down the aperture for the best depth of field.

Which tripod should you buy?

There are tripods to be had which cost only a few dollars. They look great (in the adverts). Don’t buy one! You will regret it. They are often made of inferior materials from obscure companies. The leg locking mechanisms are rough and prone to failure, the heads don’t move smoothly and the locks slip and wear out. They don’t easily take the weight of even a standard SLR camera and in unsettled conditions they will buckle, vibrate and warp. All of this will affect your final image.

A tripod is as important as the camera on it. It needs to be secure on uneven ground and weighty enough to take the camera and windy or inclement weather. The legs should lock positively and there should be no movement when they are extended. The head should be firmly seated and with positive and secure locking mechanisms. Always try one out in the store before you buy or borrow one from a friend. My golden rule is: spend as much as you can afford.

Try an experiment

Take a picture with your camera at 1/30 second or slower. Then take another, preferably of the same scene, using a decent tripod. You will see the difference even if you are a sceptic. Once you get involved in longer exposure shots then a good tripod is indispensable and will pay you back for your investment many times over.

Remember; make it steady!

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

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