In photography, the single greatest cause of image blur is due to camera movement.  Camera movement is a result of hand movement.  Often times we hear a comment from someone stating they’re able to hold the camera perfectly still at speeds as slow as 1/8 second.  An article appeared recently where someone suggested they get sharp photos while hand holding the camera during one second exposures.  These are fallacies.  The people who make this claim will always politely refuse to match up against a camera on tripod.  To improve your photography, consider a tripod.

Many styles and brands of camera tripods are available for today’s photographer, amateur and professional alike.  Features to consider are height, weight, rigidity, vibration absorption, reversible columns (for close-up photography), and column hooks (for stabilization).  Following is a discussion on several types, along with a few of the pros and cons.   There are no real bargains when shopping for a tripod, unless you’re looking at used tripods, so don’t let price be a consideration.

Helping determine tripod choice is the type of camera gear it will be supporting.  From the compact camera up to the large format camera, many variables determine the need.  The amount of weight that a tripod and head can support will be a deciding factor in your tripod purchase.  Another factor to consider is the type of photography you’re most interested in.  This will also help determine the style of tripod head you’ll purchase for the tripod.  

If you’re a travel photographer, a main consideration is tripod weight combined with its durability.  Many lightweight tripods on the market are unfit for the demands associated with and expected from travel photographers.  Professional photographers associated with the landscape spend untold hours in the field, covering many miles for that elusive image.  The weight of the tripod combined with those hours and miles can make a trip enjoyable or full of fatigue.  Let’s face it, your camera and lenses are the main source of weight.  There’s no room for wiggle in that department.  But with today’s wide variety of quality tripods available, it’s a safe to say there’s a great choice out there.

Many of today’s tripods are composite tripods, the most popular being the carbon fiber tripod.  There are also aluminum alloys, magnesium, and basalt tripods.  These materials have tremendously improved tripod performance.  

Tripod height, or leg extension, is also an important consideration.  The taller your height, the taller the tripod you’ll want, and the more you’ll pay.  That’s the downside.  The advantage you’ll have is a completely different perspective when photographing.  In general, consider purchasing a tripod that extends as tall or taller than your height.  As often as not, you’ll use this additional height to your advantage.

For convenience, we’ll keep our discussion of tripod heads to two options: the tilt or tilt and pan head, and the ball head.  The tilt and pan head is just that: one lever controls the tilting of the camera from side to side, another lever controls the up and down tilt, and a lock knob controls the panning of the camera.  This type of head is an ideal choice for architectural photography, where the control of converging lines is necessary.  Because of the various levers used to control the various angles and positions, this head is less popular than the ball head, and is generally a few dollars less expensive.  

For ease of operation, the ball head is a great choice.  Another advantage is its fluid movement.  For landscapes, wildlife, and general photography, it’s worth the additional investment.  The well-designed ball head can be operated with one hand while the other hand is used to position the camera.  Then the simple twist of a couple of locking knobs holds the camera in place.  It’s that simple, and is a pleasure to own.  By keeping the ball loose in its socket, you’ve got a stable camera with the ability to track moving objects, ideal for wildlife photography or any moving subject matter.

An offshoot of the ball head is the grip ball head, a perfect choice for lighter digital slr cameras.  Due to its design, you actually grip the ball head via a trigger. Squeezing the trigger releases the head, allowing you to position the camera where you like.

The list of tripod accessories is long, but for our purpose here, it’s a short and important one: the camera quick release attachment.  This is simply a two interlocking plate system: one screws onto the tripod head, the other attaches to the bottom of your camera.  With the flip of a lever, your camera is quickly attached to or removed from the tripod.  It’s the only necessary accessory required.  

Monopods have several small advantages over tripods.  First is their price.  For around $50 USD one can acquire a reasonable monopod.  This piece of equipment also has the weight advantage in its favor.  They are compact, lightweight, and many of the better brand names can handle up to ten pounds of camera equipment.  Although they may help stabilize your camera, monopods have a distinct disadvantage when compared with a tripod.  Due to their very design, they cannot hold your camera perfectly still.  They are, however, the stabilizer of choice at most sporting events.

If you’ve never owned a tripod, you might first find its use to be cumbersome.  However, in time you’ll grow to consider it a vital part of your image making process.  With the large selection of lightweight camera tripod on the market, you’ll find one to suit your needs.  Think of a quality tripod purchase as an investment, not just in additional camera equipment, but in  image quality as well.  Enjoy the improvements!