New Tutorial: Tripod Tips

<p>Hi All,<br>

A new tutorial is up called "Tripod Tips"<br>

It can be accessed here:<br>

http://setshoptutorials.com/item/20-tripod-tips<br>

Comments welcomed.<br />Happy Thanksgiving to All!<br />Steve<br />steve@stevesint.com</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks Steve, another excellent presentation. I was fortunate to have a experienced photographer give me good tripod advice 20+ years ago. Five years ago, I gave a tripod presentation at my local club passing down the knowledge that I learned. It is a little dated now.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.suncoastcameraclub.org/Tips/Tripods.pdf">http://www.suncoastcameraclub.org/Tips/Tripods.pdf</a></p>

<p>I used the laser pointer trick to demonstrate not only handheld vs. tripod, but cheap vs. good tripods. One of the interesting things I discovered, the self-timer can actually make things worse for a cheap tripod, your hand will help steady a cheap tripod.</p>

<p>Two of the best photographers at my local club <em>always</em> use a tripod. When asked about a shot of an obviously active bird, where a tripod could be a serious disadvantage and cause you to miss the shot, they still said "I always use a tripod". Now, I wouldn't recommend this for everyone, but if your goal is primarily competition photography, this will help get the extra sharpness required for a prize winning shot.</p>

<p>I have no issue with tripod weights (water bottles, etc), but if you have small breeze that moves the bottles....the bumpy feel could be transposed into the image itself. </p>

<p>Les</p>

 

<p>Nice presentation, Steve. I wish this video had been available 20 years ago. I'm afraid to count how many tripods I've purchased over those years. I was a little surprised that you didn't give any tips about the leg locking systems. I have wavered over the years between flip locks and twist locks. I find that the twist lock style doesn't catch on everything possible when fetched from a pile of cords and other gear. What's your favorite?</p>

<p>Nice presentation, Steve. I wish this video had been available 20 years ago. I'm afraid to count how many tripods I've purchased over those years. I was a little surprised that you didn't give any tips about the leg locking systems. I have wavered over the years between flip locks and twist locks. I find that the twist lock style doesn't catch on everything possible when fetched from a pile of cords and other gear. What's your favorite?</p>

<p>Hi Mark,<br>

Thanks Mark. There's a lot to know about tripods (not that I know it all...:)). When I wrote the script for the Tripod Tips tutorial the first thing I realized was the subject of tips could actually be broken down into two categories. The first was about how to use a tripod (which this video is about) and the second could be about how the tripod was constructed and how it operated which would be harder to explain and illustrate because it is more a matter of opinion and preference. It's just too easy to argue that either solution is better, because it's often just an opinion.</p>

<p>For the record, and to answer your question, I prefer "twist" (or threaded) locks to "flip" (or channel) locks but then again I don't work in sand or sandy soil that much even though flip locks are faster and easier to clean debris (like grains of sand!) out of.</p>

<p>But, when talking about construction or operation there are so many other subjects that would have to be covered. Starting at the bottom, are spikes or rubber leg tips better? Spikes are better outdoors (on grass, soil, or rocks) but are a horror show on beautiful wood floors or Persian rugs! Should the leg locks (either type) work from the top or bottom of the leg? But, if you're working in water (like in a stream or at the shore line) top mounted locks are much better! What about the material used to make the tripod; should it be wood, aluminum, or today's darling carbon fiber? Well, if you are working in salt water surf the corrosion caused by aluminum and salt water is enough (over time) to screw up either type of leg locking device so wood or carbon fiber and both better choices. Should each individual leg be able to be set to a different angle? This is very helpful when working on uneven floors or stairs but adds three more complicated adjustment mechanisms and three more joints to rob you of a firm, steady tool to mount your camera on (which is the idea of using a tripod in the first place!). Should the tripod have a built in side arm? Before you answer consider that you are adding another joint and more weight and complexity to the tripod. Should the tripod you have two, three, four, or more leg sections? Obviously, more legs sections make for more compact closed dimensions but also add to set-up time. Should the center column be a gear driven crank or a "rapid" mechanism? I can go on and on because there are other construction criteria worth considering but the reality is tripod construction is a tutorial topic all by itself! Maybe another tutorial some other day...</p>

<p>Besides, the tutorial I presented is about 30 minutes long, and considering that so many people today have the attention span of a gnat,...:)...what do you expect for free? Egg in your beer?...:)...Happy Thanksgiving!</p>

<p>And for Les....<br>

If you use two water bottles draped over the tripod leg yoke as shown so the bottles touch and are nestled between two of the tripod legs breezes (even stiff ones) don't really affect them.</p>

<p>SS<br>

steve@stevesint.com </p>

<p> </p>

<p>You're right, Steve. Probably a topic unto itself. I guess I've moved to the downhill side of the learning curve on tripods and don't think too much about a lot of those things any more.</p>

<p>Egg in my beer?...no...but I'll take some of that Scotch you had in another video topic. And a happy Thanksgiving to you and family as well, my friend!</p>

<p>Thanks for another tutorial, Steve. Since my favorite portrait lens is a non vr 135, I will drag the tripod out. I will use it with a remote trigger or fire off the tethered lap top to eliminate any shake from pressing the shutter. I spot focus so that was somewhat of a pain on tripod but since I shoot a bit loose anyway. Other thing I didn't like was the camera hanging off the side of the ball head for portrait orientation. I guess it's time for a really right stuff L bracket and head anyway.</p>

<p>Steve, you got me using the tripod mounted camera and have discovered the solution to one of my prior reservations, spot focusing was cumbersome on tripod. (the L bracket eliminated another pet peeve, the camera hanging in the slot) Nikon Camera Control pro 2 in live view allows positioning the focus point precisely from the monitor. It doesn't appear to be restricted to the on camera focus points. Then it allows manual fine tuning of the depth of the focus point + or -. If the nose isn't on the camera axis, I can fine tune the focus point and aperture/shutter from the lap top to just get both eyes in focus if that's desired and get the shallowest dof possible. Don't have to change the lights because I can adjust aperture/shutter speed one and then the other in the opposite direction. Since tripod eliminates camera movement, I don't need a max sync speed so start with 125- 160th. Not only have you brought more precision to my shoot, this gets me tack sharp eyes I was often missing as a result of hand holding a non vr telephoto lens. You know the deal, it was regularly missing on my favorite shot. Thanks for the tutorial. </p>