tripod shooters

Hi, For those of you who utilize tripods, I am wondering if...

 

A) you always use a cable release cord or do some of you skip that and just

directly push the shutter button?

 

B) you ever use a flash bracket in combination with your tripod (perhaps when

shooting formals)?

 

Thank you, Lia

A. No, I don't use a cable release--I should, but I use the much less safe "push down on the camera/tripod" method, but I'm usually not using really long shutter speeds. I might be more inclined to use a cable release if using speed of 1/4 sec and longer.

 

B. I always use a flash bracket, even on the tripod. I use a Really Right Stuff clamp on the tripod, and a plate is on the bottom of my flash bracket. My bracket is the kind tha rotates the camera. I've tried to go bracketless, but find I still have too much stuff to put on the camera.

I use a Manfrotto 3051 tripod... It's a monster... You couldn't that that puppy with jack hammer. Failing that, hang your camera bag on the hook beneath the tripod for some extra stability.

I should add, if I were to use a cable release, I'd also want to use mirror lockup.

I always use a cable release on tripod, but the reason I'm using tripod is because it's during the time of the ceremony when flash is banned, so therefore the flash bracket is not really in use. Most of the time it's still attached to my camera, but the flash is turned off.

This is going to depend on: camera, lens, tripod and tripod head. I have the Bogen medium ball head and it's pretty iffy with a 180/2.8 below 1/60 sec without a cable release. Short lenses, not som much of a difference. Now, for the D80 there's an accessory, very cheap, wireless remote that Nikon sells and it makes a big difference. I wish more cameras still had standard cable release sockets.

I'm totally amateur but have developed a technique for shooting my family (indoors) playing table games.

 

Zeiss did studies (1970s?) and found that by pressing some of your weight down on the camera and tripod when you shoot, your pics will be as sharp or even sharper than if you'd used a cable release. I tried that and found that it's true, but only if you use a big, high quality head.

 

Today I use an Arca Swiss Monoball. I can loosesn it enough to move my camera around and shoot different people and yet it will still be tight enough that I can put several pounds of pressure on it (and stabilize the shot) without having it slip. But you need a big, smooth, quality ball head.

 

This technique is the best that I've found if I want to quickly change compositions, take a lot of photos and still gain all the benefits of using a tripod.

 

For landscapes I have a bungee looped to the bottom of the center post. I step into it before shooting and that REALLY stabilizes things.

I use a cable release at 1/20 or slower.

Whenever I use a tri pod I do always use a cable release, but I seldom use a tripod. Never use

da flash when I use a tri pod.

A) sometimes

 

B) I have my camera on a Custom Bracket frame and that mounts to the 'pod.

Hi Lisa -

 

a) no, push down on camera and press the shutter.

 

b) yes, RRS ballhead with quick-release on tripod. RRS L-plate on camera. RRS "portrait-

perfect" flash bracket (not the new wedding bracket.) It's a quick on-the-go system allows

both vertical and horizontal shots when attached to tripod.

 

Regards,

paul

I meant to say I never used a flash with tripod, not da flash.

The reason I use a tripod is to steady long lenses. If we're talking about using the "problem" shutter speeds where mirror lock-up and cable releases are necessary (1/30 to 1/4), then subject movement becomes a bigger issue.

 

To me, a cable release/remote and MLU are for macro shots of stationary objects.

 

 

Eric

The Monopod http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/387806-REG/Bogen_Manfrotto_685B_685B_NeoTec_Monopod_Deluxe.html with a Linhoff quick release

Thank you all for your responses. I don't use my tripod much but will be doing so for an

upcoming wedding.

 

I just realized that my new MC-30 Remote Cord will only work with my D200 and not my D70

(which was the camera that I was planning on putting on the tripod). There is a MC-DC1

Remote Cord that works with the Nikon D70s. Apparently if I use the D70 with the tripod I

will have to

manually push the shutter release button!

Bob I was looking into the pod recently (http://www.thepod.ca/), though not necessarily for

weddings. I am surprised to hear that you can use that with a bracket- wow!

I always use a tripod and a cable release for formals, always have bracket and flash mounted. Use tripod & cable release from back of church without flash with WA or long lens. Use monopod during ceremony when flash not allowed.

 

I find by using tripod, cable release and flash on bracket, with additional flash on a stand, during formals I am free to move around while I'm posing groups. Also if I have to use a slow shutter speed, which I do a lot in churches, then I'm okay on camera shake. By using flash on a bracket while on tripod I can switch between portrait and landscape quickly and keep flash centered over lens. Using a cable release insures I eliminate camera shake and also allows me to watch subjects, especially large groups, better than having to look through viewfinder.

 

I use Stroboframe Pro-T bracket and QR system. I have QR receivers on bracket and both my tripod and monopod and QR plates on camera bodies and long lenses.

By the time you are in MLU or cable release territory vis a vis shutter speed you are likely to get subject movement anyway, especially when capturing a ceremony. As far as portraits go holding still for a 1/20th is OK, not moving for a 1/10th for more than one photo will become extremely tedious for the people being photographed and it will show in the rather static and frozen portraits. Maybe not for one but if it's an entire session? Forget it. That is why I still need f2.8 on my 24-70L, the 3 weddings last week I used f2.8 at a 1/40th outdoors iso 400, I would use a 1/30th but then I would just up the iso, one of the beauties of the 5D is that I'm not scared of an order for a large print shot at iso 800!

 

My problem with cable releases are that they only work if you can seperate the focus from the shutter release (CF4-1 on Canon's) and you can ensure that the point of focus won't change or move. OK for groups, not so OK for the ceremony or more natural looking B&G pictures where you are trying to catch a look between them or a kiss. Hard to ask them to hold the dip and kiss just there while you recompose (needs two hands with a tripod as you have to recompose the camera then tighten the head) and trip the shutter with the release.

 

I use a tripod outdoors especially with those kind of shutter speeds, I have a 'joystick' head which makes focus and recompose lightening fast and I use the shutter release with my other hand holding the tripod steady. I use a manfrotto MF3 CF tripod which is heavy and bulky enough for stability, (I totalled 2 flash shoes knocking over my far lighter Velbon CF tripod which preceded it) and I haven't had any problems.

Lisa--I think when Bob says, "the 'pod", he means tripod, not the product called The Pod.

'I think when Bob says, "the 'pod", he means tripod, not the product called The Pod.'

 

Ha ha, thanks Nadine, I guess my mind went to the other Pod because I had just been looking at it earlier that day!

I'm another one that uses a tripod for formals without a remote release. I have one in the bag, but never bring it out for this. Occasionally I don't even use the tripod, but I find that it helps me with more consistent framing, as well as some sharpness gains. I's usually using an IS lens so the tripod really isn't necessary in most conditions.

 

I also leave the bracket on the camera and attach the bracket to the tripod. Since it is a camera rotating type bracket there is no real reason to remove it, and I still want the flash to stay on top of the camera, even if it is only used for fill lighting. When I used a flash flip type bracket I found it too annoying to use it on the tripod. That's the primary reason I switched to a camera rotating type.