A tripod is a simple piece if kit. Depending on what you want it can be very cheap or extremely expensive. Like everything you get what you pay for. It used to be simple: the more you spent, the stronger and sturdier your tripod would be. With the advent of high-tech materials there is now also a third dimension to consider: weight, or rather lightness if you go for a carbon fibre tripod.
Anatomy of a tripod
A tripod consists of four elements: feet, legs, head and mount.
The feet and legs are usually considered as one item but many of the professional units these days have interchangeable feet. Indeed when I bought my legs several years ago they came with rubber/plastic feet that I later upgraded to spikes for better grip outdoors. The spikes have a rubber foot on a screw thread that can be wound down for indoor use.
The legs on most tripods are extendable to raise/lower the operating height of the camera and many also allow the legs to be spread out to almost horizontal further increasing the stability, decreasing the minimum height and lowering the centre of gravity.
A tripod head is not a trivial thing. It’s usually a precision machined component and the ‘business end’ of the tripod. It’s job is to support the camera and lens whilst allowing them to be tilted, swivelled, panned etc. to your heart’s desire to properly frame the shot.
Lastly there is the mount. This is the mechanism by which the camera is attached to the tripod head. The standard mechanism is via a screw into the bottom of the camera body or lens. This system dates back to the very dawn of photography and has been adapted by many camera manufacturers to incorporate a quick release plate. The plate screws into the base of the camera/lens which then attaches via a quick release mechanism to the tripod head. The advantage of this is the photographer can quickly remove the camera from the tripod without having to fiddle around with screws.
How to choose a tripod…
Step 1 – Assess your need
As with any other piece of kit, before buying a tripod for your camera, ask yourself why you need it and what you’re going to use it for. If you want the latest and greatest, most lightweight piece of kit you’re planning to spend a lot of money. But do you need it? If you do a lot of work trekking through the wilderness carrying your kit on your back then weight is a major factor. If you spend most of your time in the studio, then it doesn’t really matter how much it weighs provided you can lift it. In the latter case you’d be better investing your money in a sturdy set of legs and a really good head.
Your choice will ultimately be determined by your budget and choice of manufacturer.
Step 2 – Fix your head
The two most common types of tripod head are the pan/tilt head and the ball head. I have both but I favour the ball head because of its speed. It’s a simple arrangement of a ball and socket that allows complete freedom for tilting and swivelling the camera through a hemispherical arc. When set you just lock it in place and you’re good to go.
Where the ball head falls down is in its ability to pan and this is where the pan/tilt head comes into its own. It gives you the ability to control the roll, pitch and yaw of the camera independently. Unlike the ball head you can slacken off the yaw (azimuth) and use the head for panning. It’s therefore much better suited for panoramic shots where the final image is a composite of several others.
Which ever head you decide to opt for, you need to know two figures: the maximum weight it can carry and how heavy it is.
The max weight the head can carry is important because that dictates how heavy the camera + lens + accessories are that it can safely hold. If you buy a head that’s only rated at a couple of kg and try to put a 500mm f/4 lens on it, you’re asking for trouble.
Likewise the weight of the head is significant too because this dictates how strong the legs must be.
Step 3 – Choosing the right legs
The legs should be able to easily cope with the weight of your camera body + heaviest lens you’re likely to use + accessories + the tripod head. I’d also add a margin of safety too, just in case. It also future proofs your investment as you upgrade your camera equipment.
Once you know how strong your legs must be, you’ve narrowed the field somewhat. You should also consider the operating height range and the weight of the legs themselves. This will dictate the material they’re constructed from and have a direct impact on price.
Conclusion
Choosing a new tripod can be as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. You can save a lot of money by deciding what you actually need rather than going for the latest, super lightweight models. Provided its strong enough and meets your needs that’s all that matters.
If you’ve recently invested in a new tripod or are thinking of doing so soon, let me know. I’d be very interested in hearing what your decision criteria were/are.
