In photography, a tripod is a three-legged stand for a camera, used to stabilize and elevate the camera.

A well-known rule in photography is that you can hold a camera by hand if the shutter speed is shorter than about the inverse of the focal length used (t < 1/f). So, if you’d use a 50mm standard lens to photograph a scene, you could handhold the camera when taking a picture if the shutter speed is about 1/50 second or shorter. If you use a too long exposure time without a tripod, the photo will appear to be blurry.

This rule works fairly well, although with a bit of practice (holding a camera steady) you can usually do better. For example, by not holding your breath but rather slowly exhaling while taking a photo you will cause less camera shake. Also, by firmly supporting both arms by your torso, the camera will be more steady.

The need for a tripod

Even though in many cases you can hand-hold a camera when taking a picture, it is always better to use a tripod. Careful inspection of the sharpness of the film will often reveal that photos taken with the camera on a sturdy tripod are sharper than hand-held photos even though the shutter time was fast.

A tripod is usually clumsy to carry around and many photographers hold their cameras in hand while shooting. But if you are out in nature specifically to take pictures, bring and use a tripod!

Choosing a tripod

There are many types of tripods available, but choose wisely. Some of which look really sophisticated and shiny while being made by plastic and only costing about $30. These are actually quite impractical (better than nothing though). As with so many things, all tripods are worth what they are sold for. If you are serious about photography, I’d recommend that you get a metal tripod from a brand like Bogen/Manfrotto or similar.

The second thing to look for when choosing a tripod is its head (where the camera will connect). I highly recommend that you get a tripod with a ball-head rather than a video-head. Ball-heads generally cost more, but allow the camera to point in almost any direction in any orientation and will allow you to aim and lock the camera quickly. This is particularly useful for subjects that require quick action such as lightning.

Tripod types

One of the first things you need to consider when buying a tripod is that it will safely support the size and weight of your camera and any lenses you will attach to it.

Mini/table top-tripod

Small and lightweight, a mini-tripod easily fits into a camera bag or purse. It can be placed on a table top or other level surface when needed. There are also heavy duty mini-tripods that have the features and flexibility of their full-sized counterparts. Some mini-tripods can be held against your chest to provide camera stability and prevent camera shake when there is no place to set down the tripod.

Compact tripod

A compact tripod has the height and most of the features of full-sized tripods but is lightweight. A compact tripods folds so it can be placed in a suitcase. It usually can not hold a camera more than a few pounds.

Full-sized tripod

Often the choice of professional and serious photographers where traveling light is not a concern, full-sized tripods can hold heavy cameras with long telephoto lenses. They have heavy duty construction and offer a variety of special features.

Monopod

In addition, some photographers use a one-legged telescoping stand called a monopod for convenience in setup and breakdown. A monopod requires the photographer to hold the camera in place, but because the photographer no longer has to support the full weight of the camera, it can provide many of the same stabilization advantages as a tripod.

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