Tripod Usage?

In the past I've primarily used my tripod as a means to make long exposures that are not possible to hold steady hand held. I know when doing landscape photography I should really use the tripod as a means to shoot at ISO 100 at my DOF chosen aperture regardless of lighting levels.

I think I am probably missing out by my photography being 98% hand held. I'm planning to use the tripod more for upcoming photography.

I was curious for the forum members:

a) What types of images do you use your tripod for?
b) For what percent of your photography do you use a tripod?
c) For those of you who have 50%+ tripod use, how heavy is your tripod/head rig?

Thank you
Dave

I have 4 support devices. 1 monopod (chicken foot from varizoom), ultra lightweight CF, medium weight CF, and large CF.

Heads are

small lightweight ball head (this really isn't a "pro" level piece, but it is very light)
Monopod head which is pretty light but is bigger in total size - it has a pan swivel in the clamp.
Medium ball head from Sunway - pretty good most the time
Large Ball from Vanguard (biggest CF tripod from Vanguard) it is "OK" but really isn't at the RRS level, etc.
RSS PG LLR -"the beast"

The lightest set can carefully take on the 5dIII w/ the 150-600 but not unattended in a breeze - it is more of a motion smoother/load taking than anything else - not going to extend a shutter speed.

The mono pod is really quite substantial and I used it for the most recent fireworks - no breeze, highly attended and on an intervalometer

The medium CF tripod can hold all my gear - indeed I hang my back pack from the center hook and use straps to stabilize the load to increase the mass of the entire rig. I have hung 50 lbs from it with out a problem.

The big CF tripod is used when I have am trying to get that ultra stable platform. It is a 3 piece that w/o head gets to 70" or so.

The thing I would do all over again is flip locks vs. twist locks. I am much faster setting up the flip lock tripods - getting level, secure, etc.

My 2 pennies

Let's see: tripod gets used for several things. Tilt-shift work. Detail work. Anything where I want repeatability. HDR. "Non-mobile" work with a super-telephoto and a gimbal head. A tiny bit of "studio" type work. Blurred waterfalls.

I have the (convenience+cost) of a wife who also shoots. We tend to collect "two of everything", but there's often a his and a hers (as you'd expect: mine is heavier but rated higher, hers is often lighter but rated less, etc.). We've now got two CF tripods (Manfrotto four-section with center post and flip locks, RRS four-section with leveling base and screw locks), two CF monopods (RRS 4-section and RRS 5-section, both screw lock), a Markins ballhead, a Wimberley head, and two RRS monopod heads. Now that I have the leveling base, and since the monopods are screw lock, I'm a lot quicker with the screw locks: extend two sections all the way, extend one leg further if needed, "toss" it in place, then level the base and I'm good to go. If I want to fiddle with the height, I can loosen a screw lock enough to slide it down a tiny bit, then tighten: can't do that easily with a flip lock.

Still, I'd say tripod use is <2% overall, though it may have been 10% or 15% on our recent cruise (in part due to the rental of the 600/4).

How often do you use the tripod, Mike?

peety3 and I appear to be in the same boat - 2% use!

Dave

I'm using the tripod for:

- Long exposures
- Some kind of MACRO shots
- Sunrise\Sunset with limit light
- Wildlife to "rest" my arms :D

Use tripods quite a lot. Product photography, macro outdoors, landscapes, sports shooting, architectural, studio portraiture with cable release so I can still engage with clients, and the list could go on for a while. The short list is I try to use a tripod as much as possible. Preferred is an Auctus 323 in studio and short trips, Gitzo 3 series for travelling, monopod, and very compact folding tripod for ultimate in light weight.
Heads I use in order of most use: Manfrotto 410 a geared head for precision alignment, Arca Swiss Z1, Sirui gimble head.
Did I mention that I really like that big heavy beast of an Auctus for its sturdiness?

I am probably going to be the odd one here, but most of my shots are on a tripod (90%+). The only time the camera is off the tripod is when I am in the kayak, and then I have to shot completely different. The only other time is snap shots, and those typically just get erased (they do not make it past the first cull). Most of my shots are planned, and then I react to (or take advantage of) the changes in lighting and conditions. Although, I have to admit, my framing is usually different than I planned.

I am almost always shooting sunrises or sunsets +/- an hour (even on the kayak), or late at night. So, low light conditions. Macros and animals are my opportunistic shots, but even then it is fairly low light and I try to use a tripod if I can.

I use a 1.4 lb Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp ball head, and a 6.3 lb Induro CT-414 tripod

More specifically to your questions:
a) What types of images do you use your tripod for?(Landscape, Macro, and Wildlife)
b) For what percent of your photography do you use a tripod?(90%+)
c) For those of you who have 50%+ tripod use, how heavy is your tripod/head rig?(7.7 lbs w/o camera and lens)

Well more than 2% probably closer to 10% overall. But that isn't the way to measure it I don't think. I use it 95% of the time I am planning to use a tripod - that sounds obvious but I plan whole efforts/trips expecting to use a tripod for the types of shots I am taking. Sometimes I don't bother if the shutter speeds are up.

There are trips/efforts that I know I am not going to use it and typically don't. When I don't have specific plan and I take one along, it is very much an element of the time I have available to take either the pix, or ground that I have to cover.

If I am going to the local botanical garden then 80%+, If I am covering a new area and can return, then I usually bring it but don't use it often as I will return w/ a plan.

The thing that I found is that when I do want to use it, having to fiddle w/ the less capable models is really frustrating - go with quality.

I have a tripod, but I use it less than 10% of the time. It's a Manfrotto CF with a Giottos head. When used it is mainly for macro, some portraits, and wildlife with a Wimberley Sidekick. Maybe I should make that a goal of mine this year, to get up to 50% use with a tripod - probably improve my shots :)

Hi Dave, I haven't had a tripod for long, well i did have one when I started out but it soon broke and so for 10 months now I've just been shooting handheld, I did get another one a few weeks ago though and I am using it quite a bit now, I'd say 65% time I use it and mostly for Macro, close up, product shots, landscape, and some portraits (if I can get someone to pose), and it a all-in-one tripod and about 3-4 pounds, 30$ US but it's much better quality than the last though, proof that you don't need a 100-700$ tripod.

thanks for reading

i'll add this for funnies :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRvaVulWTLc

I use to hardly ever use a tripod, but I didn't really shoot a whole bunch of landscapes. I have made it a point to shoot more of those this year and use a tripod for every one. I like to shoot both my 7D and 6D on separate tripods. Usually the 7D does the long exposure and the 6D does the HDR stuff. Once I get my birthday lens, that is probably going to switch. I have two cheaper tripods, one being a silk pro700??? and the other is a dolce cheap bullhead I recently purchased off amazon. I am thinking of investing is a ball head for the Silk since it is a pano head because the ball head is so much easier to use. The Dolce is super light. I tend to use it with the legs completely spread so it is very low to the ground. Don't really trust it with my gear at normal height. The Silk is a beast and is probably 10lbs. It gets anything longer than 70mm.

I have a pretty steady hand so macro and wildlife is all hand held. Landscapes are 100% tripod. Hope that helps.

I use my tripod for landscapes/sunrises, sunsets and for long exposures. I've got a carbon fibre Manfrotto so it's pretty light and I've got a decent head on it (unlike me, my head is awful to look at). I'd say I use it over 50% of the time as I have time to get the shot right. The rest of the time i'm wandering around the city and just taking random snaps.

Tough to say how often I use a tripod. Similar to what Mike said, I use it 95% of the time that I plan on using it. But a lot of my photography is family, family events, etc. For those, I pretty much only use the tripod for group shots, or as a light stand.

But, general uses:

• Long exposures
• When I want to be in the photo (family group shots)
• When I want as much sharpness as possible (some of my landscapes)
• When I want to be as deliberate as possible and take the time to evaluate my horizon, camera level, extra time with framing, etc.
• Some wildlife photography. Often to simply rest the camera/lens while I wait, but occasionally, I've shot from the tripod.

I currently have a "light" set up. Gitzo 1542T with Markins Q3T ballhead. At some point I will probably get a "heavy" set up, but I have to say, I find even my light set up very useful and stable.

It's great to see the wide variety of responses to the tripod question. My intent going forward is to plan to use the tripod more often, specifically when taking landscape photos.

I was primarily curious to see who else falls into high % tripod use category. Most seem to have typical use. If it is low light then most use the tripod. If it's a general landscape then maybe yes or no.

I was also interested to see for those who use tripods often how heavy they are. I'm presently using a Manfrotto 055XPROB with the 498RC2 ball head. It's fairly heavy at 6.8 lbs. It's heavier than the typical person wants to hike around with. But, it'd be light for Pat with his combo at 7.7 lbs! Brant's tripod is just 2.2 lbs. There's a lot of variety and I like to see the different approaches.

Dave

If I could travel to some locations alone, I'd be tempted to use a tripod and be very deliberate with my shots, using smaller apertures and longer shutter speeds. Mirror lockup and filters and the whole nine yards. But while my wife is quite patient with my hobby, the time needed for such precision photography would just create unnecessary stress, so better to avoid it. Plus as much as I always have great expectations of printing very large, I just never do. 8-1/2 x 11 on my printer if I print at all. So the need for high detail precision is really not there.

I'll retire 4 or 5 years before my wife does, so maybe then I'll squeak in some solo trips.

My tripod use has gone up significantly over the past few years. I typically use a tripod in the following situations:

landscapes
architecture & real estate
group pictures
in-studio
macro
panoramas
self-portraits

Times when I don't use a tripod? Whenever I grab the camera and walk out the door to walk around the neighborhood and, typically, sports or event photography where it's more run-and-gun type of shooting (although I do use a monopod sometimes for long field sports). Also, for outdoor off-camera flash lit portraiture, it's about 50/50.

My tripod is an Induro CT314 with an Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 head.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sean Setters

...My tripod is an Induro CT314 with an Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 head.

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If I was to do it over, I would probably get the CT314 instead of the CT414 just to save the extra pound. Otherwise, I have the same set up as you, and have not really regretted it.

Pat

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dave Throgmartin

for Pat with his combo at 7.7 lbs! Brant's tripod is just 2.2 lbs.

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And Gitzo just released updates that are even lighter.

Of course, intended use is one of the first things to consider. I wanted a good trip that I could travel and hike with. I wanted it to fit into a couple of different suitcases. After much deliberation, I bought the GT1542T with no regrets. It does exactly what I wanted it too.

The larger/heavier tripods not only support heavier gear, but also give more stability. So, it is a trade off. At some point, I'll likely have a heavier set up as well. But that is a few years off.

I rarely ever hike with mine (the CT314 might have 10-15 miles under its belt) and I've only flown with it a couple of times (it fits diagonally in my largest checked luggage). My priorities were maximum height and excessive stability (and I've been happy with my choice).

On the few occasions I did hike a short distance with the tripod attached to a backpack, I seriously considered the benefits of a more compact, lighter weight option to add to the arsenal. :-)

Based off other reading I had though the modern Arca Swiss ball heads did not play nice with the traditional "standard" Arca Swiss system -- RRS, Kirk camera plates, etc... would not fit.

Am I mistaken with that point?

Dave

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dave Throgmartin

Based off other reading I had though the modern Arca Swiss ball heads did not play nice with the traditional "standard" Arca Swiss system -- RRS, Kirk camera plates, etc... would not fit.

Am I mistaken with that point?

Dave

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If I understand what you are saying, I would say you are mistaken. I have Kirk "L" bracket on my camera, Wimberley plate on a lens foot, and some other off brand on another lens foot. All work fine with my Arca-Swiss ball head.

As for my tripod... I debated over light vs. stiffness. I also wanted the hieght without jacking up the column. The big and heavy tripod solved more problems for me. I do not mind carrying the weight. The camera and lens are usually on the tripod when I hike. It is extended and I throw it over my shoulder. Or I can fold it and strap it over my shoulder or back pack. I can tear it down and pack it in a suitcase, or I ship it to my destination. I would like a light one as a backup some day... but there are other things before that.

A bit of a follow up. That Auctus 323 weighs around 8 lbs before adding the head. It is far more stable than my older Gitzo 3 LS series especially on a windy day, just a wee bit heavier, about 2x, and far less costly especially when on sale which doesn't happen often enough with Gitzo. Being rated for 40 lbs of load it will take anything I can throw on it. The center column is very rigid with tapered locking mechanisms on both the top and bottom.
One thing I have noticed looking at newer Gitzos in the stores is that the leg angle locking mechanism seems to have been changed and is no longer as wide nor as steeply angled, with a poorer fit, as it used to be for optimum self-locking properties. The newer travel series have even narrower points of contact with the legs. I am curious as to whether this has affected the overall stability of the tripods?

Edit: I should add that at least 80% of my shots come from a tripod, or a monopod. The improvements from the stability are very much worth the time and developing the disciplined approach which I did carry over from film and especially MF. Of course if I did street photography, not studio and landscape primarily, I would expect my usage to be VERY different......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jrw

...The improvements from the stability are very much worth the time and developing the disciplined approach which I did carry over from film and especially MF. Of course if I did street photography, not studio and landscape primarily, I would expect my usage to be VERY different......

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This is a good point. I do a fair amount of manual focus (MF). I do this on a lot of my landscapes, and 100% of the time at night. I find the heavy sturdy tripod to be far less frustrating when zooming in 10X on a star to MF.

Plus, if it gets windy I can hang a weight from the center column and the legs do not splay out a all. I also regularly set up the tripod in 5 feet of water and let the camera sit about 8 inches above the water for extended periods of time... the reason I now use a wireless remote (my wired remote took a fatal bath). I would not hang that much money of the water if I did not trust the tripod.

Having said all that... I am not a small person and I usually have my wife with me and she does not seem to mind carrying my gear (mostly lenses). Over the years I have learned to bring less with me... filters, remote, 2-3 lenses (a couple are quit heavy), 1D X, and tripod/head. If I want a monopod... then I do not open the legs of the tripod. So with the help of my wife, the heavier gear is not that big of a problem. But if I was by myself a lot or was hiking 8+ miles, then I would re-think this.

For this shot, I hiked a difficult/rough 7-8 miles with everything I owned on my back and around my neck because I was not sure where I would be able to shoot from. I had just injured my heal and was limping around when we decided to go to Spray Falls... I was never so happy to get back to the car, and I probably did not stay and shoot as long as I would have if I was not so beat. This is one of the cases that I would have loved to have a lighter load.
https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6165/...03c25597_z.jpg
Spray Falls by Pat Conroy, on Flickr

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dave Throgmartin

Based off other reading I had though the modern Arca Swiss ball heads did not play nice with the traditional "standard" Arca Swiss system -- RRS, Kirk camera plates, etc... would not fit.

Am I mistaken with that point?

Dave

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I am not sure what you are reading. There may be some truth to it, or maybe not. All "arca swiss" style plates made by different manufacturers are not actually the same size. This is somewhat irrelevant if your head/plateform is a screw in type as each time you screw in the clamp, you "customize it" to the specific plate. But, for example, I have a Really Right Stuff "L bracket" plate and a Markins "quick release" ballhead/platform. Different manufacturers, potentially slightly different sizes. But, my quick release clamp/platform is customizable and I have it set up to Really Right Stuff's dimensions. I might not be able to take a Kirk plate and put it on my ballhead as that might have slightly different dimensions (for example).

So, if this is what you are referring, that the "arca swiss" plates can be slightly different between manufacturers, the solution is to:

1. Have a screw in clamp
2. Have a customizable quick release clamp and use plates from the same manufacturer (this is what I do)
3. Buy ballheads and plates from the same manufacturer.

A bit more on this can be found here and here.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dave Throgmartin

Based off other reading I had though the modern Arca Swiss ball heads did not play nice with the traditional "standard" Arca Swiss system -- RRS, Kirk camera plates, etc... would not fit.

Am I mistaken with that point?

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I too find this surprising to hear. I've got a mixed system from three manufacturers with no show-stoppers:

RRS: L-brackets on 2 cameras, screw clamps on monopod and tripod, lever clamps on floor plate, leveling head, dovetail plate under 4 heads
Wimberley: dovetail plate for 3 cameras, dovetail plate for 4 lenses, gimbal head
Markins: screw clamp on ballhead

I do find that there's some compromise with the mix&match when it comes to safety features: the Markins head has a retractable pin for a safety catch, and the RRS L-brackets don't engage the pin.

I do like that the RRS lever clamps are very intelligently made: the lever has basically three "happy positions": fully clamped, half-open which is slide ONLY (so any plate with safety stop screws is still captive; anything else is slide out but not flop out), and full-open which is obviously completely un-captive.

Sorry, what I should said is the Arca Swiss ball heads do not appear to be made with customization in mind. I read of glued fasteners holding the clamp on and of the Slidefix QS and Fliplock being proprietary style.

Dave

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dave Throgmartin

Sorry, what I should said is the Arca Swiss ball heads do not appear to be made with customization in mind. I read of glued fasteners holding the clamp on and of the Slidefix QS and Fliplock being proprietary style.

Dave

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The Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1's QR is in fact glued into the ball head now. I ran into an issue when I bought one and tried to replace it with an RRS QR clamp (which is possible, but you have to jump through hoops to get it done).

Thanks for the information Sean.

The Manfrotto ball head I'm using is nice, but the RC2 system seems unstable and I think is causing some sag right after tightening the ball head. I've wanted to get into the Arca Swiss clamping system so I picked up a used 6D plate off Lens Authority and a new Wimberley C-12 clamp that I intend to use to replace the RC2 on my 498 ball head.

If this doesn't work out I will plan to use the Wimberley plate on a higher end ball head, but I don't want the $300+ answer unless it is necessary.

Dave

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dave Throgmartin

If this doesn't work out I will plan to use the Wimberley plate on a higher end ball head, but I don't want the $300+ answer unless it is necessary.

Dave

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If your original plan doesn't work out, you may want to take a look at the Top Ball Heads Comparison that DPReview did. It's actually very informative.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sean Setters

If your original plan doesn't work out, you may want to take a look at the Top Ball Heads Comparison that DPReview did. It's actually very informative.

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My Wimberley clamp came in today and I attempted to replace the 498RC2 clamp, but it ended up not working out. I think Manfrotto must be using some type of thread locker because the hex shape in the screw rounded before the screw came loose.

I'm not sure what direction to go now. Decisions, decisions...

Dave

A large amount of direct (but even) heat [torch] may solve the issue, but try it at your own risk.