Tripod Usage?

[Jayson]

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.

[Squidy]

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.

[Kayaker72]

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.

[Dave Throgmartin]

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

[M_Six]

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.

[Sean Setters]

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.

[conropl]

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

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

[Kayaker72]

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

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.

[Sean Setters]

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. :-)

[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