What Is A Camera Stand Called
The tripod: a iii-legged photographic camera back up. Why is the tripod market then flooded with options when they all await pretty much the same and are designed to do the same exact thing? Isn't one tripod as good as any other? Why are some so expensive? Why are others insufficiently inexpensive? Practise some concur cameras more than steadily than others? And, why in the world is that one pinkish?
In this article, we volition be emphasizing the use of a tripod for photography. There may be mentions of video features, as some parts can overlap in functionality, only true video tripod systems can exist vastly unlike from their even so-photography counterparts.
The primary purpose of the tripod is to concord a camera completely steady—zero movement and vibration; however, the tripod is very, very far from a i-size-fits-all-photographic accessory. And, although they all look about the same—three legs, a office where the camera attaches, etc., there are many brands, styles, and variations. Some differences are centered on personal preference such as colour; others are more purpose-driven.
If you lot know everything there is to know most tripods and you just want to encounter some recommendations, please surf on over to 10 Recommended Full-Size Tripods or the 12 Recommended Travel Tripods articles or head to the B&H Tripods and Support page.
However, if you want to learn more well-nigh what makes up the modernistic tripod, and delve deeper into the different characteristic sets of these supports, keep reading.
The Parts
Nigh all tripods can be broken down into basic components. In the diagram below, we take labeled the different parts of the tripod. Almost every part comes in different shapes, sizes, and materials. All the parts perform basically the same job, and the overall goal of the tripod is stability for your camera.
Permit'southward take a closer await at every component, working from the top to the bottom ("from the caput to the anxiety," in tripod colloquial) and discuss the possible variations between types of tripods.
The Head
At that place are several bones types of tripod heads. The primary purposes of the tripod caput are to provide a mode to attach your camera to the tripod, allow repositioning of the photographic camera to frame the prototype you wish to capture, and so hold the photographic camera steady while the photo is taken. What follows is a rundown of tripod head options.
3-Mode / Pan and Tilt Head
The near traditional type of tripod caput is the three-way or pan-and-tilt head. It is identified past the three control arms extending from the body of the head. They are used to adjust the position of the head i axis at a fourth dimension—vertical, horizontal, and panning. Moving the head virtually one of the axes is accomplished by "loosening" one of the artillery with a twist, repositioning the head, and so re-tightening the arm.
The advantages of the three-style head are: precise movements most one axis and ease of employ. The disadvantage is size—they are mostly beefy due to the extending artillery. This makes them somewhat unattractive for travel.
Iii-way heads are ordinarily used for landscape photography, nonetheless-life studio work, and macro photography. However, they can certainly be used for capturing all types of images.
The Ball Head
The ball head is a relatively recent invention, compared to some other types of heads. The blueprint consists of a ball enclosed in a housing with a tightening knob. When the knob is loosened, the brawl can be repositioned. When the camera is in the desired position, the knob is tightened and the ball (and photographic camera) remain still.
There are some ball heads that have secondary and tertiary controls, too. Some have panning bases with a separate knob to lock the head in the panning axis. Others have adjustable friction knobs and controls that allow adjustment of the main knob's friction for more than precise control.
For positioning the photographic camera ninety degrees from horizontal, many ball heads have one or more cutouts in the housing that allow the ball'due south stem to swivel downwards and be positioned at right angles to vertical.
The advantages of the brawl caput are its compact size (when compared to iii-mode heads) and ease of apply. The simplest ball heads have merely one adjustment knob for repositioning the camera at virtually whatever angle. Also, considering of their simplicity, repositioning the head is often a very quick matter. Considering of its versatility, the ball head can exist used for any type of photographic application.
Pistol Grip Heads
The pistol grip caput is a variation of the ball head. Instead of having a knob to tighten the housing effectually the ball, the belongings power is provided past a spring-loaded squeeze grip. To reposition the head, yous squeeze a handle. Once the photographic camera or caput is in position, you release the grip and the caput stays in that position.
Advantages of the pistol grip head are simplicity of use while providing a very fast means of repositioning the caput. Disadvantages are generally the lower weight capacity of this manner of caput. With an accent on repositioning speed, the pistol grip heads are preferred past some wild animals and sports photographers.
Geared Heads
The geared head is a variant of the three-way head, merely, instead of handles that loosen their axis when twisted, a system of gears moves the head well-nigh one particular centrality when the handles are twisted. This gearing allows for very fine and precise adjustments—the geared head'south biggest advantage. The disadvantages of these heads, when compared to other styles, are weight, complication, and the relatively slow speed of repositioning.
Because of the precision built into the geared caput, it is preferred by architectural photographers and anyone who needs super-accurate photographic camera positioning.
Gimbal Heads
The gimbal caput is the exclusive domain of the large and heavy telephoto lens. Because of the shift in a camera/lens combination'southward center of gravity when using extremely large lenses, the gimbal head is attached to the lens's tripod attachment point, non to the photographic camera. It is designed to allow rapid movements of the lens to track fast-moving subjects. When gear up properly, the camera will remain steady even when not being held by the photographer.
Gimbal heads are large and heavy, merely necessary for a sure type of long-lens photography. Also, specialized mounting plates are needed for specific lenses. Considering of this blueprint, and the systems with which information technology is designed to work, the gimbal caput is ubiquitous in the world of wild animals and sports photography but not very useful for other full general imaging purposes.
Purchasing Tip: The caput is where the tripod becomes most specialized. Advisedly consider your photographic needs, as well as portability. The multi-purpose ball head is the nigh versatile tripod caput available. When in dubiousness, cull the ball head!
The Chassis (or Spider)
This is the apex of the tripod, where the legs connect. The chassis forms a platform for mounting a caput, or it serves to surround the tripod's heart column. Some chassis that allow direct mounting of the tripod head feature interchangeable middle plates that permit the improver of an optional eye cavalcade or other types of mounting systems. The chassis is usually fabricated from some sort of metal alloy. Maximum stability is gained with a tripod that does non have a telescoping center column chassis.
Multi-Angle Leg Locks
Near tripod legs are "multi-bending." This means that y'all tin adjust the spread of the legs to allow the tripod to exist used at dissimilar heights or in awkward areas where 1 leg or more legs cannot be at the same angle as the others. Some chassis allow the legs to achieve a nearly horizontal position, and some, especially for travel tripods, allow the legs to invert for more than compact storage.
The leg locks are designed to hold the legs at a prescribed angle and come in designs of all types. Some accept pull-out tabs that unlock the leg angle, others have sliders, some have friction knobs, and some have spring-loaded mechanisms.
Purchasing Tip: Leg locks come in all shapes and sizes and are notorious for pinching unwary fingers or hands. Pay close attention to the design of the locks and run into if they work for your needs—and exist careful not to get pinched!
Center Column
The tripod center cavalcade is either mounted to the chassis, or permitted to slide through it to extend the tripod's height fifty-fifty farther than the leg/chassis lone. Many center columns are reversible to allow y'all to mountain your camera below the tripod chassis for macro or other depression-to-the-ground shots. Well-nigh eye columns accept a friction collar that keeps them in place until they are called to extend. Some have a geared organisation with which you can crank a lever to enhance and lower the column. The creepo systems are usually seen on heavier studio tripods considering they add together considerable weight to the tripod organisation.
Oftentimes, a gear hook can be found at the bottom of the heart column. This allows you to add stabilizing weight to the rig in the grade of defended weights, or your own photographic camera purse.
Shooting Tip: The general dominion is that you should non extend the middle column unless it's necessary to become the shot, since there is a loss in stability and an increase in possible vibrations when the cavalcade is extended. This is especially true with multi-section center columns.
Lateral Arms
The center column may double as a lateral arm that allows yous to clear (or insert) the center column to a horizontal position. This is useful for table-top shooting, macro subjects, and more than.
There are also add-on lateral arms that can be added to a tripod or head when needed.
Shooting Notation: When using lateral arms, pay close attention to the center of gravity of your rig and know that nigh tripod heads are designed to work in parallel with gravity. When working on a lateral arm, all the support will be perpendicular to gravity and stability may be compromised.
Legs
All tripods have legs. 3, in fact. But, there are variations in how those legs are synthetic and how they work.
Sections
Except for single-section tripod legs, nearly tripod legs are telescoping and collapsible for the purposes of height adjustment and ship. The more sections the legs have, the shorter they tin can be retracted. Withal, the more sections you have, the less stability you volition reach.
Shooting Tip: If possible, avoid extending the smallest department of the tripod all the manner. Leaving the bottom department partially retracted tin can add together overall stability to the rig.
Material
There are iii basic materials* for the modern tripod leg: aluminum, carbon fiber, and wood. All of them have inherent advantages and disadvantages.
| Blazon | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Wood | ▪ Vibration absorption ▪ Ecological ▪ Non-conducting ▪ Temperature tolerant ▪ Durable ▪ Corrosion resistant | ▪ Weight ▪ Does not fold to compact size |
| Aluminum | ▪ Skillful force-to-weight ratio ▪ Durable ▪ Value | ▪ Cold to touch when cold outside ▪ Hot to bear upon in hot environments Corrosion |
| Carbon Fiber | ▪ Good vibration dampening ▪ Excellent strength-to-weight ratio ▪ Temperature tolerant ▪ No corrosion | ▪ Expensive ▪ Not as durable to impact |
* At that place are other materials available, from mutual ABS plastic to steel to exotic basalt lava, but the Big Three are listed in the tabular array in a higher place.
To combat thermal properties, and provide a more comfortable conveying feel, many tripod legs have foam leg protectors, and aftermarket protectors can be purchased to accessorize to your tripod.
Leg Locks
Multi-department tripod legs will have some sort of locking machinery to prevent the legs from retracting when loaded or from extending further. The ii most mutual types of leg locks are the flip lock and the twist lock.
The flip lock is a lever that tightens around the next smaller section of the tripod leg. Once the legs are retracted, or at the length you desire, yous flip the lock to the closed position and the legs will remain in that position. The twist lock accomplishes the aforementioned tightening by turning the lock through approximately 1-quarter turn. Twist to loosen, extend or retract the legs, and then twist to tighten.
| Blazon | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Flip Lock | ▪ Quick ▪ Easy | ▪ Not weather sealed ▪ Can be jammed by debris ▪ Can loosen over time (most can be re-tightened) |
| Twist Lock | ▪ Better sealing ▪ Fewer parts | ▪ More hard to use for some |
The type of lock might also determine the shape of the legs. Twist-lock legs volition inevitably exist circular, while the flip-lock legs may be triangular or have another shape to permit the flip locks to be mounted.
Feet
At the finish of each leg there is a pes. Depending on the tripod, the human foot might be as unproblematic as a rubber bumper. Or, the foot can accept a retractable spike beneath a prophylactic pad. Some tripods accept interchangeable feet so the photographer can switch out the type of foot, depending on the terrain and his or her needs. Options include, spikes, strakes, clawed anxiety, and diverse rubber bumpers.
What Else Exercise You Need to Know?
Now that we have taken an in-depth wait at the tripod'due south components, let'southward discuss some other important subjects.
Load Capacity
Load capacity is crucially of import to a tripod purchasing determination, yet it is oftentimes a confusing topic. Here is our endeavor to articulate up the noise in the shadow areas.
Tripod legs and heads have specified load capacities. The stability of the combination of the legs and head is equal to the lower of the two. For instance, if you accept tripod legs with a 40-lb load chapters and a tripod caput with a 20-lb load capacity, the effective load capacity of your setup is 20 lb. The same rule applies in instances where the head has a college capacity than the legs (rare, but certainly possible). The load capacity is non indicative of the breaking strength of the component, nor does it signal when the setup volition collapse.
This specification shows at what weight the stability of the arrangement starts to become compromised as far as stability is concerned. Therefore, putting a 21-lb load on a tripod with a 20-lb load chapters will not crusade dramatic textile failure and tripod explosion. However, the stability of your 21-lb photographic camera and lens will begin to be compromised—meaning the unit may not hold the photographic camera every bit steady equally you would like. Every bit an example, for those who have overloaded a ball head, you may accept seen very slow and slight movement in the head even every bit you cranked down on the tightening knob as hard as yous could. Yes, you could break or collapse a tripod with excessive weight, only a quality tripod should exist able to support weight far greater than any normal photographic equipment without failing.
The common conservative rule of pollex is to use a tripod and caput that have at to the lowest degree two to three times the load chapters of your heaviest camera/lens combination (don't forget accessories such as a wink or microphone).
Height
Tripods come up in different heights. One thing that gets old quickly is setting upward your camera on a tripod and spending minutes bent over at the waist looking through the viewfinder. Do the math and add together the height of the legs and the top of the head together to find out at what altitude your viewfinder will be. Now, how tall are you? If the viewfinder is going to be higher than your eyes, perfect! All you need to do is not extend the lowest leg sections all the way and yous are done. If the full height comes upwardly short, go prepare to bend down to come across through your camera or await at the LCD screen.
Quick-Release Plates
In the olden days, photographers would have to spin their cameras or lenses onto the standard ¼"-20 tripod spiral at the top of the head or chassis. This was time-consuming and a pain in the neck when you were moving locations between shots. Quick-release systems were invented to speed this process greatly. A plate attaches to the photographic camera and then is locked into a compatible head.
Some manufacturers take proprietary plate designs and yous'll have to pay attention to compatibility when mixing and matching brands. The Arca-type-compatible plate is probably the well-nigh universal of the agglomeration, with many brands offering compatible systems. Additionally, at that place are numerous brackets and plates that you can attach to your camera that have integral compatibility with tripod head quick-release systems. Again, the Arca-type uniform is the most numerous of these.
Bubble Levels
Once a rare option on tripod heads, the chimera level is becoming a much more than common feature. For those doing architectural photography, or simply trying to continue the horizon level, the bubble level is a great tool to have at your disposal, and having it permanently featured on the tripod or head keeps you from having to bear a separate accessory around. Heads usually either feature one or more than bull's-eye levels or two standard levels—one for each axis.
Bags and Straps
The tripod and tripod head are tools and they should be used as such. The more than they are used, the more than scratches, nicks, and dents they will endure. Only, you can protect your tripod and aid extend its life (or at least its youthful good looks) by transporting information technology in a protective bag. Some companies sell their tripods with a bag, and y'all can always add together one afterwards. And, there are bags just for tripod heads. Also, to aid in carrying, many tripods have attachment points for carrying straps.
Tabletop Tripods
A sub-genre of the tripod is the mini or tabletop tripod. These atomic tripods can support a fair amount of weight and live in your camera purse for the times y'all don't desire to tote a total-sized tripod around with yous.
It'south all About Stability… and Tradeoffs
The job of the tripod is to stabilize your camera and lens. Unproblematic, right? We mentioned vibration and stability in the commodity. Where does vibration come from? Y'all tin can imagine a completely stationary tripod and photographic camera, simply now visualize a wind blowing beyond your gear, or a subway rumbling beneath the street. Or, are two or more tripod legs in a running stream or in the surf at the beach? Vibration happens, and the goal of the tripod is to provide stability and absorb those vibrations then that they are not translated to the camera.
And so, what type of tripod do you lot purchase? Things commencement to get murky when we realize that we must hand-comport the tripod with us to a distant location or pack it into our carry-on baggage! Larger tripods have more stability, just they are heavier. Smaller tripods are more than portable and like shooting fish in a barrel to deport, but have less stability. Four-section tripods can collapse smaller than three-department tripods, but are slightly less stable. Tripod legs without a center column are more stable than those with a heart column, but less versatile.
Of a sudden, the tripod purchasing decision becomes an exercise in compromise.
Ane final note: A tripod (and head) is an investment that tin can last yous your entire photographic life. If you lot start off ownership a deal tripod, you will likely experience the need to upgrade to a amend one in the future. If that one is a value-priced tripod, yous will, as your photography experience and gear grows, likely want to upgrade that 1, as well. In that location are few things in photography as frustrating equally working with a sub-par tripod and not getting the stability you need. Soon you may find you have spent more on your first several tripods than you could have on one loftier-quality, more expensive one right out of the gate. If you are serious about photography, exist serious about your tripod.
At present you can surf over to the10 Recommended Full-Size Tripods, 12 Recommended Travel Tripod manufactures, or to the Tripods and Support page at B&H and get the tripod of your dreams!
Please let u.s.a. know if you lot have any questions about tripods or if we missed some details that need further caption!
Source: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/buying-guide/tripod-explained
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