Tripods & monopods

               CAMERA & EQUIPMENT   STABILIZERS 

 

 In photography, a tripod or a mono pod is used to stabilize and elevate a camera, a flash unit, or other photographic equipment. All photographic tripods have three legs and a mounting head to couple with a camera. The mounting head usually includes a thumbscrew that mates to a female threaded receptacle on the camera, as well as a mechanism to be able to rotate and tilt the camera when it is mounted on the tripod. Tripod legs are usually made to telescope, in order to save space when not in use. Tripods are usually made from aluminum, carbon fiber, steel, wood or plastic.

A Mono pod

A Tripod

         Tripod Types               

          
There are several types of tripod. The least expensive, generally made of aluminum tubing and costing less than US$50, is used primarily for consumer still and video cameras; these generally come with an attached head and rubber feet. The head is very basic, and often not entirely suitable for smooth panning of a camcorder. A common feature, mostly designed for still cameras, allows the head to flip sideways 90 degrees to allow the camera to take pictures in portrait format rather than landscape. Often included is a small pin on front of the mounting screw that is used to stabilize camcorders. This is not found on the more expensive photographic tripods.
More expensive tripods are sturdier, stronger, and usually come with no integrated head. The separate heads allow a tripod-head combination to be customized to the photographer's needs. There are expensive carbon fiber tripods, used for applications where the tripod needs to be lightweight. Many tripods, even some relatively inexpensive ones, also include leveling indicators for the legs of the tripod and the head.
Many of the more expensive tripods have additional features, such as a reversible center post so that the camera may be mounted between the legs, allowing for shots from low positions, and legs that can open to several different angles.

     Monopod

   In place of or to supplement a tripod, 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 monopod reduces the number of degrees of freedom of the camera, and also because the photographer no longer has to support the full weight of the camera, it can provide some of the same stabilization advantages as a tripod. 

                         
Small tabletop tripods (sometimes called tablepods) are also available, ranging from relatively flimsy models costing less than US$20, to professional models that can cost up to US$800 and can support up to 68 kg (150 lb). They are used in situations where a full sized tripod would be too bulky to carry. An alternative is a clamp-pod, which is a ball head attached to a C-clamp.
Another technique involves forming a string triangle held taut around the two feet of the photographer and linked to the camera. This negative string "tripod" can stabilize the camera sufficiently to use a shutter speed three stops slower
TRIPOD AND MONOPOD PARTS

HEAD TYPES

A fluid head

A Ball Head

LEG SECTION

 Sandbag Hook or weight stabilizer

 

 

Tips for Choosing a Tripod

• Check the height of the tripod and make sure it’s tall enough for you.  Remember that the tripod doesn’t have to be as tall as you are, but needs to bring the camera to eye height.  I’m 5’10”, so I really only need a tripod that is 4′ 8″, because the ball head brings it up another 6″ and then the camera brings it up another inch to where the LCD is.  Also, the camera only needs to come to the height of my eye, not the top of my head.
• COMPLETELY IGNORE the advertised “Max load capacity” of the tripods when you’re purchasing.  There is no standard way to test for this, so the tripod manufacturers just use it as a marketing ploy.  The only way to know how sturdy a tripod is, is to test it!
• Stick with the well-known brands.  There is SOO much crap in the tripod market.  Most of the tripods I see are trash, so you really have to shop around to get something high quality.   I’ve tested hundreds of different tripods from different manufacturers (some in-depth and some just playing with them at conferences), and there are few tripods that I’m really happy with.  It’s worth the hassle to find the right one.
• The maximum height of the tripod is important, but don’t ignore the minimum height of the tripod.  I find that I’m often shooting barely up off the ground when I’m photographing landscapes and flowers.  If your center column doesn’t flip and is too long, it can limit the perspective you can get.
• If you get a tripod that’s too heavy, you’ll get lazy and will leave it at home.  If you go too light, it will blow in the wind very easily. 
• Keep in mind the number of leg extensions on the tripod.  3 leg locks is probably my preference.  If you get a tripod with 4, then it takes that much longer to set up the tripod each time, but two leg extensions means the tripod is not as compact.
• Buy right, and buy ONCE!  I bought 6 or 7 tripods before I finally bit the bullet and purchased my Feisol CT3442 (click to read my full review) and Really Right Stuff BH40 Ballhead.  It was really expensive, but as a professional photographer who travels around the world holding workshops, it’s cheaper to buy a good quality tripod once, rather than buying and breaking cheaper stuff.  The tripods on this list keep your budget in mind, but will last you a long time.  They are the best budget tripods out there.

 Tripod & Monopod Pros and Cons

 

pros

#Increase image sharpness
# panning
# cinematography
# trans effects

cons

#cheap tripods are light but not stable
#heavy
#not travel friendly
#need stable and flat type ground

TRIPOD USE IN TERMS OF ART PHOTOGRAPHY

#1 Light painting

#2 Celestial Photography

#4 Motion blur/long exposure

 

#5 Controlled lighting conditions/Studios 

Some of the best tripods & monopods in the market used by pros 

 Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB with Ballhead

 Induro 8M AT114 with Vanguard SBH 250 Ballhead

Sirui T2005X TX Tripod with Vanguard SBH250 Ballhead

Manfrotto BeFree Compact Aluminum Tripod

Belanove K Binu

About The Author
Belanove is a Software Engineering Student and a photographer who has spent the last 5 years Researching and Understanding Dslrs & Technology
but has never hacked DSLR and specializes in writing about  Photography Products and Emerging photography technology.
When not writing for DSLR360, Belanove Conducts photography classes online,Goes out for bird watching,Wildlife photography and off course Attends college.