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07-25-2018, 08:30 AM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by lesmore49 Quote
Tripod...do you use.....or not use ?
What about you and why/why not do you use/not use a tripod as much as you once did ?
It's odd but in my youth, I shot a lot of Kodachrome 25 & 64 but didn't have the patience to use a tripod.

Now with digital, I appreciate better the ability to shoot greater depth of field with smaller apertures, but also long exposures. When handholding the camera, we tend to shoot at our eye-level. With a tripod, it forces me to also think about height, angles, and even very minor adjustments laterally.

But as I tend to shoot with multiple primes instead of a one-in-all zoom, I am often regretting the prime left behind. The same happens with a tripod....when I don't bring it with me, I torture myself thinking of the shots I'm missing.

Tripods have also evolved nicely in my 45+ years of photography. I remember when tripods were either entry-level plastic or aluminum, and then there were the expensive pro-level carbon-fiber. The selection and features these days are much greater for a greater range of prices.

07-25-2018, 11:22 AM   #17
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With 36 mpx and landscape I prefer the stability of the tripod. I use Manfrotto 055+manfrotto 055 Mg head. The same for lenses whose FL exceeds 200 mm . Honestly in good light and shutter speeds above 1\500 when walking around I feel Ok shooting handheld. Sometims there's no time to set the tripod .
07-25-2018, 11:36 AM   #18
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Yes, I use one (just one) for landscape, which is what I mostly go for. It enforces the careful, studious approach I find necessary and the old hands are not steady enough any more. I hate putting a lot of effort into an image only to have it spoiled by camera shake – almost all the most successful images I've ever shot had the tripod attached.


I also like shooting air shows and don't have a gimbal head, so they're always shot handheld.
07-25-2018, 01:04 PM   #19
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I never use a tripod. I like to travel light, which means 2 bodies and 2 lenses. I do not even carry a bag, only a moneymaker holster.

07-25-2018, 03:31 PM - 1 Like   #20
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Whenever I can use a tripod, I do. Sure they are bulky but they are worth it the effort.
07-25-2018, 06:51 PM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by Billk Quote
Whenever I can use a tripod, I do. Sure they are bulky but they are worth it the effort.
Same here. A tripod is very helpful with a number of genres I enjoy shooting - close ups with macro type lenses, sunsets, night skylines, fireworks etc.

My hands are sometimes stiff, shaky and unreliable, and my balance isn't great - I wobble enough to mess up focus. A tripod and timer takes a lot of my physical limitations out of the process. I get so much more enjoyment out of taking pictures that way.
07-25-2018, 08:15 PM - 3 Likes   #22
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I have taken my my Sirui carbon travel tripod to the UK/Ireland, Italy and China/Japan in the last couple of years. I will certainly take it to Antarctica at the end of the year. The high ISO capabilities of modern digital cameras are quite remarkable, and my hand-held stability is pretty good, but there are still plenty of times that the desired shot can't really be done any other way.

It's so small and light it's a trivial carry above all the other gear I'm lugging.

Some examples:

Calming the raging seas at mid day with a neutral density filter long exposure



When you want base ISO despite a lack of light



Or blurring those pesky tourists out of your shot



Starbursts in low light









When you want to sneak into a carefully framed shot



07-26-2018, 06:31 AM - 1 Like   #23
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This reminds me to get out and do some more firefly long exposure photos. I should go to some open areas, but they really like the same places mosquitoes do...
I do look forward to using my new DA300 for moon and star shots, but need to get somewhere with less light.

Oh, thanks for the reminder. I'll pack a tripod next weekend when I'm at the Bioblitz. There's less light there but it's still not "Dark Sky" area, and it's August so...humidity.
07-26-2018, 07:02 PM   #24
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My tripods are always in the back of my car. Recently I had my K-500 on a tripod with an m42 Bushnell 400mm aimed at the eagle's nest at Berry College and my K-70 with a Sigma 17-300mm hand held. Got some great shots of the fledgling with both cameras when she decided to go active and jump around the nest spreading her wings. Lucky timing.

I also use them for macro shots as well as HDR. And especially for waterfalls. I also recently learned about the multi exposure setting on the K-70 and will need to use one when I get to try out that feature. And of course for fireworks. I love shooting fireworks.

I have a Chinese carbon fiber tripod that works well when walking about and a monster aluminum Amazon Basics tripod that holds a lot of weight. Not to good on hikes, but works well from the back of the car.

07-26-2018, 07:03 PM   #25
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Usually during the day i don't use a tripod, except when I am shooting landscapes and want everything sharp from foreground to distant background. But this summer I've been shooting a lot with tripods, mainly fireflies. Sometimes my exposures are minutes long, and there is definitely no way I could handhold those shots. Plus I want the stability for shorter exposures to allow focus stacking later. But with most of my photography I want the flexibility to change angles quickly to explore my subjects, so in most situations would only use a tripod maybe 10% of the time.
07-28-2018, 02:40 PM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by lesmore49 Quote
Tripod...do you use.....or not use ?
I have 4 main tripods, 1 bipod and 1 monopod that can be converted from a tripod

I use them for most of what I photograph
07-28-2018, 06:11 PM   #27
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I usually bring along a tripod on trips when I might need to make video because it's the only option, really, considering camera shake and rolling shutter problems. As sensitivity isn't my current camera's strength I also need a tripod for low light conditions, sometimes. There have been a few times lately when I realized that I should have brought a tripod on a trip but didn't think I'd need it, so I'm trying out a monopod to be better prepared and capture more of those moments.
07-29-2018, 06:25 AM   #28
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QuoteOriginally posted by KiloHotelphoto Quote
I'm going out to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone at the end of September and I am not sure if I should pack the tripod also or just stick with the monopod. I'm going for the wildlife but will also try getting some shots of the mountains so it could be useful.
QuoteOriginally posted by Aslyfox Quote
I was recently in Yellowstone
...
I would recommend that if you could, take both your monopod and tripod, but be prepared to vary your approach and see what happens
My wife and I are planning a 2019 trip to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. Your posts are whetting my anticipation.
Re Tripod and/or monopod: What has worked well for me is to use a relatively lightweight tripod. I sometimes bind the legs together with a rubber band, transforming it to a passable walking stick/monopod. It seems like when I have to choose which to take on a short hike, I find myself wishing for the choice left at the car.

Have a great trip Kilo!
07-29-2018, 06:33 AM   #29
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I should probably use them more often, but I probably only use a tripod like 2-3 times a year...and I have 3 tripods
07-29-2018, 09:48 AM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by TER-OR Quote
This reminds me to get out and do some more firefly long exposure photos. I should go to some open areas, but they really like the same places mosquitoes do...
I do look forward to using my new DA300 for moon and star shots, but need to get somewhere with less light.

Oh, thanks for the reminder. I'll pack a tripod next weekend when I'm at the Bioblitz. There's less light there but it's still not "Dark Sky" area, and it's August so...humidity.
Ter-Or- This reminds me to get out and do some more firefly long exposure photos. I should go to some open areas, but they really like the same places mosquitoes do...


I've been shooting fireflies a lot this spring and summer, in the Smokies, a local park, and most often in my yard. I think in my longest exposures there must be some mosquito trails- they are definitely more abundant most nights than the fireflies
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