Tripods, monopods and all that

[leica dream]

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The greatest thing which always strikes me about pictures posted in the photo forum is the sharpness and crispness of the images. I am an enthusiastic casual amateur, but not a dedicated whole time hobbyist. I photograph when I can but do not always carry my camera with me (shame on me I know!). I cannot aspire to an R or an M but have a V-Lux1. I also have a "cheap" rather flimsy tripod, which is rarely on hand for the sake of added clutter.

To get excellent pictures, would a more manageable sized monopod help, should I get a better but more cumbersome tripod and use it almost exclusively, or am I doomed to mediocre results if I persist in hand held? I have been taught to ex-hale before releasing the shutter to reduce body shake - is that a myth or fact?

What are your views/tips please.

Richard

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[stunsworth]

Richard, I can only speak for myself, but in the last five years I've probably used a tripod on three or four occasions. Other than that it's been hand held all the way. A tripod will give you better results, but often at the expense of spontaneity. Of course if you're shooting macro or architecture then a tripod is unlikely to be an impediment to getting the shot you want, far from it.

 

A fast shutter speed should help with the sharpness, or at least the camera shake contribution.

[stuny]

Richard -

 

My experience matches Steve's. I have a rather good tripod but use it once every few years. What Steve and I do (but Steve didn't mention) when appropriate is to rest the camera on (horizontal) or against (vertical) something when needed and when available for a particular composition. We also use the same breathing and steadiness techniques of rifle and pistol target shooters.

[stunsworth]

Indeed, as Stuart says I sometimes use a flat surface to provide a 'virtual' tripod. The two images below are examples of this technique taken during my recent trip to Krakow. The b&w image taken in a bar late at night had an exposure of 6 seconds, the colour one taken in a restaurant 2 seconds. Neither is a great image, but I hope it shows that the technique can be useful.

 

 

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[bill]

Hello Richard,

 

Interesting question, and one to which I would normally give a flippant reply ("what's a tripod?")

 

I honestly don't remember the last time I used one (well, yes I do. It was the mini tabletop one my Son gave me for Christmas. I used it to take a self-timer shot of the two of us - come to think of it that is also the first time I have used a self-timer in years too)

 

I think the world divides into those who think in three legged terms and those who don't. I fall squarely into the second category. I don't own a full-sized tripod - I have a decent Manfrotto tabletop one, and a Manfrotto monopod, but I just don't ever use them.

 

I second the comments about shutter speed. I handhold all the time, but I do try to keep the speed up. I tend to shoot iso400 B&W at the moment, so that helps, but even if I am shooting slower, I simply would not use a tripod. I would be more likely to resort to (shudders) ...flash... first.

 

I think a lot depends on the type of photography you like to do, and the type of person you are. I HATE to be tied down. Photography to me is all about immediacy, not about painstaking preparation or patient positioning.

 

If you want to improve your hit-rate, there is no substitute for practice.

 

You might also want to consider your own "setup"... I remember a survey a few years ago, in Practical Photography, I think, before they went to the dark side - in which they did a test on a photographer's ability to hand-hold steadily. If I recall correctly, they experimented with nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and exertion as influencing factors. Alcohol and nicotine had little effect (although in the case of the former we were only talking about a couple of glasses of wine) A couple of strong coffees did have a noticeable effect, but by far and away the worst was exertion. If you hike up a hill and then stop immediately at the top to take a photo you are far more likely to get a shaky result than if you wait for 5 minutes for your pulse-rate to return to normal.

 

One other thought, whilst I am on my soapbox.

 

I hold the view (YMMV) that a particular camera has a "natural" speed at which everything comes togethe, for me at leastr. For me, with my IIIc, that is about 1/200, and I tend to work at or close to that. My M7 tends to be about 1/60, and I expect my M2 will be there or thereabouts. This has nothing to do with technical optimisation, but everything to do with the "feel" of what you are doing. I am far less aware of this with SLRs or DSLRs - it seems to be a rangefinder thing, maybe because I am "closer" to the settings than I am with an auto-everything SLR.

 

In short, try other things before getting a tripod, and if you do, get a good 'un.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[cocker]

In Neither is a great image, but I hope it shows that the technique can be useful.

 

 

 

[ATTACH]67973[/ATTACH]

 

 

On the contrary Steve, I really like No 2 - Superb colour detail and atmosphere. I'm definitely looking forward to a vist in October!

[stunsworth]

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Keith, there's a bit more about this restaurant here...

 

Once Upon A Time In... Krakow | Poland - Cracow Life...

 

It's on what I assume was the main square in the old Jewish quarter. This is about a 15/20 minute walk from the main town square and the area is well worth a visit.

 

Sorry for straying into off topic territory.

[vanhulsenbeek]

A tripod will give you better results, but often at the expense of spontaneity. Of course if you're shooting macro or architecture then a tripod is unlikely to be an impediment to getting the shot you want, far from it.

A fast shutter speed should help with the sharpness, or at least the camera shake contribution.

 

I second this. What also helps is lean against a wall, or rest your elbows on something. I do not really consider the M to be a 'tripod-camera', and street photography would be impossible with a tripod. Of course for architecture, close-up, etc a tripod can be essential.

 

Also for panorama photography a tripod is needed, thought this picture was made just handheld (click on the + at bottom right of the photo for a larger view)

 

LFI Gallery - Information

 

There is no universal truth!

[gberger]

So far, no one has mentioned the use of a monopod. Years ago, a German photographer taught me a trick - - how to use a stout piece of string as a monopod substitute. He had a "D" ring that screwed into the mounting hole on the baseplate. He attached a piece of string to it that was long enough so that he could step on it with the camera at very near eyesight-level. He pulled the string taut when he lifted the camera to his eye, thus putting a firm downward vector on the camera.

 

It wasn't a monopod, but it helped him to get more stable shots - - if not tripod-stable ones.

 

Try it. It works.

[AlanG]

.. and street photography would be impossible with a tripod...

 

I disagree. I have done a lot of "street" photography while using a tripod. I have found that after a while of standing around on the sidewalk with a tripod, people seem to ignore me. Plan your shot and wait for the subject to compose as you invisioned it. You can challenge yourself in this manner and possibly come up with something you couldn't have produced handheld. (Especially in low light.)

 

Handheld photography certainly has its place but in my opinion there is nothing like using a tripod if you want to train yourself to be a more precise, disciplined, patient, and potentially more creative shooter. (Should that interest you.)

 

Many of the skills you'll develop using a tripod will carry over to your handheld photography. And you'll learn the advantages and limitations of both methods.

[Marquinius]

Well, here's my bit:

 

I took a mono pod with me to Vietnam and it never left the suitcase. Just too much off a hassle to carry it along. The many times I was scared about shake, I used something as a stabilzer: a wall, a chair, whatever. And I live with the fact that some pictures are just shaken ... BTW: when I'm sure that I'm really on the edge, I take at least three consecutive pictures, all with my knees bent, my breath 3/4 out and wit a really carefull shutter release. Don't PUSH the release, but SQUEEZE it with more then the tip of your finger. For that reason alone I bought a soft shutter at Luigi's.

 

My technique comes from rifle and pistol shooting and if it's just my mind playing tricks, that's OK for me.

[leica dream]

That is really helpful, everyone, thanks. It reassures me somewhat that results akin to the perfection you all produce ARE achievable if I stick at it without carting around extra bulks bits and pieces. The piece of string sounds fun too!. Above all the key thing for me has to be spontenaity. The rifle shooting technique seems a sensible approach too.

Hopefully my results will improve gradually so I have confidence to post other pictures on the forum more frequently.

Richard

[Mountaineer-American]

Here's a viable option to the tripod or monopod: the bean bag. It is much less trouble to carry around. You can put it in your camera bag. It is very light in weight, much lighter than a tripod. You can set up for a shot in a matter of seconds. You can make one cheap. I use it mainly when traveling, mostly for interior shots where a slow shutter speed is required. For example, it props nicely on a pew in a cathedral.

 

"Don't start vast projects with half-vast ideas."

[stuny]

For our last trip I packed an empty zippered bag, intending to fill it with pebbles or sand when I got to our desitination. This helped us continue our practice of traveling light enough to have carry-on luggage only. Resting the camera on the bean bag, as Arlen indicates, helps steady the camera, and has the added benefit of allowing you to shift the "beans" around so you can frame differently compared to just resting the camera on a flat surface.