Article: Five ways to create rock-solid tripod base for photography

[KenElevenShadows]

Article: Five ways to create rock-solid tripod base for photography

"Want a rock-solid, stable tripod base for photography? Of course you do. Here are a few quick tips to make sure your camera is safe and secure."

https://photofocus.com/photography/five-ways-to-create-rock-solid-tripod-base-for-photography/

[KuruPrionz]

I really like the glow in the dark tape suggestion!

I would add that it is important to purchase a high quality tripod. There are lots of "pretty OK" tripods that are not really reliable. 

 

I will also mention that it has been a good practice for me to visit thrift stores and see what is available at bargain prices. 

I have a vintage Star-D, a fairly large tripod that is entirely metal except for the camera pad and the feet. All of the leg extensions lock tightly, it's a solid tripod.

I also have a Gitzo and everything about that tripod is solid as well with the exception that the tightener for the camera is a separate piece. Once the camera is mounted and tightened, it is solid too. The Gitzo is very well used and shows it but it's also in full working condition. I paid about $15 for each tripod. 

[Lou Gehrig Charles]

1 hour ago, KuruPrionz said:

There are lots of "pretty OK" tripods that are not really reliable. 

 

+2

 

I've seen a lot of tripods which don't offer a full range of adjustments.  Be sure it can tilt as well as aim up and down.  I'll never forget exploring an abandoned building with a couple folks who were using cheap department-store tripods.  Every photo set-up they did took about an hour each time because there were constantly fiddling with one of the tripod legs to level up the photo, or to aim it up or down.  Adjustments that could be made in seconds with a good 3-way or ball head.  But hey, I am sure they made good use of their fancy geared center-column raising-lowering crank mechanism.

 

On another note, beware of placing the tripod in deep snow.  Especially with the legs spread wide, the snow can sort of push back up against the tripod and make it unsteady.  My worst experience with this was years ago in Colorado where the snow was so deep the tripod was best used as a stake; poke it in as far as it'll go, understanding it won't reach the ground.  Probably wouldn't have worked with long exposures.

 

I am also leery of having a camera strap hanging there to be whipped by the wind.  Could that ever matter?  Perhaps.  But if it's windy, it's better to take the strap off and leave it in the car so the wind won't use it to shake your tripod.  Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever attached the strap to my D750.

[KuruPrionz]

47 minutes ago, Lou Gehrig Charles said:

+2

 

I've seen a lot of tripods which don't offer a full range of adjustments.  Be sure it can tilt as well as aim up and down.  I'll never forget exploring an abandoned building with a couple folks who were using cheap department-store tripods.  Every photo set-up they did took about an hour each time because there were constantly fiddling with one of the tripod legs to level up the photo, or to aim it up or down.  Adjustments that could be made in seconds with a good 3-way or ball head.  But hey, I am sure they made good use of their fancy geared center-column raising-lowering crank mechanism.

 

On another note, beware of placing the tripod in deep snow.  Especially with the legs spread wide, the snow can sort of push back up against the tripod and make it unsteady.  My worst experience with this was years ago in Colorado where the snow was so deep the tripod was best used as a stake; poke it in as far as it'll go, understanding it won't reach the ground.  Probably wouldn't have worked with long exposures.

 

I am also leery of having a camera strap hanging there to be whipped by the wind.  Could that ever matter?  Perhaps.  But if it's windy, it's better to take the strap off and leave it in the car so the wind won't use it to shake your tripod.  Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever attached the strap to my D750.

Totally agree on needing tilts. On one axis you need to be able to go a full 90 degrees so you can shoot vertically and horizontally. The other axis needs a good range as well so that combining to 2 allows you to adjust to your intended image. I have 3 or 4 cheap tripods, gonna list on craigslist for a few bucks. Not sure why I even bought them. I have 2 excellent vintage tripods, not expensive but very well made. Newer tripods have better cushioning on the legs but aren't really much different in terms of results. 

[Sabatini]

It sucks, but you have to pay the big bucks for tripods. In all areas, music and photography. Nothing can haunt a project like the cheapest stand you can buy. 

[KuruPrionz]

5 hours ago, Sabatini said:

It sucks, but you have to pay the big bucks for tripods. In all areas, music and photography. Nothing can haunt a project like the cheapest stand you can buy. 

I will repeat as above, look for used vintage tripods at thrift stores. It may take a while for something to appear so also look for other interesting items. 

As I mentioned, I have 2 very solid, versatile tripods from top notch brands in the past that I paid about $30 total for the pair. 

If you buy brand new, you will pay dearly. If you are patient and persistent you can save a large amount of money and have excellent gear. 

[KenElevenShadows]

11 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

I really like the glow in the dark tape suggestion!

I would add that it is important to purchase a high quality tripod. There are lots of "pretty OK" tripods that are not really reliable. 

 

I will also mention that it has been a good practice for me to visit thrift stores and see what is available at bargain prices. 

 

 

Absolutely. I've written numerous articles about good quality articles, so I thought I would try something different.

 

One thing I didn't do is write about using sandbags. But this is just using a tripod, doing things that anyone can do without anything extra.

[KenElevenShadows]

9 hours ago, Lou Gehrig Charles said:

 

 

On another note, beware of placing the tripod in deep snow.  Especially with the legs spread wide, the snow can sort of push back up against the tripod and make it unsteady.  My worst experience with this was years ago in Colorado where the snow was so deep the tripod was best used as a stake; poke it in as far as it'll go, understanding it won't reach the ground.  Probably wouldn't have worked with long exposures.

 

I am also leery of having a camera strap hanging there to be whipped by the wind.  Could that ever matter?  Perhaps.  But if it's windy, it's better to take the strap off and leave it in the car so the wind won't use it to shake your tripod.  Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever attached the strap to my D750.

 

That is interesting that the snow can sort of push back up against the tripod.

 

I do have a camera strap. I don't know if it would matter, but on windy days, I do wrap it around the tripod legs or even tape it slightly to keep it from thwapping against the legs.

[KenElevenShadows]

7 hours ago, Sabatini said:

It sucks, but you have to pay the big bucks for tripods. In all areas, music and photography. Nothing can haunt a project like the cheapest stand you can buy. 

 

There's no way around it, unfortunately, short of purchasing something used. I think one possible workaround is to buy an older, heavy, aluminum tripod, which can work surprisingly well if you don't need to have a lightweight travel tripod.

[KenElevenShadows]

1 hour ago, KuruPrionz said:

I will repeat as above, look for used vintage tripods at thrift stores. It may take a while for something to appear so also look for other interesting items. 

As I mentioned, I have 2 very solid, versatile tripods from top notch brands in the past that I paid about $30 total for the pair. 

If you buy brand new, you will pay dearly. If you are patient and persistent you can save a large amount of money and have excellent gear. 

 

 

I will need to look harder then. I haven't had much luck finding good quality tripods at thrift stores so far. They've always been really cheap ones so far.

[KuruPrionz]

On 5/23/2024 at 10:34 PM, KenElevenShadows said:

 

I will need to look harder then. I haven't had much luck finding good quality tripods at thrift stores so far. They've always been really cheap ones so far.

There will always be many crap tripods for one good one to pop up. 

I recommend you try different times of day. Different thrift stores may change things as well. Keep an eye on craigslist, bargains pop up there too. 

As always, luck belongs to the swift!!!! So if you see something you may want to buy, put it in your shopping cart. You can always put it back where you got it but if you leave it then it may be gone 30 seconds after you walk on. 

[KenElevenShadows]

3 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

There will always be many crap tripods for one good one to pop up. 

I recommend you try different times of day. Different thrift stores may change things as well. Keep an eye on craigslist, bargains pop up there too. 

As always, luck belongs to the swift!!!! So if you see something you may want to buy, put it in your shopping cart. You can always put it back where you got it but if you leave it then it may be gone 30 seconds after you walk on. 

 

That much is certain. I've gotten a few thrift store scores, including a high-end rice cooker for $5. I got it home, was very impressed with how great it was, looked it up, and it was $180. And this was over 20 years ago. We still use it all the time and absolutely love it. It apparently heats all around the pot, not just at the bottom, and the rice cooks evenly and never burns, always coming out perfect. You can also use it to cook various other grains as well.

[KuruPrionz]

1 hour ago, KenElevenShadows said:

 

That much is certain. I've gotten a few thrift store scores, including a high-end rice cooker for $5. I got it home, was very impressed with how great it was, looked it up, and it was $180. And this was over 20 years ago. We still use it all the time and absolutely love it. It apparently heats all around the pot, not just at the bottom, and the rice cooks evenly and never burns, always coming out perfect. You can also use it to cook various other grains as well.

And that's what I'm talking about!!!! 

Problem is that most of the time I visit the thrift store there isn't anything I want to buy. Which is why I make a morning or an afternoon of it and check out 3 or 4 different thrift stores. "Antique" shops can be worth a look sometimes too. I don't do garage sales unless there is a block sale and then you need to go really early and hit all the places quickly. 

 

People drop stuff off at thrift stores all day long, it's pretty random.