Tripod Monopod
The first steps in choosing a tripod
As any photographer will happily inform you, a steady hand is vital if you want to take pin sharp photographs. Now some photographers will be capable of hand holding their camera and lens (weight dependant) steady, well steady enough to get the photo they are looking for; but, the rest of us, well this is not always possible especially when working with long exposure times. This is where good support for your camera becomes important, and this is where we turn to monopods, tripods or bean bags.
There are an awful lot of manufacturers of camera supports (a comprehensive list can be found here on the fatphotographer website) and these producers have many varied styles of tripods and monopods as well as specialist head units for them, they come in an array of sizes, and each one is designed for a purpose (combinations of which suits you are easy enough to find). Exactly what will meet your requirements is something you alone can work out (Knowing what kit you have will help the choice). Here are some useful tips to help make this decision; telephoto or long lens users (these are considered lenses of 300mm or greater) will find that a “gimble” head is the best for supporting their large lenses while allowing fluid movement (although these can be very expensive), used on a sturdy tripod for extra stability, however this would not be optimum for photographers who were using a short lens for portraits when the movement capabilities are not important; again the sports photographer may find they do not have the room necessary for a large tripod and would opt instead for a monopod, while again still landscape photographers may want to photograph stunning panoramic images and there are heads designed just for this purpose.
It is not all about tripods and monopods when it comes to supporting your camera, many wildlife photographers I know often prefer to use a small bean bag for support the long lens. They find this can provide them with an easy to transport system, which is easily manoeuvred for them to get into different positions, including very low down or odd angles or where there is no room for any other support, and use what is around them as support, specialist camouflage ones are available in many retailers.
Some of the most important things to remember when selecting you support system are Weight and Stability, I can almost guaranteed that you will be hefting this support system around and you do not want something that is too heavy to carry for long periods, yet it MUST be stable! Carbon fibre tripods have become a popular choice for this very reason as they offer light weights but are very stable, unfortunately they do usually come with a heavy price tag. As you can see, as with almost everything in photography, the choices are vast, and there should be something to suit everyone’s needs and budget.
Links to manufacturers of all kinds of support can be found at the fatphotographer website
About the Author
Having been a birdwatcher all my life and an amateur photographer for much of my adulthood I decided it was time to start using my writing skills to show others what I have learnt, and so my global web resource www.fatphotographer.net was born, (much of my writing can be found there).
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Black Monopod Tripod Adaptor mount + 35mm Knob For GoPro HD Use on Kart Racing $9.28 |
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HorusBennu FX-7439TT Carbon Fiber Camera Tripod Monopod $241.53 |
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MEFOTO (Benro) C1350Q1 Traveler Carbon Fiber Tripod Monopod Kit (BLUE color) $294.50 |
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1/4″- 1/4” Adapter Screw fr Camera Monopod Tripod Quick Release Plate male QR $0.01 |
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Professional Carbon Fiber Camera Tripod Monopod Ball Head For SLR DSLR With Bag $159.99 |
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MEFOTO C1350SQ1 (C1350Q1 Short Version) Carbon Fiber Tripod Monopod Kit (RED) $294.50 |
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MEFOTO C1350SQ1 (Short C1350Q1) Carbon Fiber Tripod Monopod Kit TITANIUM SILVER $294.50 |
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MEFOTO C1350SQ1 (C1350Q1 Short Version) Carbon Fiber Tripod Monopod Kit (GOLD) $294.50 |
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Monopod Tripod Adaptor mount Made By billet CNC aluminum For GoPro Best Fittment $9.90 |
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Black Monopod Tripod Adaptor mount Made By billet aluminum For GoPro HD 2 Hero $9.90 |
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Benro A-1691 B-0 Aluminium Tripod + Monopod Kit A-169 1 $194.00 |
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Benro A-1681 B-0 Aluminium Tripod + Monopod Kit A-168 1 $193.00 |
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FREESHIP 164CM Portable Travel Camera DSLR Video Tripod Monopod Ball Head & Bag $136.99 |
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Benro C1691FB0 Carbon Tripod Monopod Kit **Flip Lock! $320.00 |
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Benro C0691 EX B00 Carbon Tripod Monopod KIT *FLIP LOCK $290.00 |
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57″ Tripod + 67″ Monopod For Nikon Coolpix Free Gift $31.99 |
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164CM Portable Travel Camera DSLR Video Tripod Monopod Ball Head & Bag Brand New $126.99 |
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Benro A2691TB1 Alum. Tripod Monopod Kit **Fast Ship! $230.00 |
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Tripod Monopod Non-slip Rubber Foot Stand 168cm Extendable Handheld camera $61.99 |
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Pro 3-Way Tripod Monopod Ball Head Camera Ballhead for Canon Nikon slik head $59.99 |
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MEFOTO (Benro) A1350Q1 Traveler Aluminium Tripod Monopod Kit (GOLD color) $168.50 |
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Camera Photography Travel Monopod Tripod Hand Held Pocket Xshot Accessory NEW $30.56 |
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5pcs 1/4″ to 3/8″ Convert Screw Adapter Tripod monopod $4.99 |
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Pro Carbon Fiber Camera DSLR SLR Camcorder Tripod Monopod Ball Head Brand New $161.99 |
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Giottos VGR9255-S2C Aluminum Tripod/Monopod W/QR Ballhead & Carrying Case $249.95 |
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Giottos VGR9265-M2C Aluminum Tripod/Monopod W/QR Ballhead & Carrying Case $279.95 |
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STABLE SUPPORT / STABILIZER FOR DSLR / MONOPOD / TRIPOD $14.00 |
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Joystick Trigger Grip Ballhead Ball Head for Bogen Manfrotto Tripod or Monopod $54.50 |
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MEFOTO A1350SQ1 (A1350Q1 Short Version) Aluminium Tripod Monopod Kit BLACK $168.50 |
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Brand Pro Camera SLR DSLR Tripod Monopod Ball Head For Nikon Canon Fujifilm Sony $119.99 |
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1/4″- 1/4” Adapter Screws for Camera Monopod Tripod Quick-Release Plate + 5pcs $7.90 |
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2x M6 Tripod / Monopod /Ballhead Screws for Manfrotto / Arca Swiss / Gitzo etc $0.98 |
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1/4″ to 3/8″ Convert Screw Adapter for Tripod & Monopod Brass Meterial *2 $1.98 |
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MEFOTO A1350SQ1 (A1350Q1 Short Version) Aluminium Tripod Monopod Kit RED $168.50 |
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MEFOTO A1350SQ1 (A1350Q1 Short Version) Aluminium Tripod Monopod Kit BLUE $168.50 |
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1/4 to 3/8 Convert Screw Adapter for Tripod Monopod Ballhead DSLR SLR Bulk #0654 $3.49 |
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Benro C-0691 B-00 Carbon Tripod Monopod Kit *Fast Ship! $290.00 |
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National Geographic NGTM1 Carbon Monopod Tripod $39.95 |
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BENRO MeFoto C1340Q1 Carbon Tripod Monopod Kit * BLACK $320.00 |
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NEW HORUSBENNU MP-4500ST Standing Camera Monopod (Convertible Tripod) w/ Case $99.50 |
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BENRO MeFoto A2340Q2 Alum. Tripod Monopod Kit * BLACK $225.00 |
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2 X Metal 1/4″ to 3/8″ Convert Screw Adapter PE010A for Tripod Monopod Ballhead $1.95 |
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BENRO MeFoto C2340Q2 Carbon Tripod Monopod Kit * BLACK $350.00 |
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BENRO MeFoto A1340Q1 Alum. Tripod Monopod Kit * BLACK $195.00 |
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BENRO MeFoto A2350Q2 Alum. Tripod Monopod Kit *Ti Color $225.00 |
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New 1/4″ to 3/8″ Convert Screw Adapter for Tripod & Monopod Y106 $2.39 |
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2in1 Portable Folding Mini Camera Tripod Monopod Stands free ship worldwild $7.88 |
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BENRO MeFoto A1350Q1 Alum. Tripod Monopod Kit *Ti Color $195.00 |
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QuikPod Explorer+ Quik Pod Digital Camera Monopod Extendable Hand Held Tripod $28.95 |
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Giottos 1/4-3/8″ Tripod/Monopod Convert Screw Adapter $3.99 |
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1/4″ to 3/8″ Convert Screw Adapter for Tripod & Monopod $0.99 |
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New 1/4″ to 3/8″ Convert Screw Adapter for Tripod & Monopod Y106 $1.99 |
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All-metal Quick-release Plate f Monopod Tripod Ballhead $9.99 |
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1/4″ to 3/8″ Convert Screw Adapter for Tripod & Monopod $0.50 |
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Brand Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Monopod Ball Head For Camera SLR DSLR DC $174.99 |
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Platinum Plus by Sunpak Ultra 7500TM 2-in-1 Tripod/Monopod Multi-Functional $50.00 |
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1/4″ to 3/8″ Convert Screw Adapter for Tripod & Monopod $2.49 |
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Cowboystudio Photography Camera Tripod Head for Monopod $27.00 |
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Brand Pro Camera SLR DSLR Tripod Monopod Ball Head For Nikon Canon Fujifilm Sony $109.99 |
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Aircell Comfort Tripod Monopod Carrying Strap $24.99 |
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58mm Wide angle & tele + 57″ tripod & monopod + rubber hood for Canon 500D 450D $67.44 |
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0.45X Wide angle & 2x tele 58mm + 57″ tripod & monopod for Canon 1100D 600D 550D $67.44 |
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57″ Tripod & 67″ monopod + 67mm wide angle & tele + hood for Fuji S100FS S200EXR $89.29 |
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0.43x Wide angle & 2.2X tele 67mm + 57″ tripod & monopod for Nikon 18-105mm D90 $89.29 |
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67mm Wide angle & telephoto + 57″ tripod & monopod + hood for Nikon 18-105mm D80 $89.29 |
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75″ Tripod & monopod + 58mm wide angle & 2x tele + hood for Olympus E-500 E-620 $88.34 |
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58mm Wide angle & tele + hood + 75″ tripod + 67″ monopod for Olympus E-400 E-410 $88.34 |
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57″ Tripod & monopod + 58mm wide angle & tele + rubber hood f/ Canon T3i T2i T1i $67.44 |
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75″ Tripod & monopod + 58mm wide angle & tele + lens hood for Canon T3i T2i T1i $88.34 |
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Cullmann Tripod / Monopod Head $25.50 |
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Pro Panoramic 3 Way 2-Handle 360° Tripod Monopod Ballhead w Quick Release Plate $39.80 |
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Professional Carbon Fiber Camera Tripod Monopod Ball Head For SLR DSLR With Bag $169.99 |
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Brand Portable Carbon Fibre Tripod Monopod And Ball Head For Digital Camera DSLR $171.99 |
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Ball Head Umbrella&Flash Holder/Bracket/Mount④Studio Light Stand/Tripod/Monopod $7.19 |
