Hunt For The Ideal Tripod

We, photography passionate people, spend a lot of money on camera equipment… We all want the latest bells and whistles available from our favorite camera manufacturer so it’s also likely that we will often change the camera body to enjoy the newest tech available on the market. And don’t forget those premium optics that we mount to our camera…they all come with a pretty serious price tag! But they keep making them better so why wouldn’t we buy the new ones too? Right?

The one piece of equipment that is often the most neglected must be the tripod… As a landscape photography workshop host, I often see people buying/using the wrong tripod for landscape photography! Is there such a thing as the wrong tripod you may ask? Yes! And in this article, I will help you to find the right option for your needs as a landscape photography enthusiast! Believe me, you want a good tripod…keep reading to find out why!

BUY FROM A WELL KNOWN BRAND

There are so many brands that make tripods right now so which one to choose from? And believe me, not all of them are good! You can find some really cheap quality ones on Amazon for as little as 125$ or cheaper. Those are very likely to be of weak design and from a barely known brand that will not support you if you break a part on the tripod. Having the option to be able to buy replacement parts is very important. Otherwise, if you do break a part, you will need to purchase a new one! Buy from well known and well established brands such as Gitzo, Really Right Stuff or Leofoto… you will pay more but you won’t be left on your own if ever you need spare parts. Please notice that I didn’t mention Peak Design as I don’t think their tripods are good. Not only are they flimsy, they are also very expensive. Even though Peak Design is a well known brand, their tripods simply aren’t good!

CHECK YOUR PAYLOAD

Before buying a tripod, you should always look at the specifications and buy what I like to call an « over-kill » option that can support way more than what your camera setup weights…why? First of all, that said an « over kill » tripod will be much sturdier than the smaller option. And sturdier also means less prone to vibration in windy conditions. Speaking of which, most tripods have a center hook in the middle which allows us to hang extra weight in case of those windy situations. I even hang my whole camera bag on that hook to prevent my tripod from moving. But to do so, you have to make sure that the tripod can support the weight of your bag.

EXOTIC MATERIALS

The very first thing to look for when shopping for a tripod is sturdiness. Believe it or not, some tripods are made of some really flimsy materials known to man such as plastic! Why would someone rely on plastic to hold an expensive camera? Even aluminum can be quite flexible. You definitely want a tripod mostly made of carbon fiber and exotic alloys such as aircraft aluminum or titanium. Landscape photography often requires for us to hike with a lot of camera equipment, so that means we want a light and sturdy tripod! Don’t we?

But be careful…don’t get fooled by some of those brands’ marketing tactics…not all carbon fiber tripods are solid. Some companies are using very cheap and thin carbon fiber for their tripods. Read the specifications and try to find information about how many layers of carbon fiber they use for their tripod leg tubes. The more the better!

EASY HEIGHT ADJUSTMENTS

I personally prefer what I like to call the « Easy Twist Adjusters » since they are easy to operate and also easier to take apart when you need to do so. Why would I want to take my tripod apart you may ask? I often capture images while standing in rivers or lakes which means water will eventually come into the tripod tubes. You definitely want to dry your tripod after using it in those conditions to prevent mold or even freezing if you are using your tripod in very cold environments. And when I come home, I will take my tripod apart and clean the inside of those tubes with a cool little gun cleaning kit, light soap and water to remove any contaminants. Another fun feature of the « Easy Twist Adjusters » is when you attach your tripod to your camera bag and go hiking in a forest, the tripod won’t get caught in tree branches and shrubs…a tripod with small lever adjusters might get caught in all those little annoying tree branches…it’s a real pain!

REMOVABLE CENTER COLUMN

To allow yourself as much composition freedom as possible, make sure to choose a tripod on which the center column can be easily removed. This will give you much more freedom to setup your camera as low as possible to the ground.

Some people don’t like a center column and say that it ruins images because they are prone to vibration. I have to disagree with that statement. If used correctly, center columns are great! I personally like to have the option to fine-tune my composition without having to extend all three tripod legs. Most tripods mentioned above do have a center column and since those brands designed their tripods very well, the integration of the center column won’t affect the stability of the tripod unless you fully extend it. You should never fully extend your center column because then it will definitely be more prone to vibration.

SHOOT FROM DOWN LOW

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, having a removable center column is useful…another must have feature is to be able to spread the tripod legs in such a way that your camera is as low to the ground as possible. My Gitzo tripod can go as low as a couple centimeters from the ground… I often capture my images from a very low perspective to allow myself to emphasize the size of my foreground elements and to minimize the amount of empty mid-ground in my composition.

INTERCHANGEABLE TRIPOD FOOT

Another cool but not mandatory tripod feature is to have the option to remove the tripod rubber feet and to be able to screw on optional ones such as the Leofoto Foot Claws and Gitzo Ice Spikes Set. You probably won’t need those if you capture images more often during the warmer months of the year and if winter photograph isn’t your thing… Not everybody will want to capture images while standing in the middle of a frozen lake…but keep in mind that if you do, you might want to use something other than the original rubber feet to give your tripod the additional grip it needs to be fully stable on the ice.

…IN CONCLUSION

In conclusion, there really is no point of buying the cheapest available tripod on the market because it will only cause you problems in the short term. Cheap tripods simply don’t last very long! Ask me how I know! I bought a couple of cheap ones in the past and guess what, they went into the garbage bin a long time ago! Buy a good tripod from a good brand to support your pricey camera equipment and you will not only have the peace of mind that it won’t break, it will likely last you a lifetime and you will also have better quality non-blurry images. A good tripod will be less prone to vibration… And vibration causes soft images…

As far as I can tell, Gitzo and Really Right Stuff are the two top of the line tripod brands on the market right now and I could recommend them to anyone! But they come with a hefty price tag… If your budget doesn’t approve those hefty price tags, you should definitely consider Leofoto which offers tripods that are equally as good at a fraction of the price!

You can see below three images that would have been impossible to capture if I didn't have the option to remove my tripod center column...so what does that mean? Choose your ideal tripod wisely! Happy tripod shopping!