The tripod is one of the most misunderstood accessories in the photography world. Big, bulky, heavy, and few people want it with them, but It is the essential tool of photography if we are looking for the highest quality.. Today we will see how to use it and the best options on the market.

If you want to frame well and get the best possible sharpness, a tripod is the only tool that will achieve this. This is too much more effective than any stabilizer. The problem is, every gram counts in the world of photography, especially if you don’t work in the studio and have to carry it around for hours.

For many photographers it gives more trouble than advantage, so if they have it they don’t get it out of the closet or they always forget it in the trunk of the car. But if you join us, your well-chosen and used tripod, brings more joy than sadness in a photographer’s life.

What is the tripod for?

a tripod It is used to fix the camera completely firmly at one point.. It serves nothing else, but it is something essential to get the best shot possible. The difference in sharpness can be vast, especially if we’re working in low light or framing is critical.

It never depends on the type of photography, because there are documentary photographers who can’t live without it. It is a tool that you may or may not use for writing with light.

Everyone associates the tripod with the past as something that has made no sense since the stabilization of lenses and bodies was improved. But it’s something that will never go away for the benefit it has.

The most important thing and the reason why many photographers use it, allows us to achieve the best possible framing and make all kinds of settings without losing. Once the camera is correctly positioned, we need to wait and take pictures in the best possible conditions, at noon or in the middle of the night.

Also, if we place it correctly, we will receive a shake free photography, even if the shutter time is too long. After all, quality is more than what we earn.

How to use a tripod

In most cases, we can look like Mr Bean or Pepe Viyuela using the tripod. It’s not as easy as just turning it on and going. You have to take many things into account for it to work well.

When opening the legs the first thing is to put it upside down to open all the partition covers we need. First, the thinnest parts closest to the patella and lastly, to achieve maximum stability.

We turn it over and all open sections open. Now we tighten the fasteners and open the legs. In order to avoid the problem of getting stuck one of them must be in line with the targetso we have room to move between the other two.

column without going up

We should not raise the middle column unless absolutely necessary because if we remove the camera the stability will be much lower.

And we should never take pictures by touching the camera, because then the tripod is useless. It is best to use our camera’s self-timer, remote shooting or mobile app.

The most important thing when choosing a tripod

Compulsory buy the best tripod we can afford. A bad tripod is useless. How to distinguish? It’s easy, super cheap, and fails two tests:

• It is not possible to turn the camera completely vertically or horizontally.
• The camera doesn’t stay still and moves on its own (which also has something to do with the ball joint here).

The best tripod we all should have is the one with the weight. This is the bitter truth. The best ones on the market, those that reach very high prices, are those made from wood. But unless you’re working in the studio all the time, it’s crazy to bet on them.

Berlebach brand tripod

This is why we find them made of lighter and more stable materials such as aluminum and carbon fiber. This last material promises lighter tripods, but at a higher price. I would only recommend paying for them if we are going to carry them with us all the time.. If not, it’s an unnecessary extra cost.

Another thing we should always keep in mind is, Cheap is always expensive in this tripod world, as they say in Latin America. I’ve had two tripods for 20 years and they’ve never been damaged. But if you bet on that tripod you see in a supermarket catalogue, you’ll end up buying another one and your camera will be compromised and of course you’ll never get a well-balanced photo.

weight and height

Weight is the most determining factor when choosing one., as we see. You’ll appreciate the lightness in the mountains and on excursions, but if there’s a snowstorm, you’ll be happy if you find your tripod is rock solid. If you travel a lot by car, you can always carry it in the trunk and only take it when necessary.

But if you walk with it all day, you’ll always enjoy wearing something lighter. well We’ll have to see if it’s made of carbon rather than aluminum., the two most common materials at the moment. Both can withstand impacts well if you’re careful, but the aluminum ones will always be more durable over time.

Good height for shooting

Regarding height, it is important that they are only a few centimeters lower than our own height, but it all depends on each person’s perspective. And it does not depend on the height of the middle bar, so as not to lose balance. It is essential for me that they are larger than 170 cm.

The legs have several segments, usually three to five. It is more stable with fewer partitions, but also heavier. And if you have more, it will be more compact. And always for chapter closures clips will be more comfortable than twist type.

ball joint type

With the ball joint, we can place the camera exactly where we want it, vertically or horizontally, from the front or in a cutout. And don’t move. On older machines, most of us carried a carpenter’s scale to position it perfectly, but today electronic levels They give incredible sensitivity.

ball head

Here you will notice the difference between tripod and other tripod.. The ones that let you change the ball joint to level up will always be better. If you want to travel light, you should bet on a ball head, but if you’re looking for absolute precision and comfort, there’s nothing like a 3-way head.

It all depends on the weight of the equipment and the compactness you are looking for. In my case I have two heads, a ball head for travel and car trips and 3 ways to study. And both support the weight of a 70-200 f4 SLR.

shoe type

certainly you don’t want your camera to drop due to poor stabilization. Nor does it move from one side to the other just by touching it. That’s why shoes, whose function is to connect the camera with the tripod, are very important.

The most popular Arca Swiss on the market, but one of the most popular brands, Manfrotto has its own brand. After all, it’s a matter of taste. The fixation system seems to me better, faster than Manfrotto’s. But that’s a matter of taste.

Famous Arca Swiss mountain

Finally we all end up in back switzerland. Even Manfrotto sells an adapter to be part of a shoe, which is practically standard.

Most recommended tripods on the market

It’s not worth buying the cheapest you see in stores. In the end, if you like working with a tripod, you’ll buy a better one, and if you don’t, it’s because it doesn’t give you what you need. Also, you don’t need to spend a lot of money. Good tripods will last you many years.

For a long time you only found the brands of your life at high prices on the market. However, the entry of other manufacturers caused a significant price drop. Currently there are many models with impressive value for money.

Also, since the weight of the cameras is reduced and most cell phones use them, they don’t need to be that sturdy and heavy. However, if you don’t mind carrying the extra weight it contains, it will always be the best option. There is no ideal tripodespecially since it’s definitely going to be expensive, but here are my favorites:

• Manfrotto MT055XPRO3: One of the best tripods on the market. It’s big and heavy, but you can put any camera with any lens on it and it will hold it wherever you want it. One of the biggest advantages is the possibility to set the column to 90º for various types of photography.

• Manfrotto 190XPRO: another highly recommended tripod. It’s lighter than the previous series and I always carry it in the car with the XPRO 3-Way joint it shares. He’s been part of my travel team for a long time. But the years are not in vain and the cameras are getting lighter, so for now it is hidden in the closet.

• Rollei C5I: Since I now work with mirrorless cameras with light lenses, compact and mobile cameras, I chose this carbon tripod that weighs just over 1 Kg. It’s from Manfrotto, but very light and does its job. I’m also not convinced by the rotary partition locks. I prefer clips but that’s the price I pay for not knowing I’m wearing them.

After the camera, lens and computer, the first thing we buy should be a tripod. It’s hard to adapt to this, but if the most important thing is the framing and clarity of your photos, feel free to bet on one.