do you use a tripod/monopod

[Avas Mom]

Quick question;
I am working on getting sharp pics/clear pics -- and some of the books i'm reading recommend a tripod/monopod. For those that feel like they have crisp pics.. do you use tripod/monopod?? Did it make a big difference in your pics. I realize I might not use for everyday life -- but for family photos, landscape...etc

Carie

[LisaD]

I use my tripod quite a bit. I love it for portraits, family portraits (I can turn on the timer & actually get in the shot too), and low light shots. It's a great investment (I actually got mine as a present one year). Those gorilla pod thingie's (the short, bendable ones) were at Target for $20. I'm thinking of getting that for traveling around.

[hguenthe]

I don't use a tripod as often as I like because it is a bit of a pain to cart around but does really help for low light or shots you want really steady and don't have the ability to go with a fast shutter speed. They are also great for being able to try some neat photographic techniques with like the shots you see of soft flowing water and the rocks and everything are nice and sharp.

My parents gave me a gorilla pod for Christmas and we have taken it more places and used it more because it is nice and small and I am able to clip in on the outside of my slingpro so it is always handy to grab & use. I have used it on hikes where I hook it around a bridge board and take a shot. They are very sturdy and if you get it on nice and tight, it grips great for using on all sorts of odd things, like rocks, trees, posts...

If you get one, having the ability to get a ball mount for it is very nice as it gives you a lot of flexibility for direction, movement of your camera & then lock its position for the shot. Very useful for the tripod and even more so with the gorilla pod as you may have to grip the gorilla pod at really weird angles and the ball mount allows you to still get a level photo.

I also have a monopod Mike bought me which we haven't used often yet but so far, really like. He really enjoyed using it on the Scott Kelby photowalk and found that it was really nice for steadying his shots. The one he got me is a pretty sturdy one too so he found it was great to walk around with as when not using it for shots, it doubled as a nice walking stick. It has a little flip down foot for added stability and nice quick squeeze hand grip for raising and lowering it. It collapses nice and short for storage but expands nicely for height when using.

[KerryMac]

Nope. They are way too confining for me. Cumbersome. I can't move around and for me, that's frustrating.
But it is good to have one just in case and for family shots that you want to get in.

[audrey77]

I like my Gorilla Pod too... but I need to get the larger one for heavy DSLRs since my one lens is HEAVY.

Good tip on the ball joint heather. What brand do you have/like?

[bluelemur01]

I have a really great tripod with a ball-head (that means you can move it easily in any direction just by depressing the grip, like pulling the brakes on a motorcycle.) It's SO MUCH BETTER than the regular twist/untwist one. If you do get a tripod, I'd recommend getting a good quality, sturdy one and a ball-head top. Mine is a Manfrotto, and it isn't cheap, but it will last forever.

BUT...I mostly use it for formal portraits. And not even for all portraits. A lot of times I just hold the camera for portraits, b/c the strobes are fast enough and my shutter speed is fast enough to ensure I won't get blur.

I've used the tripod for things like flowers in my yard. Sometimes I spray flowers with water and then take pictures. Because the DOF is so shallow, it's really critical that you don't move even a centimeter while snapping the photo, so the tripod helps. And I even took it to St. John on vacation a few years back with DH before we had DD...and I used it for some water shots. I've used it, like Heather said, to get shots of water looking soft and lacy (really slow shutter speed.) But because it's heavy I don't take it around with me much.

Oh, I did use it recently for the shots of the Chihuly glass that I took at night. It was completely 100% necessary then!

One pointer: I never bought a special tripod bag, although I know they sell them. Instead, I took one of those $10 folding camp chairs out of its bag and I now use the bag for my tripod! It's easy to carry that way. It's not padded, so I can't bang it around, but it's at least a way to carry it.

[bluelemur01]

Carie, for me, I get my crispest pictures by doing the following:

-using a really good lens, like my 50mm f/1.8
-making sure my shutter speed is fast enough to avoid motion blur. The typical speed to use is faster than the reciprocal of your focal length. So for the 50mm lens, I should not hand-hold at speeds slower than 1/50th of a second. However, I find that for ME personally, even at 1/50th of a second I will not have the crispest picture I could, so I try to ensure that I have a faster shutter speed. I like to see at least 1/120th to feel safe about it. I HAVE taken pics at 1/50th that turn out "fine" but the ones that turn out "stellar" are usually a bit faster.

I also use a wide body stance and brace my arms against my body, take a deep breath, and snap the pic while I'm not breathing in/out. I also watch the picture through the focus spot and ensure I'm not "wobbling."

For me, the way I stand and hold the camera can really make a difference.

I do get good shots with other lenses but I find that my 50mm is VERY crisp!
J

[audrey77]

Gorillapod now makes a balljoint... sweet!

[Carol Elliott]

I've only used my tri-pod a few times ... group photo where I am in it as well and used a the remote! Since I upgraded to my 40D I've never used it as I haven't purchased the remote (big bucks for it versus the rebels and I'd rather purchase new lenses!).

[MIDA78466]

I have a tripod and have not used it yet. One of these days.......

[katrinak]

I use a tripod from time to time but mostly for slow shutter stuff or when I want to be in the photo!

I'm with Kerry on feeling confined by it! Jennifer's suggestions are excellent!

[hguenthe]

Sorry, I don't know the name of the ball joint I have. My parents gave it to me at Christmas along with the gorilla pod and the packaging is long gone & I don't see a name on it. Knowing them, they would have just gotten it at a camera style store in a mall likely.

It is an attachment style ball joint which has the hole like the bottom of your camera on the bottom of it and the pin thing on the top like tripods. I move it easily between my tripod, gorilla pod or monopod, whichever I want to use it with.

I totally agree with Jennifer, the Manfrotto stuff is nice. My monopod is Manfrotto (~$150) and got excellent reviews (Mike is a review reader before buying anything!!). We would give it excellent reviews too and when I get a new tripod, I plan on getting a Manfrotto one.

[katrinak]

I love my Manfrotto tripod too...just so much sturdier and easier to use than the cheap one I had to replace after dropping it and breaking the top off.

[Amy L]

I feel that I need a tripod for certain situations, but they are cumbersome. I have a Giotto which I'm really happy with.

[kathie02]

I don't have a clue what the brand of mine is, so I guess I don't use it much...lol!! But thanks to this thread I just have to get one of those gorillapods...

[anke]

I have been thinking about the Gorilla Pods for a while. thanks for all the info girls, very helpful thread!

[ccblue]

I have a monopod and tripod. The tripod is great for family shots that you want to be a part of and essential if you want to get clear crisp night shots (I use the self timer so I'm not moving the camera). The monopod I purchased because I was having so much trouble getting clear shots at my nephew's football games and also because the beast of a lens I bought was wearing me out (the games are usually at night). I haven't heard of the gorilla pod but I'm about to order one (thanks for the info Heather), I travel quite a bit and really miss getting night shots of the cities I visit because I've been unwilling to drag my tripod along. Heading to Germany and Austria next month so maybe I'll finally get some amazing night shots!

[anxela]

I have a tripod, but I rarely use it. I like to handhold to get all the action. But I would like to try a monopod, I imagine it's easier to carry with me. I use my tripod on Christmas Eve, though, to get the group shot. And on the occasional times I want to do a self portrait.