Noobie question about tripod

I have a question about tripods. Are they only used to stabilize image or do they have other functions ?


I talked to a friend and he talked about using a tripod for better pictures with my kit lens and i didn't quite understand as he was in a hurry and left.

Thanks.

A good tripod eliminates camera shake, allows for longer exposure times.

I use a tripod so I dont have to hold a 6 kilo setup for 4 hours straight.
They are also good for general shooting when you want to slow yourself down and focus on composition.
I also use mine for long exposure photography, cause I cant hold a camera dead still in one place for 5 minutes while also walking around with a torch

A tripod also allows for more careful composition.
You can look at all corners of the viewfinder, adjust a bit, look again, etc. until you like the framing.

Shooting multiple exposures of the same subject (for merging for instance) is also easier on tripod.

What's your advice for shooting Birds with a Tripod as they don't stay in one place you have to keep readjusting , but in low light you need the slower shutter to get a good exposure ?

I have been setting the tripod so that I can still adjust a bit but still give me some stability but the results have been on and off.


David

Birds = very long lens
Very long lens = Wimberly

Add to the above:
Another use of the tripod is to point the cam at the subject
then get your face from behind the cam
and engage the subject in conversation or observe the subject
and then fire the shutter as you see fit.
Sometimes a cable or wireless shutter release adds to the effect.

Another use of the tripod is to photograph panoramas.
In a jiffy you can do panos handheld but the tripod is much better.

Another use of the tripod is to photograph the same exact image
at different exposures (keeping the aperture the same and changing the shutter speed)
so you can piece together parts of the image that would be blown out or too dark with a normal exposure.
You can also do 3 or 5 different exposures
and combine them in an HDR program like photomatix.

Thanks guys.
I really like the HDR idea. I will try it after I get a little better with my camera.
Thanks.

When I got back into photography last year I thought I wouldn't wast money on an expensive tripod - after all, it merely holds the camera for hands free or longer exposures, so what's the big deal. It took only a matter of weeks to figure out that the $90 I spent was money thrown away, especially if there was a decent camera body and heavy-ish lens on the end of it - even light winds would cause movement on this wobbly legged thing.

So if you do go for a tripod, and you should, then get yourself a decent one. I now use the Manfrotto one (in my sig) mostly, but also picked up a Manfrotto mono with internal legs for a trip we are about to go on - smaller and lighter.

Just remember, the tripod you chose will potentially hold up a few thousand $$$ worth of gear - you need to be 100% happy that it will do it 100% of the time, safely and securely.

Thank you guys , but is my technique good or is there another way ?

dpds68 wrote in post #6099776
I have been setting the tripod so that I can still adjust a bit but still give me some stability but the results have been on and off.


David