Tripods - An Introduction
The less your camera moves when it is exposing the image, the sharper your images will be. Unsharp images may seem slight in a small print, but 
when the image is enlarged it becomes very obvious. The best device for keeping your camera still is a tripod. It is no co-incidence that professional photographers use tripods.
when the image is enlarged it becomes very obvious. The best device for keeping your camera still is a tripod. It is no co-incidence that professional photographers use tripods.General
The steadiness of a tripod is generally proportional to its weight. The heavier the tripod is the greater the resistance to vibration.
Cross-bracing between the central column of the tripod and the legs assists with stability. Fewer leg sections generally correlate with sturdiness.
Other things to consider with a tripod are:
- The maximum height of the tripod (one that expands to 1.5-2 metres is probably best)
- Tripod feet are important as they are the surface that comes into contact with the ground or floor and hence influences the stability
- Tripod size and weight when closed is important particularly for travel and hiking. Will it attach onto or fit into your pack or luggage? Is it too heavy? In this respect many models are now constructed with carbon fibre which is strong and lighter than metal.
- Ability to spread the legs wide apart to allow the camera to be closer to the ground
- Rapid adjustment of the leg length so that the tripod can be set-up and put-down rapidly and to allow the tripod to be easily leveled on an uneven surface
- Rack-and-pinion movement in the central column allows for fine-tuning in the height of your camera, it is more convenient and precise. Rack-and-pinion is extremely useful for very heavy cameras or cameras with large telephoto lenses attached.
- Reversible columns can be used for low-level photography or for copying work
Tripod Heads
Fit on top of the tripod and provide a platform for the camera. There are 2 basic types of head – pan-and-tilt and ball-and-socket heads.Ball-and-socket heads have a single locking knob, which released, allows the camera to move in any direction, which gives you complete freedom to frame your shot rapidly. However, fine adjustments are difficult.
Pan-and-tilt heads allow movement in up to three planes - tilt forwards and backwards, horizontal rotation, left and right tilt. Even though they take more time to set up they do allow you to adjust one plane at a time independently of the other planes.
Quick release plates are available with many tripods. These allow for fast and convenient mounting of your camera. If you have more than one camera body that you frequently switch they are “almost” a necessity.
Video Tripods
Video tripods usually exclude left and right tilt, instead have longer control arms and have smoother horizontal movement to facilitate panning.
Monopods
Monopods are single expandable poles that contact with the ground, and which you steady with one hand. They provide enough stability to reduce camera shake when photographing with telephoto lenses. Where it is impractical to carry a tripod with you, a monopod can be very useful.