Fiber Tripods | Photography Equipment | Tripods | Camera Tripods

In photography, a camera tripod is used to stabilize and elevate a camera, or to support flashes or other photographic equipment. Tripods are used for both still and motion photography to prevent camera movement. They are necessary when slow-speed exposures are being made, or when zoom lenses are used.

Tripods

Any camera movement while the shutter is open will produce a blurred image. A tripod is also helpful in achieving precise framing of the image, or when more than one image is being made of the same scene, for example when bracketing the exposure.

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Use of a tripod may also allow for a more thoughtful approach to photography. For all of these reasons a tripod of some sort is often necessary for professional photography as well as certain video uses.

For maximum strength and stability, most photographic tripods are braced around a center post, with collapsible telescoping legs and a telescoping section at the top that can be raised or lowered.

At the top of the tripod is the head, which includes the camera mount (usually a detachable plate with a thumbscrew to hold onto the camera), several joints to allow the camera to pan and tilt, and usually a handle to allow the operator to do so without jostling the camera.

Some tripods also feature integrated remote controls to control a camcorder or camera, though these are usually proprietary to the company that built the camera.

In addition, some photographers use a one-legged telescoping stand called a monopod for convenience in setup and breakdown. A monopod requires the photographer to hold the camera in place, but because the photographer no longer has to support the full weight of the camera, it can provide many of the same stabilization advantages as a tripod.

The 'head' is the part of the tripod that attaches to the camera and allows it to be aimed. It may be integrated into the tripod, or a separate part. There are generally two different types of heads available.

The pan-tilt head has separate axes and controls for tilting and panning, so that a certain axis can be controlled without risk of affecting the other axes. These heads come in two types, 2-way and 3-way. 2-way heads have 2 axes and controls, one for panoramic rotation, and one for front tilt. 3-way heads have 3 axes and controls, one for panoramic rotation, front tilt, and lateral tilt.

The controls on these heads, are usually handles that can be turned, to loosen or tighten the certain axis. This allows movement in one, a few, or none of the axes. When movement of all axes of rotation is needed, a ball head is used. There are some pan-tilt heads that use gears, for precision control of each axis. This is helpful for some types of photography, such as macro photography.

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