The DSLR Field Guide

Tripods

There’s no doubting that a tripod will provide cleaner, sharper images, particularly in low-light conditions when a slower than ideal shutter speed has to be used.

However, when traveling they can be awkward, so much depends on the type of shots you expect to do. Tripod efficiency depends on two things: design and materials. The first essential quality for any tripod, as for any bridge, is that it stays firm and still under average conditions. The acid test is to fix the camera, use a long focal length, and tap the front of the lens while looking through the viewfinder. Common sense will show whether the slight vibration is acceptable, but to make sure, shoot a few times at around 1/60 sec to 1/125 sec while tapping the lens. Examine ...