Value of Using a Tripod

A tripod is probably one of the most important photographic pieces of equipment you can own. After buying a camera body and a lens, your next purchase should be a tripod.

Some of the primary advantages of using a tripod include the following.

Image Sharpness

For razor sharp images, nothing is more important that the use of a sturdy tripod to eliminate camera shake. For the sharpest possible images, always use one whenever the following guideline is met:

Use a tripod whenever the shutter speed is greater than the inverse of the lens focal length.

For example, a tripod should be used with a 100mm lens whenever the shutter speed is 1/100 second or longer. Following this general guideline will generally result in sharp images. Proper use of a tripod will produce even sharper images even when the guideline says that hand holding is adequate. This added sharpness can be visible when enlarging prints to 8X10 or above.

Also, see my article for Hand Holding a camera.

Image Control 

As discussed above, use of a tripod allows you to use longer shutter speeds. This, in turn, allows the use of smaller apertures. And of course the ability to select a wider range of apertures and shutter speeds is what allows for maximum flexibility in controlling depth of field and subject motion. It's impossible, for example, to use the waterfall or night exposure techniques in my Special Exposure Situations page without a tripod or similar sturdy support. And you couldn't shoot at f22 without a tripod for extreme depth of field except in bright sunny conditions.

The tripod also simplifies the use of graduated split neutral density filters and multiple exposure that would be difficult or impossible with a hand held camera.

Better Compositions 

Probably the greatest thing you can do to improve the composition of your landscape images is to use a tripod. Use of a tripod slows down the photographic process allowing you time to concentrate on all of the technical as well as artistic aspects of making the image. It allows for the camera to be held still for close inspection of the lines, shapes, forms, and textures in the frame, and for fine tuned changes in camera position to bring them all together. You have time to scan the edges of the image for distractions. You can wait for several minutes or several hours for the light to be just right, a cloud to position itself, a contrail to disappear, or for a break in the wind.

One important tip, however, related to composition and the use of a tripod:  I highly suggest that you get the basic composition of your image figured out with the camera hand-held. This gives you the freedom to play with different points of view before restricting mobility by mounting the camera on the tripod. The composition can then be fine tuned on the tripod as described in the paragraph above.

Another important tip when working off a tripod:  Be aware that light entering you camera's viewfinder can influence your camera's meter. To avoid exposure errors, be sure to cover the camera viewfinder with your head, your hand, a handkerchief, or whatever, at the time you take your meter reading.

Please see my Equipment Recommendations page for recommended characteristics of the tripod.