The time is getting close for my trip and I have to start making decisions about the gear I am going to take with me. There are obvious things like cameras and lenses, but there is a lot of other stuff I can take as well.
We discussed the infrared camera the other day and I will be taking that with me, so I will find room for it. So the next big thing is a tripod.
I have had many tripods over the years but now I mainly use two. I have Three 3 Legged Thing tripods. The first one, Billie, I got in 2019 after using it for my trip to New Zealand. It is a great small tripod for travelling.
I have two others that I use. The first one is Winston which is a larger tripod and the second one is Bucky, a smaller one that is good for most of the photography I do.
Firstly I want to say that using a tripod is something that takes time to get used to. When I first started photography I bought a tripod but I rarely used it. I thought it was cumbersome and hated setting it up and then having to move it.
The more you use one the better you get at setting it up. It can also slow you down and make you think more about your composition and what you want to take. I’m a massive fan of using one now. Not all the time, there are times you want to just walk around with the camera, but it can be good other types.
There is nothing worse than getting home to discover that all your photos are blurry because you were too lazy to use your tripod.
Let’s take a look at what I use.
Legends Bucky Carbon Fibre Tripod
I have to say this is my go to tripod. I like the size of it and I like how easy it is to use.
Having said that over the years I’ve found it easier to use and it has become a vital part of my kit. Since I like doing long exposure photography I have to have a tripod. It is important to have one that is sturdy that I know won’t move easily.
I tend to use Bucky when I am in the city. I will use it when I’m down the coast or in the country, but the conditions have to be right. It will take some wind, but not a lot. Experience has taught me that if I am going outside the city then I should take my larger tripod.
Bucky is quite a versatile tripod and you can make it a table top tripod, you can make a monopod and one thing I really like is that you can remove the centre column and put right down on the ground.
I’m going to give you a gallery of some photos of the tripod and some places I’ve been out with it.
Basically, every city long exposure and the timelapse I have done in the last few years were done using this tripod.
Winston 2.0 Carbon Fibre Tripod
As I said earlier I also have Winston. He is a bigger tripod and if I extended the legs all the way out I wouldn’t be able to see through the camera. It is much taller than me. However, what I want with this one is the weight.
If I am out and it is really windy I need a tripod that I know I can get good images with regardless. I mean there are times I have to lean down on the tripod to make sure it stays still, but most of the time it is good.
I think the size of it can make it hard to carry around, especially if you aren’t sure if you will need it. I think that can be really important. When I first got into photography I suspect that was part of my problem was the size of the tripod and hating to have to carry it everywhere.
My first and second tripods were large and heavy and I didn’t have a camera bag that would carry it for me. It was really hard to like using it and I always found reasons not to.
Since I tend to carry Winston in the car with me, I really only have to carry it short distances and that makes it a good tripod to use.
Here is a gallery of some images of my tripod Winston.
Whatever tripod you decide to buy you have to find one that will work for you. It needs to be sturdy enough for what you want to use it for. There is also nothing wrong with having different tripods of different sizes. I actually think it is good.
If I’m going out into the city and I don’t know if I will need a tripod, Bucky will be attached to my camera bag. It is light enough and easy to unclip and set up. It is better to have it with me than regret not taking it.
The biggest issue I have is when to take Winston, so he is nearly always in the car when I go on a day trip somewhere so if I need a bigger or heavier tripod I’m covered.
Bringing this back to my trip to Tasmania, I will be taking both with me. I don’t really know what conditions I will find when I get there so I need to be prepared.
If you want to check out my tripods take a look at 3 Legged Thing. I like their tripods and they have some great colours.
I’m going to end this post with some photos that the tripods were used for.
Wow, that’s a beautiful picture!
Thank you Marcia.
Never occured to me that naming your tripods makes them have some form of quirky personality and suggest to me how sturdy they are. Love those name choices and the fact they’re named at all! Is that common among photographers?
I didn’t name them Leslie, the company has done that. Not sure I would have picked those names, lol. I don’t think it is common, but the names are what the tripods came with. Thank you.
Amazing photos!
Thank you.
Fantastic photos!
Thank you.
I have read about this Tripod company several times, never tried one. And, you were right on the money about having to use one often enough to get comfortable. At night is the only time I use one, so of course it’s usually a big pain. 😁.
I really like them, and I think part of the reason is that they are different from many others. Good to hear you agree with me about using one, you do get more comfortable. Oh well, you need to do more night photography Ted, lol. thank you.
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I wish I could convince myself to USE a tripod. The two I’ve got that are complete (I have one that needs a head) are light. I never feel my camera is secure on either one. Aside from the issue of setting it up and taking it down, I’m terrified it will drop my camera. I wish I had a chance to try them before buying, but that’s unrealistic. I am considering a monopod, just for the balance — but again I need to believe it’s strong enough to hold my camera securely .
I wish we lived closer Marilyn, then we could go out and do some work with the tripods. You do have to have faith in your tripod. You have to trust it will not fall over. You can’t buy cheap ones, unfortunately. It amazes me how people will buy a good camera and then trust a cheap tripod to keep it up. I’ve been know to spend almost a $1000 on a tripod. If I trust it then I am more likely to use it. I don’t know how many you paid for yours Marilyn, but I would suggest taking the camera to a camera store and asking them to try it on different tripods and see if you can find one you would like. If you have an questions, I would be happy to help. It sounds like you want to use one.
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Beautiful photos, as always. I enjoyed reading about the tripods. If I travel by car, I often bring my tripod. Otherwise, I’ll improvise with setting the camera on my husband’s shoulders or my knees if I sit down.
I think with doing long exposures you really a good tripod, so I have got used to always having it with me, unless I know for sure I won’t need it, like if I’m wandering around the streets. YOu are lucky your husband will be your tripod, lol. Not sure mine would, though he has been known to carry my bag for me. Thank you Egidio.
I try not to abuse the use of his shoulder support. I guess for the type of photography I do, sometimes a monopod is all I need.
That is probably a good thing, lol. You want him to keep going out with you to take photos too, Dave rarely goes with me now. Monopods can be good.
My Rollei tripod is a bit heavier (no carbon) but he does the work too Leanne but sometimes it’s something to complain about when I go out on my bike 🙂 B.t.w. your pictures are awesome.
I think that is what I like about having choices, having more than one means I can decide which one will be best for me.I’m glad to hear you are using it Rudi.
Thank you.
I really wanted to like these tripods but I have love-hate relationships with tripods and am mostly stuck with ungodly manfrotto.
My first tripod and second were Manfrottos, but I love the ones I have now. I think if you need a tripod and you hate yours then you should look around at others. I hope you find one that will make you want to use it. Thank you Anna.
Beautiful photos and nice tripods, Leanne. I agree that they are cumbersome which is why I don’t use one. I suppose I should though.
Thank you John, it depends on what you are doing John, from what I’ve seen of your photography you probably don’t need one. If you were doing what I do, you would.
You do a lot of things I have no idea how to do, Leanne. 🤙🏻🤭❤️❤️
I do love to experiment and try different things, it is my ADHD, it stops me from getting bored.
I see. I consider myself OCD for different reasons. There are objects you can sit your camera on that would be more stable than being hand-held.
My daughter is OCD, is that why your backyard is so nice? There are things if you don’t want to use a tripod, but sometimes the angles aren’t great. I feel the need for one for my photography, but that is me.
I have to say yes, that is why my backyard is clean and symmetrical.
I think I would prefer OCD to ADHD, my house might be a lot tidier then, I tend to get distracted.
I can’t handle messiness. Nope. A place for everything, everything in its place.
I don’t like it either, but have a hard time keeping it all tidy.
I live by myself so it’d easy to keep things clean. 🤙🏻
I must admit after our girls left home it has been easier.
Just …. Wow!!!
Thank you.