Digital Camera tripods?

Hi,
You could use anything to stablize your camera. While at an anime convention...TekoshoCon in Pitts PA, actually ...I used a camera lens on top of the table to place my video camera on. (the 80-200mm 2.8 len was long enough to hold the video camera correctly...9in tall)

depending on your shooting needs... I find this (or this size):
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00009RUCH/ref=pd_sxp_elt_l1/002-1796236-8288867

to be the most flexible (as long as you're shooting on a table top). It's cheap. Could be bought at K-mart/walmart for 3.00-5.00.


Any of these 'mini' tripod or 'small' tripod will work. If you plan to -only- photograph your doll (cats, dogs, babies, etc), you won't need anything that's +3ft tall. Don't pay more than 20.00 for anything that small.

 

If anyone else here in the States can get to a Big Lots easily, you might want to check it out. The one near me has mini tripods for only $3.99 each.

The tripods are about 6" tall, and extend to about 12" tall. Perfect for getting those tricky close-up shots of dolls posing on the ground or the floor. They're not the sturdiest things around, but they're handy and well worth the price.

 

I got my big tripod at Big Lots, too. n n It was around nine dollars!

Big lots pwns.

 

My camera is a Canon PowerShot SD400 Digital Elph - and I love it... but its SUCKS at taking pictures without a flash... especially for me... someone with shakey hands. So I bit the bullet and bought a tripod. I wanted one that could go low (since dolls are short), and one that could go high for normal shooting... I found one I really liked. 9" at shortest, 40" at tallest. Circuit City wanted $20 for it - I got it on ebay for $14 including shipping.
Its the Gemini Compact Tripod.
- 2-way pan/tilt head
- Fully rotational photo/video platform
- Tilt & pan control arm

Its WONDERFUL! I HIGHLY recommend it!

 

I see this word alot what is it? =_=..it might be dumb but I really don't know!

 

Tripod

1. A three-legged object, such as a cauldron, stool, or table.
2. An adjustable three-legged stand, as for supporting a transit or camera.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripod

Or possibly it's a reference to the website:

http://www.tripod.lycos.com/

 

It's exactly what Marilyn said ^^. An adjustable stand to put cameras on so that you could take nice, still shots however you want. You could pan (side to side) and tilt (up-down) the camera using it =D

 

Yep, a camera tripod steadies the camera so you don't get blurry pictures. Most cameras have a threaded hole on the bottom - this is the hole that attaches to the tripod's mounting head.

When you are taking pictures of objects at a reasonable distance and in abundant light, you generally can manage to get a steady shot without using a tripod. But if you want to take non-flash pictures in available light that is low (i.e., interior, evening, night), or if you want to use your camera's macro setting to get closeups, you really need a way to immobilise your camera. You may not think you moved a muscle, but the resulting image usually says different.

That's where a tripod comes in to save the day. And they don't have to be terribly expensive. I have a little 4" one with flexible legs that cost $3.99. I have an 18" one that cost $9.99. And I just got a 48" one off eBay for $0.99 (but shipping was $14.99). These smaller "travel" tripods work very well for photographing BJDs, are dead easy to carry around with you, and happily won't bankrupt you.

I've done business with this eBay seller and been very happy

Lisa

 

oh my gawd that's it ^_^..wow learned a new english word *giggle*
Thanks..I have a *tripod* for my camera but I don't like to work with it >_<..bleh...

 

There is also this flexible tripod: gorillapod.com that is fairly amazing. *.*

 

Good afternoon!

I'm looking at getting a tripod, and I'm a little torn between my choices.
Basically, it seems that I can get a mini tripod (15.5cm - 30cm), a middle-ish tripod (35 cm - 105cm) or a "normal" one (45cm - 125cm).

I have one mini-sized boy, and one SD13-sized boy. I'm also into lolita fashion and cosplay, so I take photos of real people too... I was wondering what people think would be the best sized tripod for me to get.

I'm personally leaning towards the middle one (I'm short ;P), but my husband says to get the tallest one. All three tripods fold down into their smallest stated heights, so they'd all fit in my doll carrier just fine.

What would you suggest?

 

You're better off with the tallest one. The fact that you're going to be using it for non-doll stuff too, you wouldn't be limited if your tripod couldn't extend out or up more.

At the same time, it's always good to have a mini tripod anyhow. They aren't that expensive. They are good for using on a table too.

 

I agree, get the tallest one. Then later on if you think you could make use of the short one you could always get it. Though I have never really had the need my self.

 

I got a great Samsung one which has adjustable legs. It was only about $22, but it does the job right. The legs change the height between about 45 cm to 137 cm. There are a few adjustable ones on amazon.com, but I found mine in an electronics store (Circuit City). You can probably find them if you look around. : )

 

I don't have a digital camera I plan on using; I don't like how most digital cameras take pictures. Though a multimedia programmer and designer, I prefer my 35mm that I inherited from my grandfather.

It is a Canon AE-1 PROGRAM, with two lenses (the default and a beautiful long zoom lenses). I am barely learning about it and have no documentation for it. My grandfather passed away so no one knows all the inner workings of it, but I can figure out how to work it, and in the past I've already taken beautiful pictures of people (if I don't sound too vain). And I am quite skilled with photoshop.

I have been reading through the photography tips and learned three things: I need to make a set up, buy a lighting tent at some point... but most importantly I need the set up and a TRIPOD.

I haven't a clue about tripods. The camera can take some pretty awesome shutter settings... it can take some rather slow pictures for movement, or it can take some quick ones that catches a moving object without blur.

But I know I need a tripod after all the advice repeated over and over again.

So what sort of camera should I look at? I'm only half interested in taking pictures of people, but that would be a wise investment for the future. I am not even back home yet so I haven't a clue where I'll make my set up, so I don't know if it will be ground level or not. Though I imagine table-level would be more comfortable.

 

I very rarely, if ever, shoot without a tripod - and I don't ever photograph a doll without one! Tripods can really run the gamut in price and quality. You probably don't need to start out with something very expensive - and most stores such as Target, Best Buy, etc., have a section with tripods. You might want to bring your camera with you and make sure you won't need to buy an adapter - insure that the tripod will screw into the bottom of your rig.

Good luck!

 

So, I've been annoyed with the cheapy little piece of junk tripod I have for some time now, but getting a different camera has really made it more annoying.

To start with, it only goes up to about 14", not tall enough to take a standing picture of even an MSD. I have to either place it on something tall enough, or failing that, try to steady a couple of legs against my chest and hold the third... Thus defeating the purpose of a tripod. -_-;;; It also hasn't held up very well and collapses if too much pressure/weight is put on it. It wasn't a problem with my ancient small Sony POS, but it is a problem with my Canon S3 IS.

So anyone have suggestions on a good tripod? It doesn't need to go to insane heights, just topping off at like... Even about two and a half feet would be fine. Preferably with a minimum smaller than two feet, lol, I have a mini and a couple of tinies too. I'd like to get one that's reasonably sturdy, obviously. XD; Being small for travel isn't a concern, I don't travel with my good camera, the lens cap design is kind of bad and it comes off too easily. I already had my heartstopping 'omg is that a scratch' moment with it a couple of days after getting it when the cap came off while I had it on the neck strap, rofl. Oh, preferably a design that allows for turning an SLR-sized camera sideways. My current one you can't really use to take vertical pictures with with the S3 IS because it's too small to turn the camera mount sideways... And then it falls over due to the weight, rofl.

But yeah, manufacturers, models, what you personally use, etc?

 

I have a cheap 20 dollar tripod from walmart and it works like a dream. its a no-name brand and it has adjustable heights, also its very sturdy. unlike cameras it really isn't anything to recommend. I had an expensive tripod before the one I have now and after a few years of use it didn't adjust properly anymore (when you put the camera on it one of the legs wouldn't hold). So I definitely wouldn't buy an expensive one again since this cheap one is doing the job, and doing it well.

 

B&H photo is a prefessional photo supplier. They have some used stuff as well.

If you have a small digital camera, you don't need any kind of big, heavy-duty tripod, something small will work.

 

Well, For a small starting tripod, just look through Ritz Camera and look at tripods under a hundred dollars.

I use one similar to this one.
http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/291660595.htm

I also have one like this one.
http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/291660579.htm

I haven't used this smaller one much so I can't give you a huge thumbs up or down. but it's come in handy the few times i used it. But a Decent 18" tripod for about 30-40 bucks is a good place to start. Unless you're going to find yourself packing it up often, throwing it in the trunk of your car and literally beating the snot out of it.. there isn't much need to get a huge expensive tripod.

 

I use a Dynatran. It was cheap, lightweight and yet had lots of useful functionality - two stage legs, so you can have it at half height, removable camera fitment, crank handle for height adjustment, choice of bun or spiked feet, full 90 degree tilt on the head, spirit level ... and it all fits into a neat shoulder bag that weighs less than my camera.

I got mine from eBay - cost about $20 before shipping. Check out amvona.com LINK HERE for the full specs, and then buy a cheap one on eBay!

 

i have a tiltall... stainless steal very durable about $99.

 

I was happy to finally liberate my tripod from storage about two weeks ago, only to belatedly discover that the mechanism that allows for movement along the z-axis (up/down) is stripped and no longer works correctly. (How does that happen from being in storage!? The world may never know...)

Truthfully, I'll save my tears since it was VERY OLD and I was due for an upgrade, but now that begs the question, what to buy?

Here are the things I'm looking for:

1. Full-size (no table top stuff)
2. Ball head, grip action (preferred, but I'll hear arguments as to why another type might be better)
3. Light to medium weight (I will want to take it with me outdoors from time to time, so it can't weigh a ton)
4. $200 or under price tag (though I'm aware this might be a pipedream on my part )

I'm not looking for a pro tripod as I really can't afford to spend $500+ at the moment. I don't need something constructed from the same space age carbon as a NASA shuttle, and I don't need it to be capable of poses worthy of a yoga guru. It just needs to be stable, capable of supporting a Canon Xsi, and have a ball head w/ grip action (or a close facsimile thereof).

Your thoughts and recommendation please.

 

I have a little Giotto ballhead and I think it's pretty spiffy. Really inexpensive, too.
http://www.amazon.com/Giotto-MH-1003-Small-Independent-Panning/dp/B0000BZLK9

 

Seems that the Giotto MH 1003 and 1002 have solid reputations, though I'm just slightly saddened by the lack of action grip. Any recommendations for which tripod to bundle with the head? Amazon is offering up the Gorilla pod, which I think is cool, but not what I need.

 

I ordered a tripod from HERE and I have really liked the tripod. It is useful, because it is so adjustable. You can easily adjust the positioning of the camera. I really like this product, and it's not expensive, either!

 

Just wondering, does anyone use a GorillaPod for doll photography? What do you think of it? Advantages/disadvantages? Also, if you could share what size of doll you tend to use it with, that would be great.

I do have a regular tripod, but I've been mulling over the idea of buying a GorillaPod for photo shoots that are lower to the ground. I do have a few mini tripods but they can't support the weight of my camera and lens (around 1350g combined)

 

I have a gorillapod. I have not used it much, mabye I will try today! Thank you for reminding me. I will try out several things with it and respond here.

 

Hmmm...my advice is if you intend to use a tripod extensively, you should save up your $$ and get a professional grade tripod like a manfrotto: http://www.manfrotto.us/ You should be able to nab an entry level one for around $100.

My experience with tripods has been this...if you buy something cheap it will break down within a year or two of use, granted I was a photo major at that time and used it a lot. After breaking a tripod I decided to take my professors advice and get a manfrotto (previously called bogen). The first time I used that tripod I noticed the difference immediately! These things are made solid, no wobbly legs than can be easily swayed by wind or other disturbances. I've even had my tripod knocked into and it didn't budge. On top of that the adjustment controls are better and they are built to last. I have had my tripod now for probably around 10 years and although it has a few scratches, it still works just as well as it did the day I bought it. I would say the only downfall is it is heavy, however they have some new models now that are supposed to be lightweight.

 

As a general thing, Costco has great deals on decent tripods. Look for one with a ballhead (the camera tilts on a ball instead of having seperate flappy/hinge things, it'll become obvious how this works when you see them in person), legs that are round and have locks you twist instead of flip, and that doesn't have little arms connecting the legs together or to the center column. This Dolica tripod is probably a pretty good option for the price ($70)

The venerable Tiltall classic is also a decent option and will hold any camera and lens you ever try to put on it, but it's huge, heavy, and a bit awkward to work with. I sold mine after buying a serious pro tripod setup last year.

One interesting option for small cameras is the Tamrac Zipshot. It's not height adjustable but is pretty decent for tabletop shooting, folds up really small, and the way it works is really cool. They have a mini one that would probably be good for ground-level, too.

I have a bunch of Gorillapods but never seem to find as much use for them as I think I will when I buy them. They're awesome if you're travelling really light and need something to stabilize a camera, say for nighttime shots from a hotel room balcony or something, but I never seem to find a good place to attach them when I'm trying to shoot something like a doll, and the ones that will hold an SLR are still pretty bulky.