Photography For Beginners - Using a Tripod

Digital cameras offer a level of technology that was unimaginable only a few years ago. The funny thing is that the old techniques are still as important as ever.

A Best Lightweight Travel Tripods Reviews is still an essential piece of equipment for a good photograph. For beginners, buying a tripod is usually a sign that one is ready to move beyond the snapshot stage and take photography more seriously. But if he managed without a tripod in the past, he may have wondered if he should take the step, or continue living without him. So here's the first question you should answer: "Do I need a tripod?"

The answer depends on the seriousness with which you take your photograph. If you are happy with simple snapshots and have no ambitions to delve into more serious photography, you would probably be wasting your money. Tripod photography requires a little more time, thought and effort; If good photography is not important to you, you will not get value from a tripod and probably will not use it even if you have one.

Now for the Second Question: "Why do I Need a Tripod?"

A Gitzo GT1542T Traveler Tripod Review keeps your camera completely still, so you can take pictures that will not be blurred by any movement of the camera caused by an unstable hand.

There are two reasons why you can use a slow shutter speed for your photos. Sometimes the light is very low, and you need a slow shutter speed to get a good exposure. Or you can choose to use a slow shutter speed to capture a special effect. In any situation, your tripod will make sure that the camera is perfectly still and the picture is not blurred.

An additional advantage is that the tripod allows you to compose a photo carefully, without having to concentrate on keeping the camera in your hand. It is much easier to verify that the horizon is level and that all parts of the photograph are what you want before pressing the button.

Suppose for a moment that you have a Feisol Traveler Tripod Review. Now for our third and final question: "When do I use my tripod?"

Some people will tell you that you should never take a picture without a tripod below a certain shutter speed. The problem is that different people recommend different speeds. Some photographers will tell you that 125 / sec is the lower limit; another will recommend 60 / sec or 30 / sec.

So, who is telling you the truth? Actually, all of them. Because the truth is that it is not so simple.

When you use a large lens to enlarge your subject, the effect of any movement of the camera also increases. Therefore, if you use a telephoto lens, an unstable camera will affect your photo much more than if you use a wide-angle lens. Therefore, it could be that a photograph that you could take by hand with a wide-angle lens would require a tripod with a telephoto lens.

How do you know, then, when to use a tripod? This is a guide that I was recently told, and it's a good idea to keep in mind.

Let your choice of shutter speed match the size of the lens. For example, if you are using a 200mm lens, you should be able to take pictures without a MeFOTO Carbon Fiber Globetrotter Travel Tripod Review at speeds of 200 / sec or faster. Once your speed drops below 200 / sec, be sure to use your tripod.

For a smaller lens, you can go with a slower shutter speed to match. Therefore, if you use a standard lens (around 50-60 mm), you can set your cut-off point to 60 / sec. Faster, and you can take the hand photo; slower, and you should use a tripod.

With a 28mm wide-angle lens, its cut-off point would be 30 / sec.

There are some photographers who insist that all photos are taken with a tripod, regardless of the lens or the shutter speed you use. This is simply not practical, but it points to the simple fact that the tripod is always more stable than the hand. If a photo is important to you, it's worth it to try a bit and not leave anything to chance. Therefore, if in doubt, use a tripod, even when the shutter speed suggests that you can pass without it.

Ah, one more thing. Never, ever, take a slower photo of 1 / 30sec without a tripod.

Sara Taylor's best-selling ebooks on photography for beginners have already helped thousands of people learn better photographic skills. Find them at: Best Lightweight Travel Tripods Reviews