Camera rotates when in portrait position on tripod

[Summer75]

Is this a common issue or could I be setting it up wrong?

 

[SCraig]

If the tripod head is slipping then either the camera exceeds the weight limits of the tripod or it's a cheap tripod that isn't capable of handling the weight. A good tripod head will hold without slipping however the camera has to be within its weight limits.

 

[TCampbell]

I’m not entirely certain that I understand what you’re asking.

Many cameras have a sensor so the camera “knows” which way the camera was in when the shot was taken and the images will be rotated to that orientation when you review the image. Is that what you are referring to?

 

[dxqcanada]

Tim, that's also what I thought they meant ... but now reading it again Scott could also be correct ???

 

[Summer75]

I’m not entirely certain that I understand what you’re asking.

Many cameras have a sensor so the camera “knows” which way the camera was in when the shot was taken and the images will be rotated to that orientation when you review the image. Is that what you are referring to?

No I mean when I put my camera on the tripod vertically (for a single portrait type picture, or to take of a long tall tree for example), I have the camera all set up on the tripod and than the camera just slowly slides down pointing to the ground. It doesn't stay in vertical position.

I have thought of just putting it horizontal in "landscape position" and than cropping it, but I would be loosing over half the image that way and I don't know how much I can crop without loosing image quality. I am using off camera light so my image quality should be good, but still I worry about cropping over half the image just to "force it to be vertical". I would rather get it right in the camera but my camera won't stay put on the tripod vertically.

 

[snowbear]

It sounds like either the camera/lens is too heavy or something isn't tight enough. Check the surface of the tripod pad (where the camera goes) - if the non-slip surface is really worn, replace it with a thin piece of cork, rubber or other non-slip material like neoprene. Also, make sure the threaded tripod socket in the bottom of the camera isn't loose.

 

[astroNikon]

Rather than just guessing, why don't you tell us the camera/lens setup and tripod make & model?
Picture helps too.

But it certainly sounds like your camera is too heavy and/or tripod either too cheap and/or unable to handle the weight.

 

[Braineack]

I'm assuming the tripod was < $50

 

[DGMPhotography]

Sounds like a crappy tripod.

I got an entry level Manfrotto for about $80 that's worked just fine for me over the years. As long as you're not using any heavy lenses.

 

[kalgra]

Sounds like you need a better tripod or an L-Bracket.

 

[fmw]

I also think you are trying to get stability from a junk tripod. It might work for a very light camera with a short lens but probably isn't up to much more. look for an aluminum legged tripod with 3 leg sections in the $200 range. I would view that as minimal.

 

[dennybeall]

Until you can buy a more sturdy tripod you can hang a weight off the back to balance the weight of the lens. Just a little may be enough for a temporary in the field fix??

 

[TCampbell]

I agree this really sounds like a tripod problem.

Here's a story I love to tell... I have a friend who bought a budget tripod. Funds were tight. He didn't want to spend any more than he had to spend... so he bought something minimal. His first tripod broke. So instead of buying a better tripod, he bought another cheap tripod. While shooting one his young nephews playing, the nephew managed to kick one of the legs and that tripod broke (he was surprised it broke, he said mostly his nephew accidentally tripped on the leg, it wasn't much of a kick). So he bought *another* cheap tripod.

I think he was spending something like $79 on the tripods (we'll call it $80)... but three tripods later and now he's up to $240. So when you consider that he's now basically spent $240 on an $80 tripod... buying a better tripod from the start doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

This is the difference between "cheap" and "frugal". The cheap person wants to spend as little as they can "right now". The frugal person wants to spend as little as they can ... but over their entire life. That means they'll spend the extra dollar for dependability if they think it means they'll have never have to buy it again.

A tripod should be durable enough to last a lifetime. If you're on a budget... don't be "cheap", be "frugal".

Better quality tripods allow you to detach the head from the base. You can think of it as a leg assembly that comes up to what I think of as a "shoulder assembly" (that's not it's official name... it's the point where all the legs attach at the top and it usually has a center column. The top of the center column/post has a plate with a 3/8" 16 TPI stud (that size is an industry standard). You can attach whatever "head" you want on that "shoulder". Most photographers get a ball-head.

Most decent heads have a quick-release plate. I actually prefer the acra-swiss type dovetail rail and saddle. This is because you can get these rails in different lengths and that means you can slide the camera's rail forward or backward along the saddle and clamp it in a spot where it's balanced (so now you don't have weight trying to make it sag). While Arca-Swiss is a brand name... the dovetail type rail that they use has become something of an industry standard. So you can find LOTS of tripod manufacturers who make heads that use the arca-swiss style mounting saddle.

 

[deeky]

I'm going to say it's an issue of the quick release plate/camera connection slipping due to the weight of the lens....... because I'm using a cheaper tripod myself and had the same issue. A larger rubber washer between the plate and camera and I'm good to go. I happened to have mine on hand (not exactly sure why), so I can't tell you where exactly I got them. But try any decent hardware store. I can tell you there will be slight variations in thickness. The first one I tried was too thick and the stud on my plate was too short to reach the socket with the washer in between. Crank it down good and you should be ok.

Or you can aim high, set for a quick shutter speed, and time your shot as it rotates through the framing you want....