Do you use a tripod with your digital?

zedin · Nov 5, 2005

I am wondering for those digital SLR folks out there if they still find themselves using their tripod a lot. Reason I ask is I tend to take photos when I go backpacking and needless to say my current tripod and camera add a good 12lbs or so to my load. I was looking into getting a carbon fiber tripod for backpacking. But I notice a lot of times when I am taking pictures I see d-slr users just up their ISO if need be and shoot handheld. So I am debating if I should just use the money for the new tripod towards the d-slr and just plan on hand-holding most of my shots when I go backpacking (and thus getting a d-slr sooner).

So mainly I wanted to know how often do you still use your tripod? Am I better off going ahead and getting a newer/lighter tripod or holding off since that puts me a good deal closer to a digital slr.

skiboarder72 · Nov 5, 2005

i use my tripod for night shots only, if its during the day iso 800 and 1600 get me by :thumbup:

TheCanonMan · Nov 5, 2005

I use a tripod for digital or non sigital cameras any thing under 1/60 of a sec any thing over can be had shot

TheCanonMan · Nov 5, 2005

and rember the higher the ISO/ASA the more grain/noise you get

Meysha · Nov 5, 2005

I use my tripod heaps... but that's only coz I want to use ISO 100, and they're in low light. I could easily get by on 800 or 1600 but I just don't like the sound of that... :-( I have fear of big ISO numbers... eventhough I shouldn't.

I wouldn't take a tripod on holidays... mainly coz I've never ever taken one coz they're too big, cumbersome and I like to enjoy my holiday rather than worry about where I'm gonna store the tripod for the day.

icondigital · Nov 5, 2005

TheCanonMan said:
and rember the higher the ISO/ASA the more grain/noise you get

i use a tripod all most all the time for the above reason. no matter how good the camera - up the iso - up the noise. i would purchase the tripod. gitzo/bogen makes some really light ones that would be good for backpacking.

Digital Matt · Nov 5, 2005

I use a tripod 99% of the time, and shoot ISO 100 as often as I can. I want clean, crisp, noise free images that are sharp.

will turner · Nov 5, 2005

i try to never go above 100iso, 200MAX. i hand hold all my rollerblading shots, and anything above 125 shutterspeed but anything below that ill use a tripod.
my advice is to just man up and take your tripod, there not that heavy.

jstuedle · Nov 5, 2005

I use my tripod a lot, anytime I have slower exposure times, or longer lenses. For packing, look at a carbon mono-pod. I keep my mono next to the driver seat of my car. Even though my tripod is in the trunk, there are times the mono is more practical. I often will wedge the mono between the seat and drivers door and wait out a heron or eagle with a 400 and 1.4X converter on my DSLR. Don't underestimate the benefit of a mono-pod.

RickyN29 · Nov 5, 2005

I was aways weary of higher ISO especially since most of my cameras at 400 or more would produce unusable images due to grain. However, with my recently purchased Canon 350D, I shoot at 1600 all the time. I did some comparison tests at 100 and 1600, and at 150% zoom, the noise is hardly noticable. Color saturation also held true.

Oh, and this is with the built in noise reduction turned OFF!

But yeah, when traveling, I take along a really lightweight tripod I picked up at a WalMart. The build is decent, bubble levels, fully adjustable. Folds real small, and if it is windy and i need extra weight for stability, there is a hook on the underside, you just hang anything and it it weights it down nicely.