Carrying a Tripod

ooze · Apr 14, 2010

I used to carry Manfrotto's and Gitzo's with their dedicated shoulder straps and also dedicated soft bags. I never felt comfortable with these methods. I wanted to move from a dedicated camera bag to a run-of-the-mill backpack anyway (easier to carry and less conspicuous in an urban environment), so I started to look for a tripod which could fit into a backpack but which could still be raised to a reasonable height. In the end I bought a Gitzo Traveller tripod and never looked back. It's a unique design where you can fold back the legs upwards which makes it very compact for storage. Quite pricey but worth every penny IMO. It's a perfect companion for my Rolleiflex and Leica M's.

Krzys · Apr 14, 2010

On the back of my Lowepro Trekker Aw II

Poisson Du Jour · Apr 14, 2010

After 30+ years of lumping tripods around, I'm pretty much over any "solution", gritting the teeth and putting up with carrying the "SteadyFriend". A recent neat acquisition has been the Gitzo GT0931 Basalt with Manfrotto compact ball head (1.23kg all up). For bushwalking, this little gem secures outside the back and is held in place by the bottom gusset and side compression straps on the pack. For day walks, I attach it to the rear of my LowePro Trekker AW. Carrying tripods on the back or sides of packs (both in my case) is convenient, but they can snag on things, be bumped, scraped etc. so maybe afford some extra protection where and when this is possible e.g. a neoprene sack over the head, especially, to protect from dirt (can ruin a ballhead) and those tight squeezes through canyons.

2F/2F · Apr 14, 2010

Tripod straps and tripod bags are great, and are purpose made to fit the tripods. They can be pricey if you don't have much money, however.

You can also rig cheapo equivalents of the above. A U.S. Navy sea bag, a large, single-compartment backpack, makes a halfway decent (albeit oversized) tripod sack, and I imagine you can get them used for dirt cheap, or new for a very reasonable price.

Almost anything will do for a strap, but something wide makes it more comfortable.

Poisson Du Jour · Apr 14, 2010

Talking with a colleague about carrying tripods (an enduring achilles heel for so many photographers) over dinner last night.
He came up with a novel idea: a length of e.g. climbing rope (roughly 1.5x closed length of tripod), fashion one end into a hangman's noose and the other as a simple slipknot around the legs. Pull and presto! Also serves as a good deterrent for stickybeaks getting too close to the camera!

bobwysiwyg · Apr 14, 2010

stickybeaks

:confused:

removed account4 · Apr 14, 2010

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sorry i couldn't find the link until now ...

Richard Wasserman · Apr 14, 2010

jnanian said:
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sorry i couldn't find the link until now ...

I made something like this with a 1/4x20 eye bolt and nut, and a length of nylon cord. Total cost was about $1.00 (I already had the cord). Works pretty well.

keithwms · Apr 14, 2010

Tripod schmipod. For daylight shooting on the go, using cameras up to an RB or RZ, I find that I can do very well with a monopod. On various occasions, I have shot around the mall in DC with a beanbag (there are plenty of places to put a camera).

Poisson Du Jour · Apr 14, 2010

Is the monopod more useful than putting a tripod up, which IIRC somewhere on the forum, erecting a tripod in a public space is illegal or in contravention of some law (?)
I don't put my tripod up in a public place where there is a teeming, seething mass of humanity — tripping over a tripod is not funny, taking a camera with it much less so.

benjiboy · Apr 15, 2010

I've just been thinking, If you play golf you can hire a caddy, why not have one for tripods ?

jerry lebens · Apr 15, 2010

I've just been thinking, If you play golf you can hire a caddy, why not have one for tripods ?

Benjiboy

Nah, you have to treat caddies with respect...

Jerry

benjiboy · Apr 15, 2010

jerry lebens said:
Benjiboy

Nah, you have to treat caddies with respect...

Jerry

That must be why my friend gets his wife to carry his

RoNinHeart · Apr 15, 2010

I recently got a Clik Elite BodyLink Telephoto Pack. It has a camera mount built into the top of the pack, you can wear the pack in front and shoot hands free. It's awesome, the pack opens into a flat space that makes a great lens changing area.

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keithwms · Apr 15, 2010

Poisson Du Jour said:
Is the monopod more useful than putting a tripod up, which IIRC somewhere on the forum, erecting a tripod in a public space is illegal or in contravention of some law (?)
I don't put my tripod up in a public place where there is a teeming, seething mass of humanity tripping over a tripod is not funny, taking a camera with it much less so.

You can take a monopod *anywhere* It could be a simple cane with a 1/4-20 socket at one end. They also make very nice walking sticks.

Regarding tripods, the limitations in DC are often exaggerated. Once I put up a tripod in a place where I wasn't supposed to, and a very kind officer came by and pointed out that if I moved it 10 feet in one direction, I'd be legal.

But again, for those situations when you really cannot put up a 'pod, a beanbag is a real lifesaver.

Randy_Va · Apr 15, 2010

Poisson Du Jour said:
Is the monopod more useful than putting a tripod up, which IIRC somewhere on the forum, erecting a tripod in a public space is illegal or in contravention of some law (?)
I don't put my tripod up in a public place where there is a teeming, seething mass of humanity tripping over a tripod is not funny, taking a camera with it much less so.

Tripods are allowed on the mall, but not inside the monuments. In practice this means if your tripod is not folded up and put away before you step inside the monument someone will remind you that it should be. It isn't a big deal unless you are an a-hole to a guard.

Poisson Du Jour · Apr 15, 2010

keithwms said:
You can take a monopod *anywhere* It could be a simple cane with a 1/4-20 socket at one end. They also make very nice walking sticks.

Regarding tripods, the limitations in DC are often exaggerated. Once I put up a tripod in a place where I wasn't supposed to, and a very kind officer came by and pointed out that if I moved it 10 feet in one direction, I'd be legal.

But again, for those situations when you really cannot put up a 'pod, a beanbag is a real lifesaver.

Ah yes, the local specialist outdoors shop here has one of these fancy walking ('trekking' we call it) poles with a beautifully machined wooden knob which unscrews to reveal a tripod screw and I happen to know it works (just for a giggle, I screwed 'Brutus' onto it, pressed the pole's spike hard into the ground and was surprised it held very steady that certainly did wipe the smirk of my face!!) It's made by KOHLA (Tirol). I might buy one for a younger walking friend finishing at Uni this year.

Ektagraphic · Apr 18, 2010

Ended up buying the Manfrotto 055XPROB and along with ball head that will go up to 13 pounds and my heaviest camera, my 4X5, weights 10 lbs.....I also bought the Manfrotto strap. I will have my hands on it tomorrow The tripod and the head will weigh a total of 6 lbs or so.

Sirius Glass · Apr 20, 2010

I keep a tripod in each of my cars, one on the East coast and one on the West coast. When I need to use a tripod, I go back to the car to get it. I minimize going back to the car by shooting 400 speed film.

Steve

Carrying a Tripod

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