Travelling with a tripod with people in the real world.

rayonline_nz

Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
658
Location
Wellington,
Format
Multi Format
Hi guys, I just want to get your views on how you manage your tripod on holiday.

The usual you go with other adults who don't necessarily have a photographic interest, as you do you go to tourist sites, cafes, restaurants, markets, shopping malls. You stay in a hotel and you take public transportation.

Do you leave the tripod in the hotel and go back to get it as required or do you carry with you all the time or do you use lighter equipment? How do you do it?

Typical city travelling that most people do. Ie - Singapore, Tokyo, London, Sydney, New York, Los Angeles etc.


Cheers
 

amellice

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
424
Location
Snohomish, WA
Format
Medium Format
I keep it with me all the time, if you are visiting a place for short time you don't want to waste time going back to hotel to pick the tripod,you probably leave the hotel by morning and return by end of day. I had a 15 lb Manfrotto tripod who used to be an overkill for long days, but now I got another one travel tripod which is super light and is very compact. Problem with it? these travel tripods won't hold heavy cameras like my Mamiya 67RZ
 

Mainecoonmaniac

Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2009
Messages
6,297
Format
Multi Format
I carry a carbon fiber tripod that fits on the outside of my Lowe Pro camera backpack and a Gorilla pod. When I was in Turkey visiting Hagia Sophia, I had to check in both. A real bummer because it was so dim in there. But the Gorilla pod works well since you can wrap the legs around posts. They're super lite too.
 

TheFlyingCamera

Membership Council
Advertiser
Joined
May 24, 2005
Messages
11,546
Location
Washington DC
Format
Multi Format
I do most of my travel shooting hand-held, and live with the fact that there will be some shots in interiors I just can't take. I reserve the tripod for night shots, and pack a light one so it's not a pain in the ass to transport to and from my destination. Then, when I'm going to do night shots, I go back to the apartment, break out the tripod, and go out to shoot night shots. I usually rent apartments through VRBO instead of staying in hotels- often cheaper, and certainly better value for the dollar as you get a kitchen, private bath and often laundry equipment as well, and you're getting the benefit of living where real people live, enjoying the city, and not being an obvious tourist.
 

benjiboy

Subscriber
Joined
Apr 18, 2005
Messages
11,948
Location
U.K.
Format
35mm
I carry a carbon fibre travel tripod in a tripod case .
 

Ian Grant

Subscriber
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Messages
23,234
Location
West Midland
Format
Multi Format
I carry a small Slik tripod and it fits in my backpack which isn't very large, This is shooting with my Super Graphic last autumn.



Ian
 

Attachments

  • tripod-cyprus.jpg
    353.7 KB · Views: 483

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
51,996
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format

OptiKen

Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2013
Messages
1,055
Location
Orange County
Format
Medium Format
Tourist spots are often crowded and I don't like to go through the whole production of setting up my tripod and claiming 10 sq feet of space as my own. As soon as I am ready to click the shutter, someones foot inevitably clips one of the tripod legs and it moves.
If I'm going to be in a crowded area, I take a monopod and keep my camera mounted on it but collapsed. Setup is quick and easy and a very small footprint. I can go almost un-noticed
 

MontanaJay

Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2014
Messages
87
Location
Butte, Monta
Format
35mm
I use an Ultrapod II that weighs a couple ounces and can sit on its short legs or be velcro-strapped to any convenient pole or rail.
 

Sirius Glass

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
50,155
Location
Southern California
Format
Multi Format
I normally do not use a tripod. Well that was before a got the 500mm lens; that will be a developing [pun alert!!!] story. I used the tripod for night photography that I have not done since I was a teenager. A few years ago I got a carbon fiber tripod because the steel tripod was good but too heavy and the aluminum tripod from the '60 was never a really good tripod.

Last Spring when we went to France, we knew that we would have a room with a view of the Eiffel tower and of course I wanted to take photographs at night. I placed the tripod diagonally in the suitcase and sent it in checked luggage. No problems with the tripod on the trip and I only used the tripod several nights to get the photographs that I wanted.
 

markbarendt

Member
Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
9,422
Location
Beaverton, OR
Format
Multi Format
If I think there's a chance I'll use a tripod I carry it.

More normally I take a monopod.
 

DWThomas

Subscriber
Joined
Jun 13, 2006
Messages
4,597
Location
SE Pennsylvania
Format
Multi Format
With me the answer is another of those "it depends" sort. I expect to do a trip in a few months that will be some significant mileage via rail, with public transit travel at either end. For that I will tend to be minimalist, traveling light to avoid wrestling with a bunch of bags and suitcases. At most I will take a monopod for my Yashica 124G. I will likely include a folder as backup for that, plus a high end d!g! P&S (with the phone for backup ). And possibly I'll bring one of those pocket sized tabletop tripods. The minimalism is further encouraged if I'm traveling with others, as will be the case for this upcoming trip. I find a group, plus a bounty of equipment, to be an exercise in distraction that is typically counter-productive. In daylight conditions (even at my advanced age ) I can usually do pretty well hand holding, especially using a TLR with appropriately adjusted neck strap. I have already acquired a middle-sized ThinkTank "Turnstyle" sling bag that should do well for the TLR and assorted miscellaneous miscellany.

If I'm traveling by myself, or with just my wife, and via our own auto, I can and have used the Bronica SQ-A and a tripod, not to mention dragging along a few extra lenses and extra film back. That is assuming the trip to be leisurely and through interesting scenic possibilities.
 

mgb74

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 24, 2005
Messages
4,767
Location
MN and MA US
Format
Multi Format
Given your parameters: "The usual you go with other adults who don't necessarily have a photographic interest, as you do you go to tourist sites, cafes, restaurants, markets, shopping malls. You stay in a hotel and you take public transportation."

I keep it light and simple. 35mm P&S or slr with 28-85 zoom. Maybe, just maybe, my ETRS. Perhaps a monopod. Or better still a hiking staff with tripod screw.

If with a group who aren't photographing and you try to be the only one, you end up being a lousy companion or a lousy photographer, or both.
 

sagai

Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2014
Messages
309
Location
Hungary
Format
Multi Format
TheFlyingCamera said:
I do most of my travel shooting hand-held, and live with the fact that there will be some shots in interiors I just can't take.....
Click to expand...

+1

I have found more important to have a proper selection of the film that helpful for the weather where you are at plus a proven technique how to shoot with exp time like 30ish 15ish hand held.
 

nsurit

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Messages
1,806
Location
Texas Hill Country
Format
Multi Format
When traveling with others who don't share my interest in photography, I tend to travel light with either a smallish Olympus OM kit and/or a small capture device from the other side. In either case the Velbon MAX i 343e works pretty well. When traveling with my photo buddies the kit is totally different and requires a large SUV and a couple of sherpas. Bill Barber
 

Sirius Glass

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
50,155
Location
Southern California
Format
Multi Format

I do keep a tripod in each of my cars, just in case I will use it.
 

Drew Bedo

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
42
Format
ULarge Format

I shoot with a 4x5 view canera. This means that the tripod goes wherever the camera goes. If I am at lunch at a café, the tripod is either with the camera at the hotel or strapped to the camera bag at my feet. Having it with me can be an impediment, but is also a way to meet people. Not usually what I want to do, but for some that might be a plus.

Lately, I have gotten a much lighter. so-called "point and shoot" TravelWide 4x5. This is light enough to use hand-held, but I usually have a combination monopod/walking stick with me to brace it on. No-one seems to notice this outfit, which I like.

Any help?
 
Last edited:

David Allen

Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2008
Messages
991
Location
Berlin
Format
Med. Format RF
When I photograph, I do so alone. However, I stopped using a tripod because I will typically walk at least 5 hours on any given day that I choose to go out and make photographs. Given the (often) extreme brightness range that I am confronted with in Berlin (shooting in a dark courtyard and including a white facade higher up in full sun) I often need to use slower shutter speeds to capture shadow detail. The solution? - using a shoulder brace such as this:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/351643014941?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Using a Mamiya 7 and the shoulder brace, I find that I can confidently expose at 1/30 and pretty certain of a steady result if I need to use 1/15 (I always expose two frames in this situation and they are almost always both OK).

Using a shoulder brace could be a good option for you.

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de
 

Allen Friday

Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
882
Format
ULarge Format
A couple of things about travel, especially in cities. First, I use a sling bag for everything except LF. There are too many museums or other sites that don't allow backpacks, but will allow sling bags. I hate checking bags and digging out my camera and film to carry in the museum. Second, I carry a very small, lightweight tripod in the bag for shooting. This works well with rangefinders, which are lighter and smaller than SLRs in the same format, and the rangefinders don't need as heavy a tripod because there is no mirror moving around. Third, if I need a bigger tripod, I will take one in my pilot case and leave it in the room when going out with others who are not photographers. Forth, I schedule "photo excursions" into trips; a time to go off and shoot without bothering others I am traveling with. It works for me and my wife, who will take cooking classes or get a massage while I'm out shooting.
 

paul ron

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Messages
2,706
Location
NYC
Format
Medium Format
In many places in NYC, especially indoor tourist spots, its illegal to use a tripod. Better off using a monopod or just go hand held.
 

Jeff Bradford

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2015
Messages
421
Location
Rolling Prairie, IN
Format
Medium Format
When sight-seeing with someone, I bring one shoulder bag with maybe two cameras. Most people I know are used to me bringing a camera or two and have gotten over it. The whole time I am scouting for where and when I will return with two camera bags and my travel tripod on a shoulder sling. I try to get at least one or two days of photo-safari.
 

Three Owls

Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
82
Format
Large Format
I've used a small carbon fiber tripod in its shoulder bag when around town with 4x5 and smaller.
As this usually weighs a lot less than my camera bag the weight and bulk have never been a problem.
A larger bother has been those few stores insisting I leave my bags with poorly paid and inattentive counter-staff.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…