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Be careful of the Tripod’s Weight & Length Of course, I know many photographers (both semi & pro) that just leave their tripods home unless then know they will need them. The biggest problem with a tripod is the weight. If you are carrying a camera with lenses in a camera bag, the extra weight of a tripod seems too much. Plus, tripods can be long and bulky, swinging wildly as you are trekking along. Tripod and a Tripod Head Most tripods are really to two parts: the tripod legs and the adjustable tripod head. Without the head, your camera would be screwed directly to the tripod legs and would be forced to view front. No tilting, no portrait shots, not minor adjustments. Better tripod heads also include a Quick-Release plate. Your camera is screwed into this plate which then attaches to the tripod head and locks in place. A Quick Release plate allows you to push a button and release the camera to take a quick shot. Without such a plate, you would need to unscrew the camera every time you need to quickly follow the action. Tripod Weight Capacity When shopping for a tripod, you need to consider the maximum weight capacity for both the tripod and the tripod head. Yes, they can be different. All tripods and heads should have a published weight rating. 8 pounds is a good minimum weight capacity for someone just starting out. But, pro lenses with big optics of f/2.8 speeds quickly get heavy. A serious pro tripod should support a minimum of 17 pounds. Twist Lock or Flip Lock The adjustment mechanism on the tripod legs falls into two types - either twists or flips. I swore by flip locks for years. Easy to unlock and easy to secure. It’s one of the reasons I love Manfrotto tripods. In fact, I remember about 7 years ago when I purchased my Manfrotto 055CX3, I tried one of those twist locks just to see the difference. It never felt secure and would give under weight. I was annoyed when I started looking for a lighter tripod and found that they all use the twist mechanism. Thankfully, I tried the Gitzo Traveler! By combining their special double-locking twist with its anti-rotation legs, the Gitzo Traveler secures easily and tightly! Some product lines are better than others Manfrotto & Gitzo are my favorite tripod brands. I have used two Manfrotto tripods for years. But, as my camera bag got heavier, the tripod was left home. I fell into the weight-trap. After looking at some photos with blurred details I decided I need to get a new lighter tripod. I have been using the Gitzo Traveler ever since. NOTE - I do NOT recommend the Benro Travel Angel! It is a cheap rip-off of the Gitzo Traveler. You can see my comparison of the two tripods here. Where to shop for a tripod Shopping for a tripod at Best Buy will not give you a great selection. You will not see any of the pro brands there. Stores like Best Buy push price-points over value and durable use. Plus, don’t expect to get any real-life questions answered there. They are selling a box; it is up to you to learn the contents of that box. Try going to a camera store instead. There is a reason that these stores exist. Photography is not as easy as just picking-up a camera and pushing a button. Camera stores are operated by people who have actual experience in photography. You would be surprised how many sales clerks moonlight as event photographers! Picking a tripod is actually a personal experience. It is a tool which you need to count on. Having an expert along is a huge benefit. Photoframd Recommendations
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Conclusion It does take practice to work with a tripod. But, the results will be in your photos! Please remember to always lock your camera in the quick-release and keep the tripod legs securely locked! If you are interested in these special packages from Adorama, these special discounts are only available this week for my readers!
NOTE: Some venues do NOT permit tripods or require special permits. (This is very true for indoor venues in New York City.) In spite of all that, you should still have and use a tripod where allowed. So, you shot about 3000 photos to build a time-lapse video. Now what? The easiest way is to use a program that can import an image sequence for use as video or animation. After spending a hour with Pinnacle’s Studio HD, I am disappointed to say that it cannot. So falling back on Philip Bloom’s DVD, I used QuickTime Pro. 1. Resize the photos to a width of 1920 pixels in Photoshop
Create an Action in Photoshop to resize the photos to 1920×1280. You can also add into the action other Photoshop steps like color enhancements. When you are finished include Save As to a different folder. Never over-write the original file. Use this Action in File > Automate > Batch to convert all of the files. You can skip this step and have QuickTime Pro resize and crop the photos, but I think Photoshop produced better/quicker results. 2. Use QuickTime Pro to import the image sequence
Only QuickTime Pro will work. For $30, it’s worth it. But, the images must be numbered sequentially for the import to work correctly. Select the Open Image Sequence to start the process. 3. Pick the first image in the sequence
Make sure all of the images are in the same folder. Select the first image in the sequence. You also must specify the Frame Rate at this point. If you are planning to use 24fps, then you want to select 23.976 (the REAL frame rate). Just click the Open button and give it a minute to import. 4. Crop and Export the movie
Once imported, you can play the movie through the QuickTime Player. If you are happy with the results, select to export to QuickTime Movie and click the Options button. Click the Settings button, and select H.264 Compression with Best Image Quality. Now for the important part, click the Size button. From the drop-down, select 1920×1080 HD for Export Size and Crop with Preserve aspect ratio checked. That’s it. You can now import these HD QuickTime Movies into Studio HD or any other video editor just like a Canon 7D movie. You can see my final time-lapse movie called Time Square Pop here.
1. Shoot JPGs to save time. I know … blah, blah, blah, I only shoot Raw. Well, think about this. A Canon 7D Raw files is 5184×3456 pixels but the Full HD Video image is only 1920×1080 pixels. That means the HD video image is only 12% of the Raw image size. Do you really think someone will tell the difference? If you have the extra time to convert Raw files and then downsize them, go for it. But remember, it takes 24 frames for 1 second of video and 1440 frames for just 1-minute of video. 2. Use Canon’s TC-80N3 to automatically shoot interval frames. Canon’s TC-80N3 is a wired remote which will trigger the shutter based on its programmed settings. If you have used it before, be warned that it operates a little differently with the Canon 7D.
3. Plan your scene to include a mix of stationary objects and moving subjects. Buildings and trees give the video a consistent reference point while the cars and people move about. If everything is moving, the video will be too distracting to watch. 4. Slow moving objects can be great subjects to animate. Cars stuck in traffic suddenly come to life in a time-lapse sequence. LED signs and even big screen displays also work well. 5. Composition Rules apply to video too. Even though you are shooting video, you cannot forget all your experience as a photographer. Try to plan your composition, but remember the public at large has free will. There is something about using a tripod with a large lens and microphone that brings-out every Idol-wanna-be. Check back tomorrow for Tips on Converting the Image Sequence.
Additional Information Canon 7D - Tips on Shooting Time Lapse Video Canon 7D - Tips on Creating/Editing Time Lapse Video
A few weeks ago, I wrote that Calumet was holding classes at most of its US stores for Capture One 5. Not only does the $49 fee include a live training class, but it also includes a FREE license for the standard version of Capture One 5 (also known as LE). I took the NYC class last week and found it very helpful. For the most part, if you have used Lightroom or even Adobe Capture Raw (ACR), you will be able to work your way through the Capture One workflow. The BIG difference is Capture One 5 does a significantly better job at processing Canon 7D Raw files than ACR. As I have stated before, I have given-up on ACR and moved on to Capture One 5 Pro. Phase One also has some great online videos to walk you through all of the options and features. But, the one thing I could not figure out was how-to-sync multiple photos like in ACR. Thanks to the class, I now know how.
Capture One 5 “records” all adjustments to a photo on the Adjustments Clipboard. Once you have the settings complete, you can simply copy and apply the settings to another image or selected group of images. You can even save these settings as a style for use in a future session. Really simple once you understand the terminology. If you are interested in learning the new version of Capture One 5, the Calumet class is a great opportunity. The class is actually taught by one of Phase One’s Technical Support Engineers, so it is a great way to get answers and work through workflow issues. The free license for LE is great too.
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If you want to get serious about photography, you need a good tripod. The natural progression is - get a good camera and a good lens and then a good tripod. It will add clarity and sharpness to your photos by stabilizing the camera. And, think about all the fun things you get to experiment with like 
Awesome tripod - Gitzo Traveler GT1541T w/ GH1780QR head. My current tripod! 6X Carbon-fiber with magnesium hinges support 18-pounds but weights only 3-pounds (including the head!) It has a maximum height of 57-inches but folds to just over 16-inches, making it light and easy to carry. (As in the diagram above, the legs fold up and over the center column to reduce the overall folded length. Very clever!) The G-lock twist-locks take seconds to open/close/adjust, but stay secure due to the gravity locking mechanism and the anti-rotation legs.
Mid-range tripod - Manfrotto 055CX3 w/ 498RC2. My previous tripod! Carbon fiber legs support 18-pounds and weights under 6-pounds (with head). It has a maximum height of 70-inches and folds to 24-inches. Flip quick action locks make adjusting the height easy and secure.
Starter tripod - Manfrotto 190XB w/ 804RC2. I recommended this tripod to someone just starting out! This aluminum tripod with head will support 8-pounds and weights under 6-pounds (with head). It has a maximum height of 57-inches and folds to 21-inches. Also has flip quick action locks for easy adjustments that stay securely. The head has larger adjustment handles which will help someone who is not familiar with tripods.
After watching Philip Bloom’s DVD 