Are mini tripods useful or a waste of $$$ ?


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Anything can be useful if you know when and how to use it. Ask yourself, why do you want to get one in the first place?
 

If you understand its strengths and weaknesses, and match that properly to your equipment and application, then it will not be a waste of time and money at all.

It would be a waste of time and money if you use it with a D1x + 80-200mm on top of Shears bridge trying to take a 10-sec exposure of the cityscape at night.

On the other hand, it would be very handy if you use it with a compact camera at a party to take group photos with the self timer.
 

it is useful for light and small camera mainly for indoor tabletop or outdoor scenery or self portrait to place it on a flat platform. Without it , you may capture some part of the ground (camera is on the ground).
 

I have a similar one and I once it to stabilise my SLR against my body or the glass in a public aquarium (eg. underwater world) where no flash are allowed. It all depends on how you use it. :)
 

amlim said:
Hi,

Are these type of mini tripods useful? I am looking at this cheap Steinzeiser which east gear is selling.

http://www.eastgear.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=245

Many thanks. Cheers !!! :thumbsup:

Ok, straight to the point.
Mini tripods are small, compact and easy to carry around, small enough to put into your bag without much weight burden.
You can use it when the moments or oppournity comes, provide there are certain support areas to put your mini tripod; or you can use it to take very low angle shot.

I use ultrapod II, which I personally feel is the best among all mini tripod.
Cathay Photo Marina is selling.

up2lrg.jpg


pod2c.jpg
 

i dont use a mini tripod but instead a beanbag with screw thread. it can handle a D100 with Mb-D100 and 24-85 lens with ease.
 

showtime said:
i dont use a mini tripod but instead a beanbag with screw thread. it can handle a D100 with Mb-D100 and 24-85 lens with ease.

where you got that from? Might be interested to get one.
 

amlim said:
Hi,

Are these type of mini tripods useful? I am looking at this cheap Steinzeiser which east gear is selling.

http://www.eastgear.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=245

Many thanks. Cheers !!! :thumbsup:

I am not trying to be sarcastic here. I think you can answer that yourself. If you have a need for it then it is useful. If not then it is not. Personally buying one and keeping it is not a bad idea. It is cheap and light. I am sure one day you will use it.
 

ccplim said:
where you got that from? Might be interested to get one.
yup i'm interested to know where to get too for beanbag.
 

Mini tripods are not a waste of time.

Flimsy mini tripods that cannot do the job are a waste of time!

For those who might not know, let me introduce the late Galen Rowell who took spectacular landscape photographs with a Nikon SLR, "cheap" lenses, and often small tripods. The reason was that he was a mountaineer, and get to incredible places that mortals like you and me cannot go to. Even so, he had to pare down the weight. So he used "mini tripods" because stability is extremely for those types of landscape photography. But the tripods must hold the weight of his Nikon. Galen cannot do without a tripod, but he can improvise if the height was not to his liking.
 

chenwei said:
yup i'm interested to know where to get too for beanbag.

You can make them yourself.
 

I have been using one for years and have found it extremely useful - especially when you are feeling lazy to carry all your SLR gear. You can even stabilise a long lens that has a tripod collar ( like the GPMG we use in the army).
 

Erm for that website, if you want to buy online must have credit card or?

Can go the shop and buy mah?
 

kiwitan said:
buy a bag of green or red beans from the market...put them in a cloth bag and sew it up. It's cheap and beats buying from cathay photo.
wow like tat huh... hmm... going to give it a try!
 

Flyingpig said:
Erm for that website, if you want to buy online must have credit card or?

Can go the shop and buy mah?

Hi,

You mean Eastgear? If yes, yep, just go to the shop and buy. But better call them to check they have stock.
 

thanks to all who have replied. cheers ! :D
 

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