Is 4-legged tripod really that unstable compared to 3-legged?


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David

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I've been using a 3 legged tripod all this while..Was thinking if I should switch to a 4-legged one for its compactness.. maybe good when travelling.

But the websites I surfed generally advice that 4 legged ones are not as stable as 3 legged. Sounds logical but I wish to hear from users of the 4-legged type and those with experience on both... How much more unstable is it?

Some say the centre column is unstable to use too...It does feel that way but I've used it many times and never really gotten any blur shots....

Are these people talking about "unstable" when there is a super strong gust of wind etc??
 

are u referring to 3-segment or 4-segment tripod legs? cant seem to find any tripod with 4-legs ... :confused:
David said:
I've been using a 3 legged tripod all this while..Was thinking if I should switch to a 4-legged one for its compactness.. maybe good when travelling.

But the websites I surfed generally advice that 4 legged ones are not as stable as 3 legged. Sounds logical but I wish to hear from users of the 4-legged type and those with experience on both... How much more unstable is it?

Some say the centre column is unstable to use too...It does feel that way but I've used it many times and never really gotten any blur shots....

Are these people talking about "unstable" when there is a super strong gust of wind etc??
 

i think david meant 3 - 4 section tripods, not 3 - 4 legged pods.

i m my cam's 2 legged bi-pod!:bsmilie:
 

David said:
I've been using a 3 legged tripod all this while..Was thinking if I should switch to a 4-legged one for its compactness.. maybe good when travelling.

But the websites I surfed generally advice that 4 legged ones are not as stable as 3 legged. Sounds logical but I wish to hear from users of the 4-legged type and those with experience on both... How much more unstable is it?

Some say the centre column is unstable to use too...It does feel that way but I've used it many times and never really gotten any blur shots....

Are these people talking about "unstable" when there is a super strong gust of wind etc??

Tri = Three
Quad = Four ......

a 4 legged pod should be call a Quadpod not a Tripod ...... Tripod is reserved for pod that are 3 legged ;P...... LOL
 

I assume you are referring to section.... Anyways, I think it has got to do with design... IMO, You dun usually go wrong with brands like Gitzo
 

I've been advised by a couple of shops about getting a 3-section tripod instead of the 4-section.
Reason being the lower legs of a 4-section are thinner than the 3-section one,and they may be unstable in certain shooting conditions/locations.
Well, it all depends on the tripod design.
And there are brands with very good and stable 4-section ones.
But they'll cost you, and weigh you down physically too.
 

Oh gosh... Haha!! Yup was referring to sections... not legs! HAAHA! :bsmilie:
 

The section joints are weak points. There will be some amount of wobble at the joint regardless of the brand, ofcos the better makers minimise the amount of play at these areas. The trade off is collapsed length, 4 section tripods are easier to carry around. Some users actually try to work around this wobble by not extending the legs fully, that is, leave some of the extended leg in the upper section, providing better support.

Oh, I've actually used a 2 section wooden tripod before (damned @%#$ heavy), with a theodolite. :bsmilie: It's actually an instrument we used for surveying. Very stable.
 

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