If I had to choose THE essential accessory for night photography, I would definitely advise you to get a very good tripod. Because if it is already highly recommended when working with landscapes in general, it is unthinkable to get a good quality image at long exposures without a good robust and stable tripod. That is why today I come to recommend the essential characteristics to take into account when choosing a tripod for night photography (which will also serve you for all kinds of situations in which you need a tripod ).
STABILITY ABOVE ALL
Stability is the most important feature on a tripod that will withstand long outdoor exposures, since the most unstable can move and even fall when there is wind. So, above any other feature (such as size or weight), you should look for a tripod with good stability. Although there are tripods that prioritize travel in a compact and light way to great stability, in this case you should give up these principles slightly, since lightness is at the same time synonymous with less stability, which can work in other areas but not in night photographyTHE PAWS
In the search for the stability of a tripod many things influence, but one of the most important is the way to "compact" the tripod or specifically its legs. The more extensions these have, the more compact it is (and ideal for traveling), but less stable. It is recommended that you get a tripod with 3 sections. In addition to the three sections, try to verify that they are long enough to obtain the desired height without lengthening the central bar, as this also increases the instability of the tripod. Another aspect to take into account is that they can move independently to be able to adjust to the morphology of the terrain and that they are individually attached to the central column.THE FEET
The legs can end in several materials, the most common are plastic (to avoid slipping on smooth surfaces), or finished in metal tip or a combination of the two options.HEAD
You have two types of tripod heads:- The three-axis (or three-way) head has three handles that allow you to adjust the angle of the camera on all three axes: horizontal, vertical and inclined and is the most used for landscape or architectural photography, as it allows you to align the camera so more accurate.
- The ball head is smaller in size and weight than the three-axis and allows you to adjust any angle easily, simply by unlocking and blocking a single piece. This type of head is ideal for scenes with certain movement or when we are going to make numerous frames of different scenes.
CENTER BAR
Sometimes this includes a hook to put weight on the tripod: it is not a bad option to choose one that has it. Likewise, some tripods offer the possibility of extracting the bar or central tube to be able to place the tripod in all types of angles, thus being able to always adapt it to any type of terrain morphology.BUILDING MATERIAL
You have them mainly aluminum and carbon fiber. The latter weigh less but are more expensive (and there they warn that they attract more lightning, so beware of storms: S). Everything will depend on your budget;).LEGS AND HEAD SEPARATELY
The high-end tripods allow you to buy the legs and head separately. This is always the most recommended, since for the same tripod, you could even have more than one head (although a very good one of the type that is one of each but of worse quality is always better).OTHER USEFUL TIPS
- Make sure that the tripod and the head you are looking at, withstand the weight of your camera plus your heavier lens and a little more just in case.
- Pay attention to the maximum height of the tripod so you can work comfortably according to your own height.
- Try before you buy. It is very important that you fiddle, weights, mounts , dismounts, move and that, in short, you have your own impressions and familiarize yourself before buying.
- I know it may seem that all tripods are the same but it is not true, there really is a lot of difference in terms of qualities. It is better to wait and save a little than buy a very cheap tripod that you will have to change in 2 months.
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS
Here I leave a couple of recommendations that are sure successes as an example of what we have talked about in this article. Both tripods are a good base from which to investigate personally the one that best suits your budget needs.Vanguard Alta Pro 263AGH - Aluminum Tripod (Maximum load of 6 kg), Color Black * - Electronics
From
Price: € 133.08
(As of: 2020/02/08 4:18 am - Details)
13 new from € 133.08 2 Second hand from € 108.49
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From
Price: € 251.95
(As of: 2020/02/08 9:00 am - Details)
You save: € 114.50 (31%) (31%)
5 new from € 251.95 0 Second hand
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