10 June 2008
TWIP Podcast Episode #32 - Affordable Camera Supports
Posted by
Scott under:
Video Podcast
In this video, Scott describes small, affordable camera supports. Available in the feed and s a direct download at Pixelcorps.TV.
Host: Scott Bourne
Location: San Francisco
Intro Music by Scott Cannizzaro
Producer & Show Notes Author: Aaron Mahler - Twitter: halfpress
Bandwidth for This Week in Photography is provided by Cachefly.
TWIP is sponsored by Audible. For a free downloadable book visit www.audiblepodcast.com/twip
In this special Video Tip episode, Scott continues the work of episodes #13 & #15 with a look at the more affordable end of the camera support realm.
- First up is our least expensive option: The Pod. Available in multiple colors, this style is generally referred to as a “bean bag” support. Prices range from $12.99 to $49 depending on size, color and options.
- Like a tripod, The Pod actually does have a threaded mount.
- The OmniPod, while also a bean bag style mount, differs from The Pod in overall shape. It is broader and thinner allowing it to bend over surfaces including a car window. The bottom has a grippy surface and a strap hook for attaching it to your belt. Quick release plates can be used with it as well. Prices start at $25 and move into the $75 territory with a quick release plate.
- While it provides a little less overall support due to the way it folds over an edge (again, a car window being the prime example), it will likely gain you a stop or two and help eliminate the kind of vibration that separates a tack-sharp shot from a lousy one.
- The Fat Bag, a Kirk Photo product, is a considerably larger bean bag style support system. Unlike the previous two items, The Fat Bag does not have a threaded mount. It makes up for this, though, through sheer bulk and its unique shape that provides a large, pliable surface area to support a camera body and/or lens. The triangular design is sturdy and convenient.
- Prices start around $50 and it can be purchased with or without its internal beads if you wish to save money on both the unit and the shipping. Overall, it’s a bit less portable, but very effective.
- Our final product is the Gorillapod SLR-Zoom. At $50 and supporting six pounds, it looks more like a traditional tripod but uses tough, bendable legs. It can be wrapped around a fence post, stood level on a flat surface, or twisted around to accommodate uneven and unusual surfaces. For a bit more money you can add a quick release plate that will speed your ability to pop it on and off the camera body. This model supports a full SLR, but many smaller models exists for P&S cameras.
- Overall, the thing in common across all the items shown here is their portability and role as tripod alternatives. Keep in mind that security these days prevents you from using a tripod in many of the places where you need them most. These products might well provide you with the edge you need in those restrictive situations and all of them are certainly easier to pack and carry than most tripods short of the very high end, and expensive, carbon fiber models.
- Scott’s photography can be found at http://avianstock.com. Twitter: scottbourne
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13 Comments so far...
Kevin Says:
10 June 2008 at 9:40 am.
Great little video Scott.
I’ve got the Gorillapod SLR Zoom, and I find it invaluable for some macro work, and also when you can’t really use a regular tripod. I just used it this past weekend while shooting thunderstorms. I had it wrapped onto my dashboard in my car.
I ended up putting a ball head on mine for ease of use.
KentGoldings Says:
10 June 2008 at 3:27 pm.
Great video. I’m SO happy you skipped the coke-bottle tripod mod.
SP Says:
10 June 2008 at 4:34 pm.
I’m not a pro, but I don’t understand why you’d spend $50 on a bag of beads. If that’s the kind of support you want, just get a bag and fill it with sand. Likewise, for the first two mentioned, how much better are those from actually using your hands (not in the air, but supporting your hands off of whatever you would have used for the bags.
The gorrillapod might be useful, but the other stuff seems like a waste of money to me.
KentGoldings Says:
10 June 2008 at 5:12 pm.
@SP, He said two-stops of shutter speed with that bean bag. If you’re taking photos w/ 300mm those two-stop could really be important.
John Worthington Says:
10 June 2008 at 5:55 pm.
@SP
A bag with sand would be heavier as you need more volume. Plus these bags are manufactured to be sealed tightly. I’m not putting my new $1500 camera anywhere near a bag of sand, let alone on top of it.
In regards to free-handing with something like your elbows, you are still subject to body sway and shaking. As you tense the muscles in your arms, you would get slight vibrations that sould throw it off. These bags eliminate the sway and free up your hands for things like adjusting settings and zooming etc.
For a quick demo, get a bag of dried peas or a heat pack and take a photo at sunset with it or and free hand. You would be suprised by the difference. While by no means a perfect solution, if the shot means that much, you would be on a tripod already.
Scott, is there a chance of any TWiP branded merchandise like the Canadian Pod on the horizon?
Scott Says:
10 June 2008 at 6:16 pm.
@John we don’t have any plans for stuff like that today but who knows. It’s a bandwidth issue right now. As the show grows and we can add staff, we’ll certainly look at things like that. Thanks.
SP Says:
10 June 2008 at 8:45 pm.
Kent, my question was how many stops better are the bags as compared to well positioned hands.
John, I made sure to say not free-handing, but putting the hands where you’d put the bags. It’s not just a matter of wasting money, I’d rather not carry something extra if my hands are just as good. I wouldn’t let go of the camera to change the settings anyway, so I still don’t see it. As for the sand, well, it doesn’t have to be sand, it could be the type of beans they use. I still don’t see it costing $50 (they probably make them for $5 or less in China).
Brandon Says:
10 June 2008 at 9:58 pm.
Are there any relatively inexpensive (in the $100-200 range) full-sized (over 4ft) tripods worth looking at?
John Worthington Says:
10 June 2008 at 10:18 pm.
SP, fair point about the free-handing but I was referring to anything that relys on your own body as a steadying medium. The question of how many stops it saves depends on so many factors like camera size, speed, lens, hand strength, conditions etc it is hard to quantify.
You may be able to achieve the same results by using your hands but I believe the camera that Scott used in the demo of the $50 bag had a substantial lens on it. I think the weight of that may hinder the ability of this technique to be successful. Lighter and smaller cameras would probably benefit from this technique but at $20, it’s hard to pass up.
The bags also seemed to be made from a tough canvas like material which would probably mean it is quite durable and ideal for being treated less than gentle.
I agree that it may seem expensive but the times I have required a small emergency tripod, this type of thing has become a lifesaver. I have one in the car.
But if this shows anything, it is that almost any material can be used if adapted. I take a lot of stitched panoramas of city corners yet having a tripod in the centre of the city raised too many questions from over-zealous security guards. I bought a large metal bulldog-like clip and welded a bolt onto it. This allows me to walk up to any street corner with a pole, clamp on my camera and use the pole a pivot device. Its dirty but it gets the job done.
Genuine240 Says:
10 June 2008 at 11:08 pm.
Scott,
I saw a older woman using a small gorilla pod as a handle for her point-n-shoot camera. Her left hand was on the gorilla pod and her right hand on the camera. I’m sure with this method she was able to comfortably hold the camera and steady her shot.
That’s a great use for some of the really small cameras.
Ernie
PS Your video’s just keep getting better! I love the new segment transitions.
Jeremy Says:
11 June 2008 at 3:13 pm.
Yes, I like this video too. Reminded me exactly why I spent so much time looking at a gorilla pod at an REI in Anchorage, AK last summer, and why I was an IDIOT to have not bought it before heading up to Denali for a couple of days. DOH!
And yes, I REALLY could have used the gorilla pod or the “fat bag” for attaching the camera to the windows in our bus, as you couldn’t get off the bus when brown bears and wolves are within 10 yards of your bus! (which they were) BTW, my photos would have been much sharper and with better color range if I could’ve stopped down an extra stop or two during that portion of my trip. Live and learn.
Rich Says:
11 June 2008 at 11:39 pm.
I enjoyed the video and will be in the market for the Gorilla Pod, but I would like to see something in the mid range for tripods and ballheads. I want something light weight, portable, and easy to travel with without breaking the bank.
Bryan Says:
15 June 2008 at 12:10 am.
Of these, I’ve only tried the GorillaPod, but I have to say it continuously amazes me. With a D200 and 70-200 VR, there can be a slight shake/vibration, but I’ve found I’m actually able to get much longer exposures by using a shutter release cable and steadying the camera with my other hand, if that makes sense.
Browsing Lightroom real quick, it looks like my longest usable shot was 1/25 at f/20, 110mm with the 70-200. VR was , of course, off. Certainly longer than I would’ve been able to get a tac sharp handheld exposure of the waterfall, but I think I could’ve done better with a little more effort.
I’ll echo Rich’s sentiments. I’ve learned more from your podcasts than any of the books I’ve read, and it’d definitely help many of us if you’d cover mid-range products sometimes. The extra little tips, tricks, and explanations really do help.
