For a perfect image through your viewfinder, tripod assemblies consist of a pole on a base of three legs to which a camera can be attached. Its primary job is to provide support that reduces or eliminates the jerky camera movement you find with handheld operation, and can be very useful for sharp images when using slow shutter speeds or to show blur from a moving subject.
Carbon Fibre Tripods
The tripod come in two forms or material: the standard is aluminium, which is renowned for its practicality, whereas carbon fibre is an advanced option. Carbon fibre is used mainly for field work as they are increasingly stronger and lighter in weight than the aluminium range. Carbon fibre legs are becoming increasingly popular for ENG work as they are even lighter whilst still retaining the strength and rigidness of aluminium. The vast majority of tripods has a 75mm or 100mm bowl for the fluid head and is capable of being used with dolly or track systems.
Adjustable Tripod Setups
The height of the individual legs can be adjusted and various mechanisms to ensure shoots are not on a tilt. Various models have different characteristics such as single or double stage, ground spreader for working on an even surface or mid-level for field work.