Dear bipods, do you use a Tripod?

[Hari]

I'm debating the use of a tripod.

I have one but i've NEVER used it - mostly because it is heavy and it is a hassle to carry around

What about you guys? How many of you use a tripod, how often and for what purposes?

Your favorite tripod pictures plus specs welcome (extendable height and weight are most important to me)

[GeorgeSalt]

Not really any alternative for long exposures, particularly at night. And the additional weight of a tripod is minimal when you're carrying an RB67 plus a couple of lenses..

[kansalliskala]

Always when shooting inside.

[miran]

I use two tripods. One is a mini gorilla tripod which is good enough for NEX + a small lens. I use that mostly when I want to cary the bare minimum with me (like when going on bike trips). For all other times I have a cheap chinese tripod, Triopo brand. It's quite good, very light (carbon) and can easily carry a lot of wight. I almost couldn't use my medium format kit without it.

[Orio]

"I use tripod when I need a tripod"
Pretty easy, why the most logical option is not in the poll?

[GeorgeSalt]

[themoleman342]

I agree with what others have said. There really is no substitute for a tripod.

I, however, voted for monopod. Years ago I bought an inexpensive Slik brand one and it offers great stability for some of my heavier cameras and lenses. Hand-holding a Pentacon Six and Sonnar 180 is tricky unless you can use the faster speeds. With the monopod, I get a nice, stable, and tiltable prop without the bulk of a tripod. I can usually use that setup now down to 1/30th without issue. For smaller 35mm cameras, a sharp 1/8thsec shot is possible.

[visualopsins]

[Attila]

[Aanything]

I have a very light and cheap manfrotto tripod that is little and light enough to not discourage me when I'm packing my bag to go out. It can be attached to a backpack, so no big problem - that's my most used solution (even if often I take it with me and only shoot handheld).
I also have an enormous tripod I use when I shoot video in studio: that's a PITA to carry around, but it comes handy when I know I will need a lot of stability, or shoot panos.
Never bought a monopod.

[fermy]

I am using tripod around the house mainly for product shots, lens testing and passport photos. Took it a couple of times when I traveled, never used it. It does not fit in my pocket

[Lloydy]

I carry a monopod on my belt virtually every time I go out with a camera, if I haven't got that it's a tripod. I've had a Gitzo that I bought over 20 years ago and is wonderful, but recently I bought a Benbo Trekker, a tripod I'd always looked at and wondered if it was any good? It is, I'm very pleased with it. The versatility of the thing is superb - once you've got the hang of it, for outdoor / nature / scenic stuff it's unbeatable.
There's also a huge old Slik Pro that lives in the back of my 4x4, it's the sort of thing you need a step ladder for when it's fully extended, I think the camera viewfinder would be about 7 or 8 feet off the ground! But it is rock solid, and not a tripod you carry around, it's more like scaffolding.

[fuzzywuzzy]

This fall I rigged up a strap for my clunky old aluminum Manfrotto 190. Slung over my shoulder like a rifle it's "comfortable enough" that I now lug it whenever I'm out for a photo hike.

Here's one day I wish I'd carried the tripod:

[RSalles]

Well, i use when i'm not a in a hurry, the lightweight Manfrotto 190E with a small Manfrotto ballhead. Sometimes I carry for outdoor shots the Manfrotto monopod, nice to have one for panning and more. The collateral benefit of using it is to have the hands free for searching for stuff on the backpack or changing lenses and filters. At my home studio, it's mandatory,

Renato

[SonicScot]

Gorillapod SLR for holiday trips and when a lightweight pack is needed, otherwise a heavy and solid Manfrotto when the situation requires one.
But I'd guess 80% of the time I use nothing.

[cooltouch]

I've collected several tripods over the past 20+ years or so. And a couple of monopods.

Back when Manfrotto was Bogen here in the USA, I owned a set of Bogen 3001 legs and a 056 head. Moderately priced, very sturdy, and reasonably light weight because they are built from tubular aluminum and aluminum castings. For some odd reason, I sold it. Ended up buying another set of 3001 legs that came with a cool, large ball head. Bought it at shopgoodwill.com for cheap.

I also own a Benbo, made in the UK. It is also tubular aluminum with aluminum castings, so even though it's pretty good sized, it's not so heavy. Great thing about a Benbo is the legs can be articulated to any angle to adapt to most any terrain possibility. The legs are even designed "upside down" so they can be placed in water or mud without the internals getting wet or contaminated.

I have a couple of other old vintage tripods, each of which has its uses: an old, lightweight Star-D -- probably 50s or 60s vintage, and a 70's-vintage Asanuma.

I have a Bogen monopod that is fairly large. Its leg size is about the same as one leg from a 3001 set. I also have a compact Gitzo monopod that is a lot of fun to use because it's so small, yet sturdy. I have an equally compact little ball head mounted to the Gitzo that gets the job done.

These days, the Bogen tripod gets most of the tripod duties and the Gitzo monopod gets most of the monopod duties.

[peterqd]

[Farside]

I have a pair of really excellent tripods - they're actually cine and video 'pods made by Daiwa, but one is perfect for still camera use and I can't see me ever needing to buy another one.
I could find very little trace of Daiwa tripods, they being known primarily for their fishing reels and gear, but at one point they got into the pro tripod market and for whatever reason got out of it again, or renamed it / sold it to Slik - not sure exactly what the story was, there.

(edit)
Aha; just found out what the story was...
http://www.slik.co.jp/daiwa-tripod_com/introduction.html

I've also found that the video one of the pair lives on as a Slik model, the only visible difference is the QR plate.
http://www.slik.co.jp/daiwa-tripod_com/products_educational.html
On closer examination, what I've got is the forerunner pair of those shown there.

I think the pair cost me £8 or something like that - utter bargain of the year, that was.

[Minolfan]

I don't use a tripod very frequently, but need one for macro. I have a very sturdy old Slick for that. To carry with me to use with folders and TLR I have a lighter built Manfrotto as well as a monopod. For longer lenses I like a Leitz table tripod with ballhead, that I use as a shoulder/breast support for "handheld" pictures.