If you have not yet bought a tripod and have no idea which one to buy you need to keep the following in mind:

1. The Weight of the tripod:

This is important for several reasons. You will need to carry it, if you walk far distances a very heavy tripod will be difficult to carry.  If you are using a very heavy camera and lens combination then you will have to look at a heavy tripod to accomodate the weight. If you live in the Western Cape you will know we have very windy conditions. If your tripod is flimsy the wind will cause camera shake.

2. The Tripod legs:

There are a variety of options when it comes to the legs of the tripod and the way you lock them in place. Some are basic and some have really nice features where certain parts can be removed and rotated. The result of this is a very creative asset to your photography.

3. The Height of the tripod:

This is very important as you need to look at what kind of photography you are doing. For instance if you are shooting macro and you take pictures of flowers you will find yourself working very close to the ground. You will then need a tripod that can go down very low or where the tripod head can tilt toward the ground.

4. The Tripods head:

This part of the tripod is extremely important. You will find a lot of different heads available. Ranging from heads suited to photography and others for videography. This month we have a review video on the brand new Vanguard GH-300T pistol grip ball head with a built in shutter release. Yes, you heard me!. A built in shutter release. Now you don’t even need to remove your hand from the tripod you can take the shots on the go. Great for wild life or action photographers.

5. The price of the tripod:

Taking into account the cost of the tripod is important as there are alot of cheap tripods out there. They may look cool but will not be stable enough in the end. Look at a tripod as an investment. If you buy a good tripod and you look after it, your tripod will be your best bud for years to come.

Product Review – Vanguard GH-330T Pistol Grip ballhead with built-in shutter release