tripods

The panoramic assistant

If you've ever tried to take a panoramic shot with a regular camera, chances are it didn't turn out great. The level of suckiness will increase proportionally with the number of shots you are trying to stitch together.

Some cameras try to help you out with guiding lines in their viewfinder, or provide you with stitching software on your desktop computer. But now there's an alternative hardware solution called the Panamatic.

This tripod attachment helps you stably move your camera horizontally. The wheel clicks at fixed intervals, telling you when to take a shot, of up to … Read more

Manfrotto's new CX-Series tripods

If you're back is starting to hurt from hauling around a metal tripod, you might like the sound of Manfrotto's new CX-Series of tripods, since they're made of carbon fiber. Of course, it's nothing new that carbon fiber is lighter than aluminum, which is what most metal tripods are made of. The new thing here is that Manfrotto has added its innovative Q90 center column system to its array of carbon fiber tripods. The Q90 system lets you switch the center column from vertical to horizontal without having to remove it and reinsert it, as you … Read more

Wacky tripods that even ninjas could love

We've all been there: breathlessly plugging your camera into your computer, firing up your photo software, and stopping dead at the sight of horrifically blurry pictures. How to rectify the situation? Get a tripod. Lug that chunky thing to the pub, the beach, take that bad boy everywhere. Maybe not.

Or you could follow our advice and think differently. We've rounded up seven of the coolest, wackiest and most un-tripoddy tripods, monopods and camera supports money can buy. Click here for the collection.

(Source: Crave UK)

How to stick your camera to a tree

We've seen some innovative (weird) alternatives to the traditional tripod, ranging from sandbags and telescoping poles to bendable serpants. But the "Monster Pod" has got to be one of the strangest.

The camera attaches to its "patented viscoelastic polymer base," according to 7Gadgets, which in turn will affix to a "tree, pole, fence, rock, wall--almost anything." Somehow, we can't see trusting this to hold a $25,000 Hasselblad, but that's just us. On the other hand, it's probably safer than asking a stranger to take your picture in some parts … Read more

The tripod that's vertically challenged

And we meant that in a good way. You know how back-breaking it is to take a picture from a ground-level perspective? You can save your spine with the Klikk (how many other ways can you spell "click"?). It's a midget tripod that achieves a height of 12mm by amputating the traditional tripod legs. But there's a cost--without the swivel-head, the angle at which the camera can be adjusted is pretty limited.

(Source: Crave Asia)

'Julia' speaker is an iPod tripod

Crave readers clearly haven't gotten enough iPod news lately, so we thought we'd pitch in with a word about one of the player's accessories, which we all know are so rare. Besides, how often does a gadget have a name that sounds more like a designer fragrance?

The "Julia"--or "BoomTune Mini Julia," according to Fareastgizmos, to be exact--is a portable speaker device that stands like a tripod, giving your iPod a higher profile (as if it needed one). The 1-watt speakers aren't exactly meant for a pool party, but this little … Read more

PDA built to take the beating it deserves

Does anyone remember the PDA? You know, that thing people used to carry around before BlackBerries, Treos and most mobile phones made since 2003? A few of them may be tucked away in a Members Only jacket somewhere in the closet (buried, we hope).

If any of them are still in use, they may be easy targets for schoolyard bullies like the iPhone. Perhaps that's why one of the surviving models, the "Recon 200X" from Tripod Data Systems, comes with its own body armor--to avoid serious injury when getting beaten up by the bigger kids. Although specs … Read more

Tripod gives camera permanent legs

One of the many great things about digital cameras is convenience: They're always ready to shoot and are often small enough to carry in your pocket anywhere. Tripods, however, are another matter altogether. And if you drink as much coffee as we do at Crave, your hands can use all the steadying help they can get.

That's why something like the "Always-On Millipod" may be the perfect solution for caffeine-addled types like us. Billed as the "slimmest tripod ever," according to OhGizmo, it attaches to the bottom of a point-and-shoot camera and folds away … Read more

Joby noodles with flexible monopod

LAS VEGAS--Joby announced its latest Gorillapod model Wednesday at the Photo Marketing Association trade show here, the one-legged Solo.

Joby just finished its first year selling monopods with flexible, rubberized legs that can be flexed to deal with uneven perches or wrapped around poles or tree limbs. The Solo has just one stalk and comes in a $30 20-segment model or a $40 30-segment model.

The new model, currently available only off the company's Web site, can hold up to two pounds worth of camera, but the company expects it to be popular holding other photographic equipment such as … Read more