Joby still makes one of the best mini tripods around.
(Credit: Joby)Despite point-and-shoot camera manufacturers' best efforts to reduce the effects of hand shake--digitally, optically, and mechanically--as long as you're holding the camera there's a very good chance you'll end up with blurry shots. Add in softening caused by noise reduction at higher ISO sensitivities, and getting a sharp shot of moving subjects or in low-light conditions can be tricky. The disappearance of viewfinders from compact cameras doesn't help things either as it encourages you to extend your arms to use the LCD.
Taking the camera out of your hands and putting it on a tripod or other support is one of the best ways to improve your odds. However, when I suggest this to point-and-shoot users I typically get in response that it's not practical to carry a tripod and it kills the point of having a very portable camera. But the solution is easy: get a very portable mini tripod.
Below are five favorites ranging in size, price, and flexibility, and though they aren't all technically tripods, they'll certainly help keep your pocket camera still whether you're behind or in front of it.
In lieu of buying a support, there are free options for helping control hand shake. Look for a lamp post, wall, tree, or any solid vertical structure you can lean against for support. Don't fully extend your arms, but instead pull them into your body as closely as possible with your elbows tucked into your sides or rest on a ledge or wall. Also, even if your camera has a lot of zoom range and optical image stabilization, it's always better to move yourself closer to a subject if possible than using your zoom. Lastly, if you use a tripod or anything else that's stable to support your camera, be sure to shut off any in-camera image stabilization--in this case, more stabilization is not better.
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(Credit:
Sunpak)
One of the more recent additions to Sunpak's tripod line is the 523PX Pistol Grip Tripod, an inexpensive, full-size carbon fiber tripod with a pistol grip ball head. Available for $199 from Best Buy, it's one of the cheaper carbon fiber tripods around and it's lightweight and very portable because of its carbon fiber construction.
The Sunpak 523PX Pistol Grip Tripod has seven-layer carbon fiber legs with a maximum height of 64 inches, and is 27.3 inches long when collapsed. It has three positions of leg angle locks for low-angle photography, with a minimum height of 12 inches. There's a second center column for low-level photography and retractable leg spikes for when outdoors.
The tripod features a pistol grip ball head, with a detachable quick-release camera plate that can hold up to 6.1 pounds. There's a built-in bubble level for setting up shots. Foam leg pads make carrying comfortable, and a padded tripod carrying case with shoulder strap is included.
The Sunpak 523PX Pistol Grip Tripod also comes with a lifetime guarantee.
(Credit:
Manfrotto)
While good full-size tripods are readily available, good tabletop camera supports are not always so easy to find. Tabletop supports run the gamut from bean bags to miniature tripods and usually lack somehow either in how much weight they can hold or in how adjustable they are.
The Manfrotto Modopocket, however, is a tiny but powerful camera support.
The Modopocket supports up to 1 pound, which covers almost all point-and-shoots and even some lightweight dSLRs. Its innovative design allows it to fold up flat for easy storage in a pocket of your camera bag, or almost anywhere. It looks like a big door hinge when folded up and you use a coin or such to attach it to the tripod socket on the bottom of the camera. It functions best with cameras with the tripod socket in the center.
The Modopocket feels very sturdy and solidly built, especially for being so small. A small cable runs from one leg to the other that allows it to stay in position if you tilt it forward or backward a bit to angle the camera. One of its coolest features is that it can be folded up while still attached to the camera for ease of use, and so you just don't lose it. Also, with it attached to the camera, the camera can still be attached to a tripod, so that whether on a tripod or not your little Modopocket is always attached and ready.
The tripod worked great with several point-and-shoots, and even with a Canon Rebel XSi and an 18-55 lens, and it didn't feel like it was going to collapse. The Manfrotto Modopocket sells for around $25.
(Credit:
Tamrac)
Currently, most tripod legs are hollowed and allow the extensions to fit inside. Tamrac has taken a different approach and designed what is possibly the most innovative tripod we've seen this year.
The ZipShot is a compact, three-legged support whose design is inspired by collapsible tent poles. With a rugged bungee cord inside the legs, users just have to pull apart the joints and fold the tripod. The rounded edges at individual sections help to guide the aluminum legs to join together.
Tamrac rates the ZipShot as able to support up to 2.8 pounds, which means the tripod can accommodate most point-and-shoots and entry-level dSLRs. However, PopPhoto said it is wiser to activate the self-timer function when taking pictures because the thin legs are rather unstable and can shake when the shutter button is pressed.
At $50, the ZipShot is rather pricey considering you can get a decent standard tripod for that price. But if portability is your main concern, you might want to check out this Tamrac product.
(Source: Crave Asia via PopPhoto)
(Credit:
Tallyn)
Professional photographers often shoot with their cameras tethered to their computers so they can see the images on a larger display. However, when out in the field, the environment may not be suitable for resting a laptop on the ground or on rocky surfaces. In such cases, the Tallyn laptop deck may come in handy.
The attachment is like a tripod's ballhead and can be fixed to most Manfrotto or Studio Titan tripods. It has an adjustable base to accommodate notebooks of various sizes up to about 7.9 pounds, and the deck can be tilted to facilitate viewing angles.
As with most professional-oriented ballheads, the Tallyn laptop deck doesn't come cheap. It's priced at $84.95 on the company's Web site.
(Source: Crave Asia via Shutterbug)
(Credit:
Main picture by Photojojo with guest appearance by Microsoft's Clippy)
Besides holding sheets together, the humble paper clip has plenty of other uses. Not only is its slim tip great for poking at small reset inserts on gadgets, we're pretty sure MacGyver can jump-start a car with it. Now, you can add one more use to the paper clip's resume.
Inspired by the paper clip iPhone stand on Lifehacker, the folks at Photojojo have twisted and bent a clip into a contraception that can hold a point-and-shoot. However, given that the bottom of the stand is flat, we're not sure how well it'll support your shooter on uneven surfaces. For that purpose, we think we trust the Gorillapod more.
Nevertheless, if you need to prop up your camera the next time but don't have a tripod, try searching around your desk.
(Source: Crave Asia)
The Gorillamobile securely attaches the iPhone to a cycle's driving bar.
(Credit: Joby)Are you an avid cyclist who wants to use the iPhone as your GPS navigator? Joby has something for you.
The maker of the recently introduced Gorillatorch announced Thursday its newest iteration of something that can stay really well on something else: the Gorillamobile for the iPhone 3G(S).
This is basically a tripod docking station for the phone which, apart from keeping the phone on any surfaces, can help securely attach the phone to object of different shapes, such as the driving bar of a bicycle.
The key to making the tripod work the way Joby claims it does is the ball-and-socket construction that allows for fully articulated movement of the flexible, wrappable legs.
The accessory comes with four interchangeable quick-release adapters for the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and other mobile devices. It also has a custom-engineered, slim-line iPhone case.
In addition to the flexible tripod and iPhone case, the Gorillamobile for 3G/3GS package also includes two removable 3M adhesive clips and a universal camera adapter. This means apart that from the iPhones, the accessory can also be used with other mobile devices, such as mobile game consoles or video players, when you need to keep your hands free for other things.
Though the Gorillamobile weighs just 4.5 ounces and is only 8 inches tall, it carries a rather hefty price tag of around $40. It's available for purchase now.
Choose from five DigiDudes: Pinky Scorsese, Snot Buster, 1iChomp, BoltBot, and G-bling-Money-Son. 'Sup cuz?
(Credit: Quirky)
(Credit:
Quirky)
I'm a photographer. As a photographer I've owned a number of tripods and keep a mini tripod in my camera bag at all times. None of them, however, have ever qualified as "cute." These tripods, though, are exactly that.
Meet the DigiDudes. The portable camera tripod/keychain combos are little monsters most of the time, but when they need to do some work you twist off their heads and pull down their retractable legs and they're suddenly tripods. They have a standard screw mount that you put on the bottom of your camera. Now you know what that little screw hole is for, don't you?
The DigiDudes are made by Quirky, a sort of freelance production house for neat product ideas. It takes an open-source approach to product design, and these 'dudes are the results of just such a project. Think of it as a social R&D platform or something.
Quirky has some other projects, but these tripods (for a limited time, $19.99 on preorder) are far and away the cutest. Keep it up, Quirky.
Investing in a sturdy support device can help prevent camera shake.
(Credit: Gitzo)We've always known that when taking long-exposure pictures, we're supposed to use a tripod that will keep the camera steady and prevent blurry shots. But now, Japanese scientists at the Nishi Lab of the University of Electrocommunications say they are debunking that fact somewhat.
They developed a tool that measures the amount and direction of camera shake, and the results appear to show that when an SLR is mounted on a tripod, the setup may actually contribute to the vibration caused by the shooter's mirror and shutter movement.
One consolation from this study is that the researchers used a relatively light tripod for the tests (about 3.3 pounds).
So the gist of it is to invest in a sturdy (and maybe heavy) support device for your snapper. Check out companies like Manfrotto and Slik because these companies produce pretty good tripods that professional photographers trust.
(Source: Crave Asia via Wired)
(Credit:
Crave Asia)
Typically, when you can place your camera on a flat plane to take a shot, you probably can't angle your camera very easily. Here's where the Stand Pouch comes in handy.
The Stand Pouch is essentially a camera case with a tripod connector built into the front panel. But the connector can be tilted to different angles like a three-legged stand.
According to the demonstration video on its Web site, you just have to flip the connector out and screw it into the camera's base. Instant tripod.
(Source: Crave Asia)
