WE all know that the main purpose of a tripod is to keep your equipment still, but there are other, less obvious, benefits to using a three-legged support. First, it tends to slow you down: when you have to release leg locks, extend poles, and make sure that the camera is level, you often take more time over your compositions. Second, with the help of an additional arm or clamp, you can use the tripod as an assistant, holding a reflector or diffuser in place. There are hundreds of tripods on the market (for a round-up, see pages 46-49) each differing in weight, construction, height, folded length and weight-bearing capacity. Before you decide what to buy you need to bear a few things in mind.
Check the weight-bearing capacity
The…
