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Camera movement is the source of about 80
percent of blurred pictures, according to a national photo
finishing survey. Why? Because so many of us punch the shutter
release instead of squeezing it gently.
A sure-fire cure for camera movement is to use
some kind of support, i.e., a tripod. Some photographers shoot
every exposure with a tripod. Others ignore the three-leggers
for many reasons, mostly because they're heavy and cumbersome.
This column is going to deal with my collection
of small tripods, known as tabletops. There's no good excuse for
not carrying a tabletop tripod of some sort because they weigh
very little and fold up compactly.
My oldest is a true antique: a 1954 Minox, which
resembles a small microphone when it's compacted. Two legs
unscrew from the main leg and into the ball head. Turning the
main leg controls the ball head.
While the Minox was designed for the famed spy
camera of World War II, it serves very adequately with the
Minolta Dimage X, a lightweight wonder on its own. Incidentally,
you can still buy the tripod for about $85 (http://www.minox-web.de/english).
The second one is a "realtor's special" which I
picked up in Hong Kong. Made by Ricoh, this heavy little flat
unit works as a tabletop tripod but its real utility lies in its
ability to clamp onto a car window.
It perfectly matches the red Casio QV-10 for
shooting properties on the fly in the pouring rain. Just don't
crank up the window. You can still find these on the shelves of
many camera stores for about $15.
Another antique (circa 1960) comes from
"Honeywell" Pentax and is one of the quickest tabletops to use.
A sliding ring collapses the spring-loaded legs. I've adapted
mine for use as a light stand for my Thomas Mini-slave.
My favorite tabletop is still the Pedco Ultrapod ($14.95 and
$21.95). Mine is about 20 years old but you can still buy one
from
http://www.pedcopods.com/. Both the Ultrapod I and II are
equipped with a Velcro strap. The pods can be mounted on any
sturdy upright (lamppost, parking meter, small tree) and secured
with the strap.
The Ultapods have excellent swivel heads. I have
often held the camera against a well, using the foldout LCD of a
Nikon CP5000 or Canon G2 to focus and make long exposures.
Finally, there's the "baggie." Available at any
grocery store, a good zip-lock bag can be filled with any grainy
substance. Cornmeal is my favorite. Sand is used as a last
resort. Whatever, fill the baggie about 3/4 full and then seat
the camera firmly in this pillow. |