Tripod to use on ship?

[pscruzinboyz]

Does anyone have a good inexpensive tripod to use on the ship. What kind and price. I am looking at Amazon for a 72 inch but also would like one to clamp to the rail.....any help much appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[donaldsc]

Although I do not use a tripod on a ship, there is one possible problem that you may want to consider. Unlike the earth, the ship is a moving vibrating platform. If you use a regular tripod or one that clamps to the rail, and ship motion will be transmitted to the camera.

 

DON

[cruisetobeaches]

I used to carry a tripod, but no longer. Seldom used it! I do carry a monopod (In CHECKED luggage..............Looks like a rifle in carryon.............But that is another story.......). I have always been able to improvise using something available on the ship, where I am if I need to steady the camera such as a towel, etc.

 

As mentioned above, clamping to the railing will give questionable results if the ship is moving. I've had good luck with my monopod on our balcony with wide angle shots under low/available light. Not so much if the camera is resting on the railing. Image stabilization is a great plus, too.

[H82seaUgo]

Does anyone have a good inexpensive tripod to use on the ship. What kind and price. I am looking at Amazon for a 72 inch but also would like one to clamp to the rail.....any help much appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Mike

 

If the ships engines are running, the rails will most likely be experiencing some degree of vibration.

[zackiedawg]

as mentioned by others - rails aren't the best for moving ship shots with tripods...but tripods on the deck of a moving ship can be done for slow shutter work, as long as you watch where you set up to make sure there are no vibrations in the deck.

 

As for 'cheap' tripods - don't really know your definition of cheap, but I've had tripods for $40, had tripods for $100, and seen tripods well into the many hundreds to thousands. For these purposes, let's figure $100 as a nice tripod without breaking the bank, but higher quality and usability than the $40 el-cheapos. Currently, I'm using a Slik Sprint Pro EZ, picked up for around $100. It is solidly built, very light, compacts nice and small to about 21", extends with maximum center extension to 65+'' (72 might be excessive unless you are 6'5" or taller - remember the tripod head you use can add 2-8 inches, and the camera itself is usually 3-5 inches tall to the viewfinder...so a 65" extension with a 3" head and 4" camera body equals 72" to the viewfinder). The legs can be adjusted independently, it has 4-segment legs, reversible or removable center post, and a 7Lb weight rating which can support big zooms. I use the basic pan/tilt head, a nice milled aluminum piece...but you can always upgrade the head to a ballhead or pistol grip, depending on needs.

[donaldsc]

as mentioned by others - rails aren't the best for moving ship shots with tripods...but tripods on the deck of a moving ship can be done for slow shutter work, as long as you watch where you set up to make sure there are no vibrations in the deck.

 

As for 'cheap' tripods - don't really know your definition of cheap, but I've had tripods for $40, had tripods for $100, and seen tripods well into the many hundreds to thousands. For these purposes, let's figure $100 as a nice tripod without breaking the bank, but higher quality and usability than the $40 el-cheapos. Currently, I'm using a Slik Sprint Pro EZ, picked up for around $100. It is solidly built, very light, compacts nice and small to about 21", extends with maximum center extension to 65+'' (72 might be excessive unless you are 6'5" or taller - remember the tripod head you use can add 2-8 inches, and the camera itself is usually 3-5 inches tall to the viewfinder...so a 65" extension with a 3" head and 4" camera body equals 72" to the viewfinder). The legs can be adjusted independently, it has 4-segment legs, reversible or removable center post, and a 7Lb weight rating which can support big zooms. I use the basic pan/tilt head, a nice milled aluminum piece...but you can always upgrade the head to a ballhead or pistol grip, depending on needs.

 

One thing to add to your excellent post - if you buy a tripod or monopod, make sure that is collapses enough so it will fit in your suitcase. I bought an inexpensive monopod but found that it would not fit. I had to pay more for one that collapses to 16".

 

One other thing on tripods which is sort of a hoot but will not be a problem on a cruise unless you go to really cold places is that tripods break in cold weather. I had one that I used on a winter Yellowstone photo trip and pieces of it snapped off in the cold. My more expensive monopod and the expensive tripods used by others in the group worked w/o problems.

 

DON

[Tabbymom]

I just took a new Joby GorillaPod on the Enchantment and it worked very well. It wrapped around chairs and railings along with being easy to adjust on tables. It also was quite light - I just stuck one leg of the tripod through the strap of the camera bag to carry it around. I was able to take decent indoor and night pictures while at sea, including lots of the artwork. Here's one of the deck pictures at night:

 

Edit - it was the second smallest of four sizes and cost $50.

 

[pscruzinboyz]

Thank you all...........Great feedback, maybe more then I thought I would get. Just bought a New Canon EOS Rebel XSI and just starting to play with it. Will let you all know what I decide......will look online hopefully for the best price.

 

Thanks again

 

Mike

[Lsimon]

I bought this inexpensive and very light 42" tripod from Adorama. It packs easy. Isn't the sturdiest but it works fine for me for something to travel with that doesn't take up much room or weight.

 

http://www.adorama.com/TPK.html?searchinfo=tpk

[donaldsc]

I bought this inexpensive and very light 42" tripod from Adorama. It packs easy. Isn't the sturdiest but it works fine for me for something to travel with that doesn't take up much room or weight.

 

http://www.adorama.com/TPK.html?searchinfo=tpk

 

Since the tripod is very small and light, it obviously does not provide as much stability as a big heavy tripod. Using the self timer or a cable release with it would improve stability.

 

As always, you have 3 options - light weight, small size, high stability. Unfortunately, you can't have all 3 and must accept trade offs.

 

DON

[cravingthis]

We were thinking of buying a tripod as well, but after reading reviews, I think not. I was concerned with the amount of people and traffic on Oasis, it might get knocked over or be a nuisance, unless it's at night or during a quite time.

 

I'm sure with so many passengers onboard, it's easy enough to find someone to take our picture.

 

We love taking pictures, and I mean a lot of pictures, but also like pictures of the two of us (not just single shots).

 

Do you all just ask people to take your pictures (if you don't have a tripod)?

 

We will be asking a lot!!:D

[wernew2cruising]

We were thinking of buying a tripod as well, but after reading reviews, I think not. I was concerned with the amount of people and traffic on Oasis, it might get knocked over or be a nuisance, unless it's at night or during a quite time.

 

I'm sure with so many passengers onboard, it's easy enough to find someone to take our picture.

 

We love taking pictures, and I mean a lot of pictures, but also like pictures of the two of us (not just single shots).

 

Do you all just ask people to take your pictures (if you don't have a tripod)?

 

We will be asking a lot!!:D

Just ask people. I always offer when I see situations like yours..some say no and some are very grateful to have a picture with both or the group.

[zackiedawg]

If your purpose for a tripod was only to take self-portraits or shots of yourselves...I'd say certainly not...you can always find people more than willing to take a snap for you.

 

The primary reason to have a tripod would be for shots involving long lenses and great distances, or where you are using very long shutter speeds where the camera needs to be completely still to absorb as much light as possible. In those scenarios, a tripod is a must (or some substitute, such as rail-mounted pods, or even laying the camera down on a wall, ledge, garbagecan top, etc).

 

I always bring my tripods on cruises...but I also like to take a lot of night shots and slow-shutter interior shots.

[Lsimon]

My primary purpose in using a tripod is to get pictures of us (using self-timer) when there is no one else to hold the camera. If there are others around we just ask someone. I also often volunteer when I can tell someone would like of picture taken of them with their own camera.

 

Since this is my purpose for using the tripod, the small, lightweight and less sturdy variety work fine with my P&S camera. That's why the one in the link in my posting above has been ideal for us. If I was trying to support a more hefty camera for stability I'd probably prefer a more heavy duty tripod.

 

I shoot snapshots with a nice quality pocket size point & shoot camera or a small super-zoom camera and the smaller tripods are fine with these for my purposes.

 

I always like to say I'm a snapshooter not a photographer.

[cravingthis]

If your purpose for a tripod was only to take self-portraits or shots of yourselves...I'd say certainly not...you can always find people more than willing to take a snap for you.

 

The primary reason to have a tripod would be for shots involving long lenses and great distances, or where you are using very long shutter speeds where the camera needs to be completely still to absorb as much light as possible. In those scenarios, a tripod is a must (or some substitute, such as rail-mounted pods, or even laying the camera down on a wall, ledge, garbagecan top, etc).

 

I always bring my tripods on cruises...but I also like to take a lot of night shots and slow-shutter interior shots.

 

Thanks, the thing is, not every one is as patient, especially if the first picture doesn't come out well, and we hate to ask for more than 2 pictures. That's why we thought a tripod might come in handy.

 

Sometimes, the pictures just don't come out right for us and I know we can take them again, but hate having to continually ask.

 

Just recently, we had asked our waiter at a restaurant to take a few pictures for a special occassion. It's a bit hard to see how well they come out, even with a 3" LCD screen, until we got home and realized they were not focused well enough, etc. and then the moment was gone and we couldn't take the picture again.

 

I guess we'll just have to keep snapping.

 

Thanks!

[bobmacliberty]

If your purpose for a tripod was only to take self-portraits or shots of yourselves...I'd say certainly not...you can always find people more than willing to take a snap for you.

 

The primary reason to have a tripod would be for shots involving long lenses and great distances, or where you are using very long shutter speeds where the camera needs to be completely still to absorb as much light as possible. In those scenarios, a tripod is a must (or some substitute, such as rail-mounted pods, or even laying the camera down on a wall, ledge, garbagecan top, etc).

 

I always bring my tripods on cruises...but I also like to take a lot of night shots and slow-shutter interior shots.

Zackiedawg - I'm in the market for a general use tripod. I don't anticipate needing to hike anywhere with it, so weight isn't a top concern. What would you recommend for a general purpose tripod/head? Would you recommend anything different for a cruise?

[zackiedawg]

it depends a little bit on your personal preference for the type of head you like, and what size camera/lenses you intend to use on the tripod.

 

I've always been more a fan of pan/tilt heads - they just feel more natural and stable to my style of shooting...some people prefer ball heads. I'd probably consider looking at offerings from Velbon and Slik - they are both solid pods, at reasonable prices. Manfrotto, Benro, etc are all excellent makers, but much of their stuff is higher end and higher priced - if you can find one in the $100 and under range, they'd be good too...but you really don't need to go over $100 to get a very nice, durable tripod that's still decently light and compactible.

 

I can't see any reason to think you'd need anything different on a cruise - my Slik Sprint Pro EZ gets duty as my night shot stable base, my wildlife tracker and long-lens base, and my travel pod...and sometimes gets used as a monopod, with the legs extended but not spread.

[BuckNakedBooda]

Are there tripods that use fluids on the mounts that reduce vibration ?

[bobmacliberty]

it depends a little bit on your personal preference for the type of head you like, and what size camera/lenses you intend to use on the tripod.

 

I've always been more a fan of pan/tilt heads - they just feel more natural and stable to my style of shooting...some people prefer ball heads. I'd probably consider looking at offerings from Velbon and Slik - they are both solid pods, at reasonable prices. Manfrotto, Benro, etc are all excellent makers, but much of their stuff is higher end and higher priced - if you can find one in the $100 and under range, they'd be good too...but you really don't need to go over $100 to get a very nice, durable tripod that's still decently light and compactible.

 

I can't see any reason to think you'd need anything different on a cruise - my Slik Sprint Pro EZ gets duty as my night shot stable base, my wildlife tracker and long-lens base, and my travel pod...and sometimes gets used as a monopod, with the legs extended but not spread.

 

Justin - Thanks for the response. You're one of the few people that I've read who is willing to say that a $100 tripod will meet the need. Many people say that you're wasting your money if you aren't spending more than $1000 on a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod with some exotic ball head that you can put a car on without it moving.

 

I've been looking at the Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod with the 498RC2 ball head. This combo is often recommended on the Photography-on-the.net Canon forums but at about $275, is still more than I wanted to spend. I can save a few bucks by going to the "next model down" legs and ball head from Manfrotto, which should still give me plenty of support for my current gear. I've also read good things about Slik so I'll need to check them out further.

 

Ah photography...never a shortage of things to spend money on, and always something available that's a bit better for a bit more money.

[pierces]

Justin - Thanks for the response. You're one of the few people that I've read who is willing to say that a $100 tripod will meet the need. Many people say that you're wasting your money if you aren't spending more than $1000 on a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod with some exotic ball head that you can put a car on without it moving.

 

I've been looking at the Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod with the 498RC2 ball head. This combo is often recommended on the Photography-on-the.net Canon forums but at about $275, is still more than I wanted to spend. I can save a few bucks by going to the "next model down" legs and ball head from Manfrotto, which should still give me plenty of support for my current gear. I've also read good things about Slik so I'll need to check them out further.

 

Ah photography...never a shortage of things to spend money on, and always something available that's a bit better for a bit more money.

 

 

Take a look at Giottos. I use their ballheads on my monopod (also a Giottos) and my little Velbon Ultra Maxi travel pod. When my 20 year old Velbon pan/tilt pod finally wears out, Iam looking to replace it with a Giottos MT Pro. They have many flavors of legs and both ball and pan/tilt heads. Very reasonable for the quality.

 

http://www.giottos.com

 

Dave

[TheRoff]

 

I've been looking at the Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod with the 498RC2 ball head. This combo is often recommended on the Photography-on-the.net Canon forums but at about $275, is still more than I wanted to spend. I can save a few bucks by going to the "next model down" legs and ball head from Manfrotto, which should still give me plenty of support for my current gear. I've also read good things about Slik so I'll need to check them out further.

 

Ah photography...never a shortage of things to spend money on, and always something available that's a bit better for a bit more money.

 

 

For What Its Worth

I have had this Manfrotto tripod and head for about a year now. I am not particularly happy with the head. The controls are not intuitive and I usually twist the wrong knob for the adjustment I want to make. It really doesn't hold my 5DM2 with Canon's big 100-400 lens as solidly as I would like. It does droop unless you get things real tight. I also think the plate for quick release could be designed better.

 

Larry

[Beckyfaye-2008]

As an alternative to a Tripod for travelling, has anybody tried bean bags. They are light in weight, will drape over a rail or rest on a table, and hold your camera steady.

Here is a link to a site re bean bags in photography, there are many other sites available. :)

 

http://naturephotography.fredhurteau.com/EquipmentNotes2.htm

 

http://www.camerabeanbags.co.uk/products.html

[dodger501]

I take HDR shots and panoramas so have to lug a tripod around.

I also take sunset shots for folks so it's easier to be able to walk around, pose people and shoot with the remote control.

This is my tripod:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/436802-REG/Velbon_SHERPA750R_F_Sherpa_750RF_4_Section_Tripod.html