The World Through A Viewfinder: Tech Tuesdays

Upon reflection from the last Tech Tuesday, I discovered I may be getting a little ahead of myself.

Since this blog is supposed to be tailored towards newcomers, I realized the last thing on a beginner’s mind is, “what non-essential products should I get?” So for today’s Tech Tuesday, we’ll be looking at an item that is an absolute necessity for any individual pursuing a hobby/career in film—the tripod.

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The tripod is the foundation for still, steady shots. More so than the Steadicam, the tripod is much more versatile in the function it serves. A typical $40 video tripod from BestBuy can do the trick for still shots, but when the camera has to track movement, a higher quality tripod is needed.

So what tripod should you get?

The most important thing when looking for a tripod is knowing the difference between a tripod for photo and a tripod for video—that being the head they use.

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Typically, photo tripod heads consist of a ball-joint with a camera mount on top. This allows a photographer to drop his tripod on any uneven surface, adjust his camera on the ball joint to what they need, snap a picture, and move onto the next shot.

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Video tripod heads are slightly more complex. All video heads will have a long operating arm, removable mounting plate, and a pan and tilt feature with knobs that adjust the amount of resistance. Resistance is important because it helps dampen the movements from the operator and keeps the camera smooth. Resistance can be achieved in a couple ways but each method will heavily influence the price.

Very cheap heads will use friction as the method for resistance. The reason this doesn’t work well is because the movement is inconsistent—the camera will jerk when applying and releasing force.

A step up from friction-based heads is a fluid effect head. These are essentially still friction heads but with an added lubricant to reduce the jerking effect. They work better than their cheaper counterparts but they still aren’t professional quality.

The most professional quality is only possible with a true fluid head. Like the name suggests, these heads contain internal tanks of fluid that allow for the smoothest movement possible. If professional quality is what you are after, the true fluid head should be at the top of the list.

Another feature to consider is a counterbalance system. When setting up your tripod for a shot, it’s important to be able to leave the camera unattended and come back to it without the head shifting. It tends to feature on expensive tripod heads only but it’s worth the investment just in how much it saves time.

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Once you have a head picked out, you’ll want to pair it with a good set of legs. As a general rule, the thicker, lighter, and sturdier the legs, the better. I prefer legs with clamp locks but I'll leave that up to you.

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One final key feature to look for in tripod legs is a bowl socket. The bowl socket works the same way as the ball joint on a photo head. It allows for quick and easy setup without having to perfectly level the tripod legs. When shooting outdoors, having a tripod with this feature will save you a lot of time and headaches.

Unfortunately, I can’t suggest anything under $100 and say, “this should work,” with a clear conscience. The tripod is such an important piece of equipment in any filmmaker’s collection so being frugal on one is ill-advised.

Here are three suggestions ranging from beginner to professional quality.

Beginner: Magnus VT-4000