Tripods are one of the very basic necessities for every photographer, star gazer or nature observer. It is the basic necessity for optical equipment. For a newcomer in the field, almost all tripods look the same, but a small change in design creates a big difference in usability.

Tripods are used mainly for 2 reasons.

1. Tripods improve balance and steadiness when using high magnification instruments. For example if you are using a camera tripod, your chances of clicking a composed, well thought of photo increase manifold due to a good tripod.
2. Tripods support the weight of large, heavy instruments.

Which tripod is right for you? Here are some basics to help you decide.

You get what you pay for, is the basic rule for buying a good tripod. A good tripod will not cost you a fortune but it will not be cheap as well. With so many great options available at Optiks Planet to choose from, it's a buyer's needs and choice. We have superior quality tripods at an affordable price and for offering a very broad range of styles, technical solutions, sizes and materials. If you use your equipment frequently you'll appreciate the extra edge of durability and value we offer. Whether you're a hobbyist, a professional, a seasoned traveler or an extreme adventure-seeker, you'll find a model that suits you.

Parts of Tripods

Tripods have two basic parts - a tripod head, which holds your optical product and a tripod leg set.

In most less expensive tripods, tripod heads and tripod legs set are sold together as a unit - no need to buy them individually. Most tripods in this price range do not allow you to remove and switch heads anyway. More expensive tripods, however, offer interchangeable legs and heads, so you may need to buy both pieces to make a complete tripod.

When choosing your tripod, the first thing you'll need to consider, is the size and weight of your equipment: your new tripod must be capable of supporting it. Look at the tripod's stated load capacity to check this, and if you can, test your optical equipment on the tripod you think you need before purchasing to ensure it feels right. Although the lightness of a tripod itself is not related to how much weight it can carry (since this has more to do with the construction methods and materials used), some photographers – especially those who are studio bound prefer heavier tripods because their weight makes them inherently more solidly stuck to the ground. But if you travel or enjoy shooting nature photography, lightness and transportability may be critical factors in your choice.

Table Top/Shooter's Tripods

A table top tripod is designed to be used on a table or a shooting bench and will typically be between 8" and 18" in height, depending on the model. Table top tripods in this category generally do not have telescoping legs - what little range of adjustment they have is through an extendable center column, though many tabletop models lack even this. A shooter's tripod is basically a short table top tripod with a knob(s) for fine adjustments in evaluation and, sometimes, also horizontal. Due to their lighter weight and rather narrow width of leg span, table-top tripods are a good choice where space is limited, but for the same reasons, table top tripods are not good choices for heavy, large instruments.

Compact Tripods

A compact tripod tends to be a bit too large to use conveniently on a table, but will be comfortable to use when sitting in a chair. Compact tripods are the favorites of backpackers and mountain hunters who are willing to sacrifice height for portability. Compact tripods are ideal for spotting scopes of 70mm or smaller and for any digital point camera, but are not good choices when you need to stabilize 80mm and larger spotting scopes or SLR cameras with telephoto lenses.

Full-Size Tripods

A full size tripod allows a user of average height to use a spotting scope, binocular or camera while standing. Full size, however, does not automatically mean heavy duty. As always, you should match tripod weight and strength with the size and weight of the spotting scope, binocular or camera. Keep in mind, there is no such thing as a tripod that is both "cheap" and "stable". The larger the load on a tripod, the more you should expect to pay to do the job, properly.

The average full size tripod with head attached, extends from about 26" to 57" with legs fully extended, center column down, and up to 72" with the center column at its highest.

Tripod Head

The head you get for your tripod is just as important as the legs.

When focusing on a tripod head, you need to consider

1. What type of motion it provides
2. The weight it will support. Other features are optional.

As far as how they move, tripod heads fall into three general categories - two way tripod heads, three way tripod heads, and tripod ball heads. The one you choose is mostly a matter of your application and optical instrument, but there is a great deal of overlap. For instance, you can use a spotting scope on any type of head and you can also use a camera on any type of head. Why? Because all tripods heads (that we sell), all cameras (that we sell) and all spotting scopes and all binocular tripod adapters use the same 1/4x20 thread to attach to the tripod head. It's universal, so you do not need to match a brand of tripod with a brand of spotting scope, camera and so on.

Two Way Tripod Heads

A two way tripod head is the most basic tripod head and is sometimes called a video head or camcorder head. A two-way head, as the name suggests, allows you to move the head in two directions - vertically (up-down) and horizontally (right-left) motion. This is all you need with a spotting scope, video camera, giant binocular and many types of camera applications. Two-way heads are usually the simplest and most stable.

Three Way Tripod Heads

A three-way tripod head adds an extra motion to the basic two-way head. In addition to up-down and right-left, three-way heads allow you to flip a camera on its side. This allows a photographer to change from a horizontal frame pic to a vertical frame pic. This same feature can also be used by a photographer to take pictures of objects below the tripod. Thus, a three-way head is mostly of interest to a photographer, but, again, you can use this tripod head with any kind of optical instrument, including spotting scopes and binoculars. You do not have to use the three way feature if you don't need it.

Tripod Ball Heads

A ball head tripod is a head on top of a ball. This allows you to move the head in any direction with one motion. For instance, to target an object both up and off to the side with a two way or three way head, you must move the head up in one motion and then over in another, separate motion. With a ball-head, you can accomplish this with one motion. Ball-heads come in several varieties - some lock with conventional levers, some lock with a trigger. Keep in mind, however, that all but the largest (and most expensive) ball-head tripods are not as stable and cannot support as much weight as a good two way head. Ball heads also sit higher on the leg set than two way and three way heads. This can create balance problems with heavy loads. In a tripod, stability should always come, first.

Sections of Tripod

Most tripod legs telescope in and out to accommodate various heights, but there is a limit to the range of heights a single tripod leg set can handle. For instance, there is no such thing as a tripod that can be fold down to the size of a compact tripod, then extend out to the height of a full size tripod. The problem is the number of leg sections required - the more sections used, the less stable the tripod. In theory, you could make a standing height tripod with 6 leg sections that would collapse to 12" or so, but such a tripod would be very unstable at full height and that defeats the very reason for using a tripod. Most full sizetripods, therefore, limit the number of leg sections to three or, at most, four. That's enough to cover all uses from sitting to standing. In general, you can divide tripods into four categories, based on their range of extension and/or use.

Materials

The traditional tripod leg material is aluminum and it is always a solid choice. To shave weight, carbon fiber legs are also used. The carbon fiber leg is also less prone to vibrations and shakes and is a great choice for high magnification photography and spotting scopes. Carbon fiber, however, compared to aluminum, is very expensive and the weight savings will generally one pound or less than the same model offered in aluminum.

Locks

Tripod legs are extended and then locked into position with various mechanisms. The slowest, but most durable locks are a simple wing nut or a twist collar that must be tightened for each tripod leg section. For some applications, such as birding or hunting, where you may need to get setup quickly, this may be a bit slow. Lever locks are much quicker. Simply flip a lever and the leg section is fully locked - no tightening needed. If good quality, lever locks are quite durable. Lever locks on cheap tripods, however, are notoriously prone to failure - usually the first thing to go.

Braces

These are arms that connect the lower portion of some tripod legs. The idea is to add support and rigidity. Leg braces are suitable for locations with a smooth, level surface, such as a photography studio or a living room, lawn and so on, but tripods with leg braces are not suited for use around rocks, bushes, and other objects. The braces will jam against large objects beneath the tripod and may even prevent you from using your tripod. Not a feature you want or need out in the field.

Thread Size

1/4x20 thread size is standard on all cameras, up through SLR size, all spotting scopes and all binoculars and binocular tripod adapters. Unless otherwise specified, this is the size of the mounting stud on all of our tripods. In other words, any tripod will thread to any spotting scope, camera up through SLR (cameras with removable lenses) and binoculars. The only exception to this 1/4x20 standard is the larger 3/8x16 thread size used to support some larger format cameras and video/camcorder units, survey equipment and so on.

Quick-Release Plate (QR)

This is a plate that goes between the tripod head and your camera, spotting scope or any other optical instrument. A QR plate eliminated the need to thread and un-thread your optic from the tripod head every time you use the tripod. You simply thread the QR plate onto your spotting scope or camera and leave it there. When it's time to put your spotting scope or camera on thetripod, you just slip the QR plate into the head, simply and quickly. Note that QR plates are specific not only to brands, but also to specific models within a brand. They are not universal in size.

Bubble Level

This is a feature mainly of interest to a photographer to insure that a subject is properly framed and leveled in the camera, but is not always used, even for photography. It has no essential application for spotting scopes or binoculars.

Center Columns

Nearly all full size and compact tripods offer an extendable center column to get more height, but height achieved via the center column is never as stable as height achieved with the legs. Use only as needed. Center columns can be elevated via a geared system or pulled up, manually. Geared center columns allow micro fine elevation adjustments and are preferred by some photographers, but are not needed for most field applications and add unnecessary weight. A simple pull-up design with a sturdy lock is the best choice for field work.

Leg Warmers

Many of the better tripods have a layer of foam on the top section of the legs. This cushions the leg when the tripod is carried over your shoulder, as is often the case with spotting scopes and cameras, out in the field and, yes, it keeps a metal leg from touching you in cold weather. Nice feature.

Tripod Feet

Spiked feet are the traditional type of foot used out in the field for the sake of traction, but not something you want to use in a studio or living room. For these applications, a rubber foot is a much better choice. Many tripods therefore offer a retractable spiked foot, which can be threaded back into the leg. That way you get both a spike and a rubber foot.