Ann’s Tripods

Dan’s right (don’t tell him I said that), without my tripod I couldn’t make the types of images I like to make.

When our tripods arrived, I first wondered whether we really needed such large, robust things. It wasn’t long before I realized that, yes, we did. And I’ve been thankful ever since.

I have two tripods.  My primary tripod, the one I’m using in the photograph above, is a Really Right Stuff Versa 3 (long) with a BH 55 ball head.  Here’s the tripod:

And here is the ball head. They are both superbly made and surprisingly light given the size and construction.

Dan has the same tripod combo, with mine on the left and Dan’s on the right, overseeing its little sibling. . 

The advantage of having such a robust tripod is I rarely have to worry about camera shake while making an image, however long the exposure and however high the tripod is extended.

My second tripod is a Peak Designs Travel tripod.  While not nearly as stable (nor can it extend nearly as high) the “travel” name should give its biggest advantage away, it’s quite the portable thing.

At only 2.8 pounds, it doesn’t put much of a dent in your baggage weight. And it’s compact enough to fit into carry-on luggage if needed. And it fits well in the hand.

But given the option, I’ll stick with the RRS in good weather and bad.