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7 - TRIPODS

Tripods are a frontline weapon in the battle for better video. Broadly speaking, the bigger (or heavier) the camera, the more stable the tripod needs to be.


Tripods are best used for dramatic landscapes or buildings where the action is incidental to the scene. People, animals or vehicles might come in and out of shot, but it’s the iconic Himalayan peaks or the towers of Angkor Wat that you’re after. Combine this with a sunrise or sunset and the opportunity for a time-lapse presents itself, an advanced trick to speed up nature that definitely requires a tripod.

Gorillapods are some of the most compact and reliable tripod devices on the market, for use with a smartphone, tablet or light camera. Retractable monopods are another good option for a more elevated perspective. Bigger tripods can be a burden to carry around, but will help to get the money shot if you’ve already invested in a quality camera.

As real-world action unfolds unpredictably, you may not always have time to set the tripod. Handheld shooting captures the energy of the moment, particularly when lots of things are happening at once. For a presenter-style format with people talking to camera, handheld offers the classic walk-and-talk approach.

Handheld and hangovers don’t go together, as there is a serious chance of visible handshake, but image stabilizers on pro cameras can effectively cancel this out.

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