Have you wondered how travel bloggers and influencers can take the sharpest images with a steady camera? Well, the answer is a tripod. You should use your camera with a tripod if you want pictures like that. But how to put a camera on a tripod safely?
This fundamental aspect of photography is super important to improve your picture-taking technique!
Table of Contents
What is a Tripod?
A tripod is a device used to hold cameras in a steady state. It consists of three tripod legs for balancing and a central column to attach the camera. Because of these three legs, the center of gravity of a tripod is maintained, and it easily balances any camera.
Tripods are majorly used for paranormal shots in architectural photographers. It is a great tool for beginner photographers to give their camera additional stability in close-up shots.
Step by Step Tutorial How to Put a Camera on a Tripod
Common tripod stands include the same mechanism of camera installation, while others include only minor variations. All of them follow the same installation method, which is mentioned below.
Step 1: Find the Trio Size Screw
Before buying a tripod, make sure your camera has the tripod screw that attaches the head with its legs. Most tripods have a quarter-inch size screw, and 3/8 inches has sixteen treads.
Step 2: Install the Tripod Plate
There’s a special tripod plate for the camera that detaches from the center column to join the camera first. After making sure that your camera has the tripod screw, connect the plate to your camera.
One thing to consider is that your tripod mount should complement the size of your camera. Excessively big or small plates will result in ill-fitting, increasing the chances of damaging your camera.
Step 3: Level Your Tripod Body
Adjust the tripod legs by altering their height. You can do so with the help of flip locks present on its legs. Open these locks and lower or elevate the legs with equal height.
One of the most common mistakes that people make is to forget to lock the legs, so the tripod ends up falling suddenly when they place the camera.
Step 4: Level the Column
After adjusting the leg angle and height, it’s time for the column leveling:
- Move the adjustment knob in a counterclockwise direction to loosen it
- Elevate and depress the height of the center column
- When it reaches the required height, move the knob counterclockwise to lock it
Step 5: Balancing the Base
A built-in bubble level on the tripod mount base promotes balance. When this bubble level is centralized, your tripod head is at a 90-degree angle from the base, which is ideal.
You can adjust the angles using the adjustable friction knobs. When you lose these, you can tilt the base at any angle and then twist-lock the knob to fix it in place. A bad angle will result in a non-central bubble level and poor tilt head, and the portrait or landscape won’t be straight.
Step 6: Attachment of the Camera
Once the tripod setting is done, you can attach the camera. Mount the tripod plate to the camera base with the help of a D-ring screw. Secure it tightly.
Slide the mount on the tripod base and lock it in position. Your camera is ready to be used.
How to Mount Your Phone Camera with a Tripod?
As for the camera on the phone, you can also adjust it on a tripod through the adapter. You have to follow all these steps mentioned above, but make some changes as follows:
- Instead of screwing the tripod mount with the camera, tighten it with the phone adapter
- Stretch the adapter to place your phone in it vertically or horizontally
- Now fix the plate on the tripod stand and start shooting
Vertical Camera Setup for the Tripod
Previously, we talked only about the horizontal position of the camera. But if you want to place the camera in a vertical position, all you need to do is follow these steps:
- After mounting your camera on the tripod, loosen your adjustment knob on the collar
- Now tilt the base up to 90-degree tilt until the camera is vertical
- Twist-lock the knobs tightly and see if the camera is stable
- When the camera is stable, you can shoot your favorite portrait poses
It always depends upon knowing the basics. Then anyone could master the expertise.
Types of Tripods
There are multiple types of tripods available in the market. Some include portable, gorilla, and sturdy tripods for professional cameras and photography. The type of tripod you need depends on your camera’s usage and compatibility, though there are certain things to remember:
- The weight ratio of the tripod to the camera should be adequate
- There should be no excess weight on the tripod
- If you use a professional and expensive camera for the photo shoot, choose a sturdy heavy tripod to balance the weight ratio.
One of the best tripods for professional photography is the Colorado tripod which fits all the requirements. But if you are not using a heavy digital camera and need a tripod for phones or GoPro like lightweight cameras, you can get your hands on a bottle cap tripod or simply use a basic portable tripod model.
Common Tripod Mistakes People Often Make
To save yourself from an expensive loss, you should avoid these tripod mistakes:
- Try not to place your tripod on uneven ground and prefer a flat surface. If the ground is not equal, make sure to adjust its legs properly
- Please do not get a lightweight tripod for a heavy camera, or it will fall instantly.
- For panoramic shots, move the tripod head through the knob instead to get the sharpest image. You can also explore some more advanced tripod techniques.
Final Words
We know it’s hard for beginners to use a tripod. That’s why we walked you through a detailed step to step guide of how to put a camera on a tripod.
All you need to do is to place and tighten the screws on the camera without overweighting the stand. Simple as that!
If you liked this guide, check out our article on How to Fix Overexposed Photos in Adobe Lightroom!
