Nothing to be confused about. Buy the sturdiest tripod you will carry and use when you need it. A great (expensive) tripod that sits at home or in the trunk of the car is worthless. I've had great results with the five year old lightweight Velbon 343E Maxi which they don't make anymore. But because I used it properly, I never had a problem with camera shake:http://www.bermangraphics.com/coolpix/velbon.htmLook for something in a similar size and weight..

How to use a light weight tripod. Extend the center column about six inches and hold it firmly with a downward motion with your left hand and operate the camera with your right hand. Never leave a light weight tripod (with camera attached) unattended..

Larry Bermanhttp://BermanGraphics.com..

Camera N00b wrote:.

Hi,.

After using Panasonic FZ8 for couple of days I have realized my handsshake too much and this causes the image to be blurred. This is moreapparent if I use zoom or long exposures. I am considering buyingdevice to help me steadying the camera..

Or that or use higher stutter speeds..

I am guessing tripods are the best. But the problem is they areheavy, are cumbersome and decent quality ones are fairly pricey. AreSlik and Velbon tripods any good? I mean surely they must be betterthan generic tripods sold on ebay..

I've got a 30 year old velbon, my dad's old spare tripod..

Had a look at a photo store. A simple tripod weighs about a pound. And that will be good enough for a light camera such as that panny..

Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/..

One of the problems I've found with digi compacts is the LCD screen or lack of viewfinder causes people to hold the camera at arms length to frame and take photos..

So worth having a look at your technique and using some old school tricks for getting the best stability:.

Hold the camera with two hands whenever possible.

If you're using a camera with a viewfinder, use it - the act of pressing the camera to your face should automatically give you a more stable platform..

When using the camera tuck your arms in as close to your body as possible..

Breath in and hold your breath as you release the shutter, squeeze the shutter slowly and smoothly rather than stabbing at it - similar to rifle shooting!.

If you prefer using the LCD to compose and take pics, remember to keep your arms tucked in and hold the camera as close in to your body as possible - the more outstretched your arms, the more shake..

If you can, brace yourself and the camera against something - a wall, post, car roof etc..

As stated earlier, check your shutter speed - you'll want it to be as high as possible to freeze action and get rid of camera shake. Really steady people claim to be able to get hand held shots at around 1/15s (using all the tips above), but I find anything under 1/60s for me and I have to think about bracing or some other support..

Support wise - monopods or tripods are an option. Advice above good about checking the weight and portability. Might be worth looking at lightweight mini or table top tripods, or the "gorilla pod" options (basically a weird looking spider thing which can be wrapped round posts or put on uneven ground).

Hope some of this helps..

Cheers - BT..

Hi,.

I didn't want to buy a tripod because I thought it would too much of a hassle. Due to numerous recommendations from this forum and other professional photographers like Scott Kelby I have bought a tripod. For the time being I have bought Slik one. If I find it usefull I will most likely upgrade to Manfrotto..

I was thinking in many situations Tripod is not feasible. For example, I am going to caves this weekend I can't use tripod there. For these occasions should I buy Ultrapod or a Monopod?.

Thanks for help!..

Tripods & monopods are usually one-time buys, buy good ones and they will continue to meet the needs for a long time, without the need for upgrades. Get established with a tripod first, then consider if you need a monopod. In many situations a tripod will serve well as a monopod when the legs are not extended..

The key is to determine your shooting conditions, and what you need for stable shots to produce the desired results..

FWIW, I use a mix of Slik, Manfroto and Gitzo for monopods and tripods..

Best regards,Doughttp://pbase.com/dougj.

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