How to Use a Tripod

You’re out exploring and find a beautiful scene to photograph. Great! But hold off on unfolding your tripod. Instead, set it aside for a moment and look through your camera by hand to determine the height you want to shoot from. This prevents having to reposition your tripod multiple times and repeatedly adjust the leg sections. It saves time.

Now grab your tripod. Most of a tripod’s stability comes from its legs. For maximum stability, spread the three legs as far apart as possible and adjust them properly. The less you extend the legs, the sturdier the tripod will be. The thickest leg sections are always the strongest—so if you don’t need a lot of height, keep this in mind.

While extending or retracting the tripod legs, pay close attention to the leg locks. Depending on the tripod, these may be flip locks or twist locks. Both have things to watch out for. With flip locks, be careful not to pinch your fingers when closing them. With twist locks, make sure they are tightened properly—if not, the legs may collapse and the tripod could fall over. Tighten them firmly, but not excessively, or you may struggle to open them later.

Many tripods have a so-called center column. This vertical piece above the legs acts as an extension to reach extra height. Be aware that the higher you extend your tripod, the less stable your camera becomes—especially with heavier camera bodies and lenses. To compensate, you can use the hook under the center column to hang a heavy counterweight, such as a bag, to regain some stability.

Once your tripod is set to the right height, it’s time to position it in the correct direction. A useful tip is to point one of the legs toward your subject. This way, your lens points in the same direction, making the tripod less likely to tip over. An added bonus: you won’t trip over the legs, since you can stand between the other two. Also consider weather conditions—if it’s windy, it’s better to position two legs facing into the wind, regardless of where your lens is pointing, to increase stability.

Now that your tripod is ready, you can attach your camera. Using a large telephoto lens? In that case, it’s often better to mount the lens—not the camera—onto the tripod. This distributes weight more evenly and increases stability. Most of these lenses come with a tripod collar. If yours doesn’t, you can purchase one separately. When attaching your camera or lens to the tripod, also check whether you should turn off the built-in image stabilization. Older stabilization systems often don’t work well when used with a tripod.

With everything set up, the final step is to ensure that the center column of your tripod is perfectly vertical. This helps distribute the camera’s weight evenly across the legs, giving the tripod maximum stability. A handy trick is to check this using a spirit level. Many tripods have one built in, but if yours doesn’t, you can easily buy one for a small price.