This is my little tripod, a Cullmann 52355. Difficult to find these days, but I picked it up in a supermarket in Muenchen at a reasonable hundred pounds. (Three hundred Deuchemarks then.)
Amazingly, I used it just as it was for the best part of six or seven years before I found out that it could do neat tricks.
These tricks are things that you might need to watch out for when buying a tripod, as they can cost a fair bit of money and you want them to last a fair while and be as flexible as possible.
The first trick is independent legs which, when coupled with an unscrewable shaft and outer cover, can get down low ...
Independent legs, however, are also used as significant tools for jamming the tripod in awkward places. Many people doing shots in their cars, for example, use the independent legs to secure the tripod very neatly in the passenger seat. A bit tricky to do at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's a really cool trick.
The second trick is getting down lower still. I discovered this ability at the start of 2007. With care, the centre section can be removed and reinserted from below. This gets the camera real close down to the ground, all be it upside down.
So, if you're considering a tripod, think of these little extra things that can really enable you to get your camera in places you never thought possible. Many people just look at the head and concentrate on that; but you need to look at the tripod as a whole. The construction material is also important, as to whether it will either rust with the weather, or collapse under the strain of height and weight. Also, if you've got to carry it across country, will it break your back?
All said and done, though, the head does need attention. Does it need a screwdriver to get the mounting plate on and off the camera, or does it have a tab which enables you to do it with your fingers. Can you release the mounting plate quickly, and when it is on, can it be secured in place? Does the head move smoothly across the various axis and also allow you to hold the positions steady?
Spend as much time on chosing your tripod as you do on your lenses. It will turn out to be an important part of your shooting when you need it.
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