Ever hand your camera to someone and have them make mention of the weight? Grab a DSLR and place a 70 – 200mm f2.8 lens on the body. It’s a combination with some substance. Do you take pause or perhaps get a little picky about who’s hands your digital baby gets placed in? I’m certainly selective about who handles my camera. I’d never think of placing it in the hands of someone to weak to hold it. How about you?
What would you say if I told you, you might be doing that almost daily? Imagine placing your camera and lens combination, in the hands of someone who can barely hold it. Now walk away. See yourself standing there, waiting for the point of fatigue, when it all comes tumbling down. See it hitting the floor and the lens mounts on both the camera body and lens, being ripped off. I know, it’s a horrible thought. This week that happened a friend of mine. Both the camera and the lens were seriously damaged. However, it was not at the hands of a child, elderly woman or any other mammal that this calamity occurred.
Who did it? Her tripod head. One of the joints in the head let go. The head flopped over. The footplate popped out of the head and the camera body and lens hit the floor. The mounts on both the body and the lens were seriously damaged.
Placing your camera on a tripod is a little akin to leaving your child with a babysitter. You want to make sure that they are equipped for the task. When it comes time to buy a tripod and tripod head you need to do the same. Make sure your tripod system is equipped for the task. Each camera and lens combination is different and you need to know your gear. So what do you look for. Well, there are lots of considerations when buying a tripod system. We’re only going to deal with keeping your gear safe.
First things first. A tripod system consists of two parts. The tripod and the head. Both need to be appropriately sized for your needs. Other factors (which I am purposefully avoiding) like head type and construction materials also play an important role in your choice.
What I want to focus on is the area circled in red below. Capacity, or weight rating. What will this combination of tripod and head support? This is key information. You need to pay close attention and buy the one for your needs.
All too often the price tag is the main criteria for a search. We do this to “save” money. When you are sending your out of warranty camera off to have the mount repaired, we’ll see how you feel about your savings. Ouch!
So, along with your other criteria, price, head type, weight, etc. make sure you pay attention to the capacity rating for both the head and the tripod. Think through your lens and body combinations and figure out your heaviest setup. What about that big telephoto on your wish list? Will that work with the system you’re putting together? Show up prepared to shop with your homework done. Know the actual weights of your heaviest gear combination and buy with a little buffer.
For those of you who are saying, “Who cares. I’ve been using this setup for years with no problems.” Things wear out. Metal fatigue, wear and tear and Murphy’s law are at work against you. Take a moment, and look over the specs for your tripod system and camera/lens combinations. It’s a very little effort and small price to pay to ensure the safety and long service life of your digital baby. Choose the right babysitter.
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