Bridge Cameras

glenw can you buy any tripod for any camera or will i have to buy a fuji tripod for my camera.

woo i bet your heads done in now with all these cameras we have showed you, I,m like glen have now got 2 cameras my sony cyber-shot for very day use just throw it in my bag and my fuji for special shots, cant wait to see what you decide to get

 

hi woo, just recieved a booklet from argos they have quite a good discount on some of their cameras, worth checking them out

 

Hi Rosa, tripods have a standard thread so should fit any camera,

this is an alternative
(You may have to scroll up a little for the compact camera version)

Beware of getting the cheapest tripod you can find, they often are not steady enough for the job.
Another alternative, especially for low level shots of things on or near the ground is a small bean bag, a bean bag is also handy for taking shots through an open car window, resting on a car roof or fence, Mrs DM made me one from a cheap bean bag cushion, choose your material for something less likely to be pierced by twigs or stones, but still pliable enough to adapt to the shape of the camera and whatever you rest it on.

Cheers MIKE

 

Hi, Rosa! Cameras these days use a standard size tripod thread (Quarter-inch Whitworth, if you want technical!). The tripod has a "head" mounted on top and the camera is fitted on to this. It usually has a ball-and-socket joint so the camera's position can be adjusted. The head has the same standard thread to screw into the "tripod bush" in the camera body.

Some tripods are sold with the head, with others you have to buy it separately. But they all use the same size screw thread. My birdwatching telescope does, too - so I didn't have to buy a special new tripod for it. Phew!

Just read Mike's post! (He was writing at the same time as me!) I agree - I use a bean bag - and also a monopod which is lighter and easier to carry than a tripod, and you can lean it against a fence or something for those times when there's nothing tall enough to use a bean bag...

 

thanks dorsetmike and hyla arborea, I must get one as this fuji is terrible iff i dont get shots still get camera shake, i even get it with my little sony at times.
The bean bag idea is great thanks so much for advice.
taking the whitley bay lighthouse was fun and games i rested the fuji on a wall to get perfect shots.

 

Hi Rosa, if/when you next upgrade the camera there are now some which incorporate an anti shake mechanism. Minolta had it on some of their models before being taken over by Sony, so Sony now have it. Some others are also using it now, particularly on bridge cameras and DSLRs, although Canon and Nikon DSLRs have it built into the lens, so you have to pay for it in each lens, not just the one off in the camera body.
Cheers MIKE

 

hi dorsetmike, havnt had this fuji very long it is the S9600 finepix i was wondering iff i have it on the right settings at times, As normally i get fab photos and just the odd time it seems to play up with absoulute terrible photos, its just getting it right for certain conditions of weather.
went out this morning with my sony cyber-shot and can i get a nice picture of my flowers tried 5 times and each time i uploaded them onto my pc the pics are distorted fussy. gave up in the end.

 

thanks guys for replying to rosa, was halfway through a reply this am when my computer crashed!!

only other thing i'd add, when looking for a tripod, make sure you get 1 with a three way head, rather than 2 way. otherwise you'll not be able to use it to take photo's sideways on( not sure if its called the same in a photo but its portrait on printer settings!)

 

thanks glenw, do hope your pc is ok now its most annoying when that happens

 

Hi, Glen - glad you're back! You're right about the head - a decent ball-and-socket head should have a slot down one side so you can tip the camera on its side. Personally, I'd also avoid one of those with a long handle often sold for video cameras. I just find they get in the way, but maybe I'm just clumsy!!!

Have to admit my favourite is my Manfrotto 3-D head, where there are three adjusters so you can change just one plane without upsetting the others. I set it level with a tiny spirit level (off a Lancaster bomb sight!) then I can pan the head round with the camera firmly held - great for "stitching" panoramic shots!

 

Hi, I like this head, but it's not cheap now about �£60 - �£70, I bought it long before I retired. You grip the lever at the front and you can then tilt any way you want, side to side or forward and back. It has a spirit bubble built in too.



A tripod with a centre column should let you do this;



You can also hang some sort of weight to the bottom of the column to improve stability (when the camera is in its normal position!!)

Cheers MIKE

 

mike were do you get these tripods from and what do i ask for

 

Hi Rosa, scroll down to the VT808, �£27.99 that is the same model as mine, except mine is branded Anbrico and comes with a carry case. Don't be frightened by the prices of some of the bigger ones they are for pro video work.
Warehouse Express is as good a place as any if you want to buy on line

You may find similar in Jessops or other local camera shop, Jessops do tend to price their stuff a bit high now. I recently bought a lens from one of their own on line subsidiaries for �£56, the local branch had the same thing for �£199, go figure!!

That tripod has a "quick release plate" so you don't have to keep screwing the camera on and off, just pull a small lever and lift the camera off.
You can probably get tripods from about �£15 upwards but they may not stand up to frequent use.

Cheers MIKE