"How's the image quality on the TriPod 5?" That's a question you would perhaps be hearing these days if certain decisions had been made differently years ago over in Apple HQ. When the Cupertino-based company was brainstorming names for the smartphone that would eventually be called the "iPhone," one of the names that was being considered was "TriPod."
Astronaut photographers on the International Space Station have been beaming quite a few photographs of Earth as of late, but have you ever wondered how they manage capture relatively sharp photographs of Earth's cities at night?
The speed at which the ISS hurtles around our planet is indeed a major challenge for low-light photography, and astronauts in the past have tried to overcome it by using high-speed film or by doing some manual tracking (which is very hit-and-miss). Luckily, space shooters nowadays have a new special tool up their sleeve: the NightPod.
Last week, we wrote on how you can use LEGO pieces to keep your lens caps on your camera strap when they're not protecting your lenses. A reader named Fearn quickly pointed us to a similar tip published over at Sugru at the end of last year. Instead of using camera straps, however, they suggest tripods as a sturdy way of keeping track of the caps.
We don't feature a lot of tripods on PetaPixel because, frankly, once you've seen one you've just about seen them all. That's not to say that tripods don't vary hugely in both build quality and functionality, just that it doesn't really make headlines when Manfrotto comes out with their newest model.
Giotto's newest creation, however, has made headlines. Not because it's made out of any new super-strength material. Not even because it sports some crazy design that makes it much sturdier or steadier. No, the Silk Road YTL tripod has gotten attention because of one small design alteration that makes it 30% smaller when it's broken down.
GorillaPod maker Joby announced a new product today designed for people who regularly use their smartphones for photography or videography. Called the GripTight, it's a universal tripod mount that'll work with most popular smartphones. It's basically a compact spring-loaded clamp with a tripod mount built into the bottom. Stretch the rubbery clamp over your phone, and it'll grip it tightly in place.
Forget DIY camera mods for keeping your sensor cool: Nikon has a much fancier solution. A recently published patent by the company (No. 2012-198447) shows a camera attachment that's specifically designed to prevent sensors from overheating. It attaches to the bottom of the camera and blows cool air into the body through the tripod mount underneath. If computers have dedicated cooling fans, why can't compact cameras?
Joby sent out a press release today warning consumers that there are counterfeit versions of its popular GorillaPod flexible tripod floating around in the wild. While that isn't too newsworthy in itself -- what gear isn't being counterfeited these days? -- it's the juicy details surrounding the release that are quite interesting. Apparently the company directly confronted companies involved in making imitations during Photokina 2012 in Cologne, Germany last month.
If you find yourself regularly shooting in the rain and in need of a better way to keep yourself …
Rumors of a soon-to-arrive iPad Mini are heating up, but one photo gear company has beaten Apple to the "mini" game: Custom SLR announced its new M-Plate Mini today. It's the smaller sibling of the company's M-Plate Pro, which takes up more space because it includes a couple of extra connection points for attaching accessories (e.g. the company's strap and hand-grap strap mount).
Vanguard announced a fancy new professional tripod at Photokina last week, and today we're giving you the opportunity to win one of the first ones as photographers are just getting their hands on them. The Vanguard ABEO Plus 323CB is an uber-durable carbon fiber tripod that comes with a BBH-200 pro ball head. It features a fast-adjustment central column, tension adjustable leg locks, 3-in-1 feet (rubber, spikes, and snow/sand shoes) for stability on any surface, an anti-shock ring, and accessory hook, and a max weight of 26.4 pounds. It's retail value? $600.
For those of you who need to snap eye-level photographs of giraffes: Taiwanese gear manufacturer …
Being a good photographer, you have a tripod. Maybe two tripods. Maybe even a big, heavy duty one for your big lenses, a standard one for everyday use, and one of those small, cool ones that folds up like a roadmap and you can carry it in your back pocket.
Tripods are great, even necessary for a lot of photographic situations, but one thing they are not is pocket-sized. Amateur photographers especially will often find themselves within reach of their camera, but too far from their tripods; and if you're just a photography enthusiast who likes to snap photos just about everywhere you go, forget carting around a tripod. That's the dilema Matthew Baty found himself in, and so he developed the Statc, an ultra-portable magnetic tripod head that you can stick to just about any metal surface.
Here’s a unique invention that could make many a photog’s life easier — especially if they’re shooting tethered. The …
Want to attach your smartphone to your tripod without buying a special mount? Two large binder clips can do …
Last year MIT grad Justin Jensen raised nearly half a million bucks through Kickstarter to launch CineSkates, a camera slider system that adds wheels to GorillaPod Focus tripods. Now Jensen and his startup Cinetics are back again with a new product called CineSquid, which provides a strong suction cup mount system rather than wheels. This allows cameras to be mounted onto things like cars, boats, and even airplanes.
If you have an old mount for attaching a GPS or cell phone to your windshield, you can upcycle …
Heavier tripods are generally more stable than lighter ones — wind doesn’t affect them as much — but hauling …
The T-Bike is a concept bicycle by designer Reza Rachmat Sumirat that's inspired by the camera tripod. In addition to having three sliding bars that can help riders easily adjust the bike to their desired size, the bike also doubles as a tripod for active outdoor photographers. The handlebars provide a tripod mount, and the kickstand on the front wheel helps stabilize the shot.
The Always-On Wrap-Up is a nifty camera case that attaches to your camera …
Love music just as much as you love photography? Want an extra music stand? You can make a makeshift …
Kurtis Hough of Portland, Oregon made this informative step-by-step video on how you …
There are a number of products out there that connect your strap to your DSLR via the tripod mount, allowing it to swivel, but taking up the mount is an inconvenience for photographers who actually use it regularly with their tripod. San Francisco-based Custom SLR (makers of the C-Loop) has come up with a solution that offers the best of both worlds: the M-Plate.
There's plenty of mini-tripods out on the market, but Joby's new GorillaPod Micro tripods are special in that they're designed to stay attached to your camera at all times. The legs fold up neatly when not in use, allowing you to stick your camera into your pocket or a case without having to remove the tripod. It features zinc alloy legs, rubber feet, and a head that offers 36-degrees of tilt-motion.
If you ever find yourself needing some quick stabilization when recording video with your DSLR, but don’t have a …
Gomite's new Tiltpod is a simple "tripod" designed for people who do a lot of traveling with a compact camera. Stored on the end of your hand strap, it attaches quickly to your camera's tripod mount to help you frame and stabilize your shots when there's no one around to help you take it. The underside is made of a "grippy" magnetic material that helps it stay still on most surfaces, and the angle of the base can be adjusted after the camera is attached.
Multi-tools are pretty convenient when you’re wandering around the great outdoors, but they’ve never really been a friend specifically …
Most modern tripods are made of materials that are designed to be light-weight yet stable. If having the lightest of tripods isn't a requirement for you, then check out these hand-made wooden tripods from the German company Berlebach. Though they can weigh in at 6+ pounds, the solid ash wood legs are supposedly better at dampening vibration than steel, carbon, or aluminum. Plus, they look pretty snazzy.
Perpignan, France is known in the photography world for the international photojournalism festival …
Here’s a quick tip by Vimeo user Braxton McCarthy: use rubber bands when …