As image stabilisation continues to improve, we sometimes hear “the tripod is dead” at shows, or even in the odd media article. At Vanguard we believe that the death of the tripod is greatly exaggerated.
Whether you’re a beginner photographer, a content creator, or someone who simply wants sharper photos, a tripod is one of the most practical photography investments you can make. While cameras and lenses often get all the attention, a tripod quietly solves a surprising number of problems.
So while we agree that a tripod may not be the first accessory that you add to your kit, in this article we share our top five reasons to include a tripod in your kit:
1. Sharper Photos Every Time
Camera shake is one of the easiest ways to ruin a great shot. Even a slight movement can create blur, especially in low light or using zoom lenses. A tripod stabilizes your camera completely, helping you capture crisp, sharp images with far more consistency.
This is especially useful for styles like:
- Food photography
- Landscape photography
- Long lens photography
- Product photography
Loch Awe by Vinny Keenan Photography
2. Better Low Light Performance
Shooting in darker environments usually requires slower shutter speeds. Handholding a camera at slow speeds often leads to blurry images, but a tripod eliminates that issue by keeping your setup still.
This is especially useful for styles like:
- Astro photography
- Light trails
- Long exposure photography
- Sunset and sunrise scenes
Instead of increasing ISO and introducing noise, you can keep image quality high while allowing more light into the camera.
Cala Figuera Lighthouse, by Davidmaimo.net
3. Perfect for Video and Content Creation
Video is no longer the domain of professionals. With the growth of social media, and innovations by camera and smartphone brands, video now covers everything from Hollywood blockbusters to a 30 second social media reel. Shaky footage can make even the highest quality video look amateur. A tripod gives your videos a stable, professional appearance, whether you’re filming tutorials, interviews, livestreams, or social media content.
This is especially useful for styles like:
- Commercial videos
- Timelapse photography
- YouTube and social media content
- Video calls and webinars
Many modern tripods also include smartphone mounts, making them useful even if you don’t own a dedicated camera.
4. More control over your composition
Many photographers now will have limited experience of the film camera with a reel of just 24 or 36 shots, which then need processing. With that came the need to plan every shot to avoid wasting money and, more importantly, miss capturing the shot you wanted.
The advent of the digital camera and improved memory allowed a photographer to shoot a nearly limitless number of photographs, and software allowed us to skim through them on our computer or smartphone. With this freedom, the importance of planning your composition can be overlooked or take a back seat when planning your shoot. This can lead to chance taking a greater role in your photographs.
A tripod gives you time to consider and adjust your composition, and try out different settings to get the best result.
This is especially useful for styles like:
- Architectural photography
- Film photography
- Food photography
- Landscape photography
- Macro photography
- Product photography
heart of Iceland's Westfjords by Stan - Time-lapse & Photographie
5. Learning new skills and creative solutions
A tripod allows you to repeat shots while changing the settings on your camera so you can see the impact of changing the aperture or ISO on the same image. Whether you’re new to photography, or learning the capabilities of a new lens.
It also opens up creative techniques that are nearly impossible to do handheld. Whether that’s stacking a macro photo, creating a time lapse sequence, or stitching together a panorama. Once your camera is locked in place, you can experiment with settings and compositions more freely.
This is especially useful for styles like:
- Long exposure photography
- HDR or stacking photography
- Panorama stitching
- Self/group portraits using timers/remote shutters
- Timelapse photography
Timelapse by by Stan - Time-lapse & Photographie
Downsides of a tripod
While there are a lot of reasons to add a tripod to your kit, it’s not right for everyone.
It’s something else to carry and it adds time to set up. If your photoshoot is covering long distances and you need to be reactive to fleeting shots, you would probably leave it behind. That said, if a tripod would be helpful along the trip, then you may consider a lightweight and compact travel tripod like the VEO 3GO Series rather than a large full
Sized tripod.
Historically there has been a challenge switching between different brands of tripod, for example between a travel tripod and a full sized tripod. This was driven by brand (and often product) specific quick release plates. This has largely been addressed by the move towards Arca compatible tripod heads over the past decade, though legacy tripods and some modern tripods are not Arca compatible.
It’s also another cost, and a quick online search can show up a huge number of tripods which makes for a confusing choice, and this increases the possibility of selecting the wrong tripod. To help you through the choice, we have created an article on “what type of tripod should I choose?” [https://www.vanguardworld.co.uk/blogs/co-uk/types-of-tripod]
Final Thoughts
A tripod might not be the most exciting photography accessory, and it has downsides, but it can prove itself to be one of the most useful. It allows you to improve composition, image sharpness, video quality and expands your creative options.
If you’re serious about photography, videography or content creation, buying a tripod is less of a luxury and more of a smart long-term investment.
To make the most of it, you need to choose the right tripod for your style(s). There are four different types of tripods, and each style of photography has different requirements.
To find out more you may be interested in working out What type of tripod should I choose?
Why trust Vanguard?
Vanguard has been designing, manufacturing and selling photography and outdoor accessories globally since 1986. In that time we have spoke to thousands of photographers and nature lovers, amateurs and professionals, which has helped us understand the uses and trends, and design products to meet these needs. This combination of insight and design has resulted in multiple awards and positive reviews from users and the media over the years, backed up by a commitment to consumer care.