Tripod Stabilization

tlittleton

Hey all, long time no post.

I'm in San Francisco for a few days and last night I went to the GG Bridge to get some shots, as it was a nice clear night. I was at Battery Spencer and was very windy. I was difficult to get a good shot because the wind was causing a lot of vibration, hence little jittery light streaks in the pics.

My tripod isn't very heavy. I was wondering if anyone had any good tricks for minimizing the effects of wind will shooting long exposures. Is it worth getting a tripod that has a hook for a sandbag or something similar?

Red Bull

Getting a tripod with a hook will help a lot. I just put my camera bag on my hook and I get some good stability. The extra weight will greatly help to reduce the vibrations.

pathfinder

Shortening the legs should help quite a bit also - the legs are much more rigid when not extended fully, and should make a more rigid platform. A wind shield can be helpful also - something to block the wind - trash barrel, plywood board etc.

wxwax

Good answers. Add mass to the tripod, make it less of a pendulum, block the wind. If you stand close enough, and the winds aren't swirling, you can even use your body to block the wind.

Your post is a good example of why investing in a ridiculously expensive tripod is a good idea, despite the pain.

System

wxwax wrote:

Your post is a good example of why investing in a ridiculously expensive tripod is a good idea, despite the pain.

Meh, all you need is a quality pod and some creativity.

tlittleton

Thanks for the help guys. I wanted to shorten the legs, but the safety fences would have been in the way. I've got a Slik right now but have been thinking about an upgrade.