Is a tripod needed?
 

Going to Myanmar and Laos the beginning of November - 16 days in Myanmar - Yangon, Mandalay, Inle Lake and Bagan. Will be taking my Nikon D80 with 18-200 VR lens. I don't usually use a tripod (too lazy I guess). Should I bother with one on this trip? Thanks!
Joan

I just google the lens, being a Canon person, and it doesn't look that big or heavy. You will get sharper photos with a nice tripod but I think you can get by without. I sometime rest my camera on a wall or table and use the self timer when I don't have a tripod. Perhaps an extendable monopod instead?

Needed? You can make do without. The times when you might appreciate one most are for sunrise and sunset photos in Bagan.

I always carry a little gorilla pod. It gives me extra stabilization or can be setup entirely on it's own. I've wrapped it around a pole, around railings, etc where I wouldn't be able to just set my camera and expect it to stay. They're pretty handy but small enough to easily fit in a daypack. The legs on mine are about 6 inches long.

Probably a good middle ground between nothing and a full tripod.


http://www.google.com/search?q=goril...w=1280&bih=852

I believe your Nikon D80 has a stabilizer. I took an extendable monopod to SE Asia for 5 months this year and never used it once, though I had intended it for my video camcorder, not my DSLR. The gorilla pod is compact and useful.

Thanks for all your ideas and advice - still contemplating :}

Joan

Hi Joan,

The last time I was in Burma I only took my Lumix point and shoot and no tripod. I am going again and I am bringing a tripod along this time. About a year ago I did an intensive search for a lightweight tripod for travel and one that works with my height, which is 5'4". I eventually purchase a Giotto VGR 8255-S2C with a Giotto MH 5310 head. I really like it. It's light and it packs up small enough.

I'm going back to Burma again in November and I will be bringing my Nikon D90 this time!! The other thing about tripods is that you have the flexibility to take pictures anytime, night or day. Your sunrise and sunset pictures will benefit from a tripod.

Even though you probably have a lens with VR, which means you can grab a couple of f-stops of light, if you want to take a picture at dusk or dawn, it may very well be blurry without a tripod.

At Bagan, I am looking forward to taking pictures again at sunrise and sunset with my SLR on top of this tripod and I'm looking forward to seeing the difference between these and the ones I took with my little Lumix.

One more note about tripods... I brought a tripod (not this one) to Sikkum with me last year and the ONLY time I saw the Himalayas while I was in Pelling was before dawn. It was still dark out. I crept outside at 4AM, set my tripod up with my D90 and took lots of timed exposures for the next 2 hours. I learned alot doing it, but did get a few decent shots.

If you buy a tripod (or have one already), it's a great idea to spend time practicing with it at home before you find yourself in a place where you need to use it quickly. On the other hand, there's nothing like standing outside at 4AM with the Himalayas winking at you from not such a distance while you learn how to use your camera and your tripod.

The only other thing I would add is to get a wireless remote control so that you don't have to touch your shutter release and also that you can easily get longer exposures.

Have fun taking pictures in Burma!! With or without a tripod I'm sure you'll have a blast.

I got by without a tripod and was really glad to not have the extra piece of equipment to watch. Somehow my photos mostly turned out pretty well. Even from a moving boat with a telephoto. So I vote no tripod! :-)

Thanks for all the suggestions :) I do have a Monfrotto carbon fiber tripod that will fit into my bag and is not too heavy. I'm thinking that I may take it along as I will also be going to Taunggyi for the balloon festival, so will probably want it for the night shots. Good suggestion Lavenderstreak to do some practising of timed exposures before I go. Big fault of mine is not making sure I know how to do everything before I need it.

Pattyroth: Just looked at your photos and they are fantastic - and without a tripod!

Thanks, Joan. I loved photographing there and I am sure you will also!!

I don't own a tripod, so at least 99.9% of these ~20,000 pics were taken without one.

Having said that, there are times where a tripod would be useful and preferred. But with the results I'm getting, I can definitely travel without one.

rkkwan.zenfolio.com/travel