Pixiq

Over the years you learn a lot of little tricks for getting better photos and I’d like to share a few with you, starting with using small tabletop tripods, or “minipods.” In general they look full-sized tripods that have been shrunk down to just 5-8 inches tall. And they are cute, the way littler versions of big things always are.

But despite their small size these are real photo tools and there’s no question that they can do a big job as a camera support. Most can easily provide a steady support for a point and shoot camera digital camera or any other camera that weighs less than a pound or two or about a kilogram. Many minipods are fitted with tripod ballheads that allow you adjust a camera to any position and then lock it securely in place with the flip of a lever.

Minipods range in size and price from the inexpensive like the Sunpak 2002 Pocket Table Tripod (about $10) to the solidly built, heavy aluminum models like the Manfrotto 709 tabletop tripod (with extension $60).

The all-plastic Gorillapods® are a very unique group of minipods that start at about $20. Cleverly built around a system of interlocking balls, they are totally flexible and shapeable. They come in a variety of sizes including the big SLR-Zoom Flexible Mini Tripod ($49) that can support a camera/ lens combination of up to 6.6 lbs or 3 kilos.

Because of their flexible legs Gorillapods are great to use like clamps. Mount your camera on the Gorillapod, find a post or a chair or anything else and wrap the legs tightly around the object for an instant camera support.

>>>Warning, even when using a sturdy minipod that can support a large camera be careful with long telephotos lenses. A long lens moves the center of gravity of the whole combination forward of the tripod mount and thus the camera/lens combo can easily tip forward.<<<

But of course the best thing about a “minipod” is that it is small enough to keep in a camera bag all the time, where it’s always on hand and ready to use at a moment’s notice.

Now my pro trick secret is that I rarely use my minipods as tabletop supports. Most of the time, I use them as either “pistol grips,” chest pods, or overhead extensions.

Have you ever noticed people try to take pictures with a point and shoot camera? You’ll see that trouble they have getting a good grip on the (usually small) camera. Most adopt a “fingertip grip” holding the camera between the thumb and forefinger of one or both hands. Not a secure grip for sure and not very stable either and often you’ll see that their hands are blocking part of the monitor. Using a minipod as a pistol grip changes everything. Simply screw the minipod into the camera and don’t spread the legs but rather grip them tightly. If there’s a ballhead you’ll want to tighten it. Firmly grip the minipod and you have a very stable shooting platform, and it even gives you a firm and secure hold on the camera itself. Since the hnad holding the grip is below the camera itself, at least that hand won’t be blockng the monitor.

In low light conditions another great way to use a minipod is as a chest pod. Just extend the legs about half way open (or extend the minipod’s center column if it has one to four or five inches in length) or twist a Gorillapod into a long “U” shape y flattening the leg tips. Put the legs against your chest and either view the image on the monitor or look into the camera’s viewfinder. It will take a little adjusting to get the camera position on your chest right but between your hand and chest and viewfinder you create a three point stable shooting platform.

If you have an extendable minipod like the Manfrotto 709 you can use it to shoot over the heads of crowds or audience members at a concert. Simply extend the center column as long as it will go and attach your camera so that it is pointing slightly downwards. Tighten up the locks and screw threads and set the camera’s self-timer for something like 2 to 4 seconds.

Press the shutter button and quickly raise the camera up over people’s heads and point the lens in the general direction of the activity you are shooting. Hold the minipod very steady and count down the seconds you set the self timer to and give yourself an extra second to make sure that the camera has had a chance to fire before bringing it down.  

Bring the camera down and check the monitor. Framing without actually being able to see the monitor or viewfinder can be tricky so I generally use this technique with wide angle lenses that take in a lot. Then I crop down the images as needed.

So the next time you are looking for new equipment to improve your photography think small and look over a minipod.