On tripods...

[Jose]

a couple of weeks ago I was in Williamsburg, VA and ran into a camera club from New Jersey and all were dutifully carrying camera mounted tripods. I do recognize the value of tripods but rather partake with them for the convenience of agility. An image stabilization makes them less of a must except when using a long 500 mm or taking long term exposures.

[FocusingOnFlorida]

Nice photo. It's great seeing people out enjoying themselves like that. I keep my tripod and monopod in the car with me just in case. Tripods are definetly useful tools.

[PhotogWannabe]

But then not all of us might have lenses/cameras with image stabilization.

[Padre]

With that center column up so high I am not sure he is gaining a lot of stabilization. He may be pusing down on the tripod with the left hand. I have found that even with lens stabilization, I still get better bird images if I use my monopod or tripod.

[jfrancho]

Anytime I have any kind of time to set up the picture, I'll use a tripod. None of my lenses have IS. My tripod is a very compact carbon fiber deal, and I sometimes have the center column extended. It also has the capability to inset the center column perpendicular to the legs. The main thing is to add some ballast to the support - I hang my camera bag from the center to get it nice and solid. Also, using an appropriate leg spread can help immensely. Sometimes the tripod is more a matter of comfort. Some angles are just too uncomfortable to handhold for any length of time, so on the 'pod it goes.

[dougsmit]

There is another thing gained from a tripod. The gentleman in the photo will be seen by some as a serious hobbyist interested in shooting the sites and not as a happy snapper or as a paparazzo out to steal children (or whatever else it is that causes photographers to be disliked by some). I suspect more people will walk behind his line of view and smile at him as they go past. My question might be whether he had the option of handholding or if that would have made him the item of ridicule back at the club. Tripods are like so many other tools in the bag; they can be used and they can be misused. Generally anything used by all the club group for all their photos will turn out to be a misuse.