Figure 6A                                                          Figure 6B

One of the secrets to great photography is the religious use of a tripod. In fact, I would argue that tripod use is essential, even though you might feel that owning one labels you a photo-geek. Thus, since we are making a wish list, let's consider what one looks for when selecting a camera support. The function of a tripod is to eliminate blurring of the image caused by camera shake, an inevitable consequence of hand-holding. While seldom a problem for snapshots taken outdoors, the problem is accentuated by low light levels (which leads to longer exposure times and hence the tendency for shake to declare itself) and close proximity, which is precisely the situation one faces when shooting shots. This is demonstrated in Figure 7.  

Figure 7 Two sets of images of a beautifully-detailed "Monteagle Pure Rye" glass. The photos in the top row were created using a digital camera mounted solidly on a tripod. The right-hand image enlarges the head of the eagle to show how crisp the lines are, although the pixels are beginning to show.    I then removed the camera from the tripod and braced it against the side of a chair to provide at least a modicum of support. Even so, you can see from the images in the lower row that the crisp lines are now blurred.     Increasing the resolution at which the image was recorded would not have helped: it would simply have recorded the blur in finer detail. There really is no good substitute for a tripod in preventing camera movement.

If the goal of using a tripod is to eliminate camera movement, it follows that the heavier and more stable it is, the better, but not so heavy that it’s a chore to position and maneuver. For ease of use, I would also highly recommend selecting one with a three-way pan and tilt head because this allows for painless and precise adjustments of camera position. Fortunately, a sturdy tripod can be obtained at modest cost, particularly if you’re willing to consider buying second-hand. If you restrict your choice to a professional brand (e.g. Bogen), you’ll be acquiring one that’s rugged enough to have withstood whatever abuse might have been thrown at it, plus spare parts are readily available. New, a suitable tripod might cost as much as $150, but you should be able to find one at less than a third that price used. But if you’re baulking at the thought of making such an expensive investment in a piece of equipment that you’ll use rarely, any tripod is better than none and you can easily find compact, table-top models for around $20 in a local camera or electronics store.

If Santa needs yet more ideas for items to fill the stocking, then you might also consider obtaining an extra camera card. These are storage devices that hold the digital images generated by the camera and that, once full, have to be uploaded to a computer hard-drive and then erased. Keeping a spare handy allows for an uninterrupted photography session when the card reaches capacity. Card format is typically brand-specific, so buy one only after buying the camera. A 128 Mb card costs around $35, a 256 Mb card costs $20 more. In a similar vein, it’s much easier to take the card out of the camera and upload using a dedicated card reader than it is to attach the camera itself to the computer. Card readers connect to the computer using a USB port and once the card is inserted, the computer treats it as a disk drive. Indeed, my nephew uses his camera to hold all of his term papers and sundry other program files; neither the camera nor computer seem to care! A multi-format card-reader and USB cable costs around $25. You’ll also find a battery charger and two sets of rechargeable batteries for powering the camera invaluable ($18 for a set of batteries, $40 for a set of batteries and a charger). While they’re more expensive than the regular copper-tops, they’ll pay for themselves many times over within a surprisingly short time.  

And finally, for reasons that will become apparent in the next installment, you may also want to buy a clip-on halogen desk lamp [Figure 8].

You can find 20W versions online at Amazon and Target for $12.99, while a bricks-and-mortar Target sells a 35W version for $9.99. I’m sure you can find them elsewhere, but be certain that the bulb is a halogen. This will be indicated by the fact that that the bulb is covered with a UV filter bearing an exposure warning.

Figure 8

So have you been naughty or nice this year? Santa wants to know.

Robin is an enthusiastic collector of shot glasses and maintains the collector’s website www.pre-pro.com. He can be reached at 245 N 15th St., MS#488, Philadelphia, PA 19102, e-mail oldwhiskey@pre-pro.com.

 

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