Tripod, Camera

1. Millions of people take tripods. Why not you? 2. People pass camera's around all over the place all the time. The only problem is that sometimes the chain of passing cameras gets tedious. 3. What places?

Thanks Ed. Places - Colessuem, Vatican, Venice, London Eye, Thames, PISA Tower, Some musuems. St Peter's Basilica,

Yes, of course you can bring your tripod with you. But I'm not sure I would bother unless you were looking to take a lot landscapes. I take my DSLR and a small point and shoot with a gorillapod for when I can't get someone to take a picture. There are so many places to take pictures. i don't think you'll have trouble finding locations. Pam

Sowmya, As this is your first trip to Europe, you may find it helpful to read Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip. I believe there's a section in the book on photography? The country-specific Guidebooks will provide lots of information on good Hotels in various price ranges, restaurants, sightseeing, etc. If you have some spare time, take a drive to Edmonds and have a look at the books at ETBD "headquarters" (they offer a free Library which you can use during office hours). To answer your questions: 1.) Yes, you can certainly take your Tripod (hopefully it's reasonably light). I packed one along last year and it was very useful on a few occasions. There are some places where Tripods are expressly prohibited. That includes Churches, Art Galleries, Museums, etc. There are LOTS of other tourists wandering about, and there's a good chance someone could knock it over, taking your expensive Camera to the floor. Using it on the street is normally fine, although that has the same risk as inside buildings. I've heard that some places in Italy require a "Tripod Permit", but I've never encountered this. 2.) I pack along a small P&S Camera as well, and that's the Camera I hand to others if I want them to take my photo. Most people are a bit "puzzled" by the SLR, whereas they're more comfortable with the P&S. 3.) The best advice on that is to either shoot early or late in the day, as that's when the light is usually best. The Tripod will be a benefit for night shots with long exposure. If you're using image-stabilized Lenses and have a newer Camera with good ISO range, you shouldn't need a Tripod inside most buildings. When are you planning to take this trip? Happy travels!

Regarding #2. 1. If the camera is real expensive consider going with a second less expensive camera for that purpose. 2. But in general just use common sense. I typically ask two groups of people to take my picture (both in the US and abroad): waiters/hotel staff and parents with strollers. I figure the waiter is unlikely to bolt out of the restaurant with my camera. Likewise, it is really hard run when pushing a stroller and I figure the odds someone would abandon their kids to steal my camera is really low.

tripod is ok outdoors, but not in museum - most of them don' allow. some sites may also have restrictions, i.e. the arch de triumph doesn't allow tripod after dark.

Digital cameras of all types are nearly ubiquitous these days, so the street resale value for a stolen camera is not worth the risk of pinching. Thieves these days want your money, your credit cards and your personal information, they couldn't care less about the millions of cameras floating around. Ignore the stereotype of the camera-thief from "European Vacation", you can pass your DSLR to strangers with little risk.

I usually don't take a tripod because of the excess weight. I have had luck with my image stablizing lenses for night photos. This trip I specifically wanted to devote a few nights for night time photography and so a tripod is a must - I am taking a class and was told by the instructor that airport security does not care for tripods in carry on luggage. I found a very light weight tripod (11 oz) that will hold up to 3 pounds - and I have a remote shutter release. So I am hoping this will appease the security guards and if all else fails, I will check my bag (tripod) and carry on the camera. In the past, I have used benches, picnic tables, etc., to hold the camera while taking remote or timed photos. Bottom line, if not for the camera class and the specific goal of night time photograpy, I would leave the tripod at home.

Someone else mentioned Gorillapod as a suggestion, and I second that. It's made of plastic, is fairly lightweight, will fit in your carry on. They make the specifically for DSLR cameras. Just need to know the general weight of your camera/lens. I've used a Gorillapod for years. Once I discovered it at REI, I had to have one. What a wonderful invention! I find it hard to ask people to take a photo, they don't know how to use my camera, or they take a terrible picture, cutting off heads or moving the camera. With the Gorillapod, I can set up the shot and use the timer on the camera to get just what I want. Since the legs are so adjustable, you can use almost any thing to set the shot. I've put the camera on a railing at the Colosseum and got a great shot of myself and my daughter in an area that a regular tri-pod wouldn't fit! Here's a link to their website. http://www.rei.com/search?query=Joby+GP2-D1EN+Gorillapod+Flexible+Tripod+for+Digital+SLR+Cameras+with+&button.x=51&button.y=6You can also find them on Amazon.com from several dealers. On the Joby website, your first purchase you get $5 off. I just bought some additonal clips (after years, I just lost the one I had). After the coupon and shipping, I paid $2 for 2 more clips.

Hi Sowmya, I've hauled my camera, bag o' lenses and tripod in tow, on a number of trips. After a while, it can get tedious. (I am by no means a pro, btw) I have learned the hard way and now pare things down to just taking my DSLR and one prime (fixed focal length) lens (35mm). The lens is compact and it's faster than my zooms (f/1.8), so low-light shooting w/o flash is better. This is nice in museums and other places that ban flash photography. The lens provides a wide enough field of view and covers the bases 95% of the time for me. You do spend a bit more time moving your feet to get the right composition. Of course, if you plan to shoot wide panoramas or need closeups, etc., you'll want to bring more lenses. YMMV. I might recommend getting a small "tabletop" tripod. E.g., http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-709B-Table-Tripod-Black/dp/B0000YD2JC These weigh less than a pound and take up very little space. Using that with a remote shutter release and you can self-photograph by setting it up on a bench, table, etc. The tripod/remote combination also gives you better stability for long exposures at night. If you do ask a stranger to take your photo, look for one who is also taking lots of photos. You can reciprocate and chances are, that person is no more interested in swiping a camera than you are. ...Or at least find someone who doesn't look like they can outrun you. :) Have a great trip!

I bring a small plastic tripod. I'm not sure it's sturdy enough to hold a full-size DSLR. Gorrilla pods seem a little sturdier than mine but, again, may not be enough to hold your camera. I like shooting night shots or using shutter delay to get in the picture so the tripod gets used enough to justify packing it. I haven't packed a full-size camera and tripod since an Asian trip years ago. My friend brought his small Canon; my pictures were great and so were his. Since then I pack a good quality small camera.