# Short tripod for close to ground shots



## DeadPixel (Apr 4, 2012)

Hello all, 

Seeing how spring is here and there's a lot of little plants I've been photoing for fun, I've come up with a new want - a low to the ground tripod. My current one works fine for most things knee high up, but I'd like something that has the body sit a few inches off the ground so I can take some longer exposure with narrow aperture to get a better depth of field. 

Any suggestions? 

Thanks, 

DeadPixel


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## wickidwombat (Apr 4, 2012)

DeadPixel said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Seeing how spring is here and there's a lot of little plants I've been photoing for fun, I've come up with a new want - a low to the ground tripod. My current one works fine for most things knee high up, but I'd like something that has the body sit a few inches off the ground so I can take some longer exposure with narrow aperture to get a better depth of field.
> 
> ...


get a gorilla pod they are super handy i always carry 1 or 2 around
they can be really neat for setting speedlights up in odd places too

for very close to ground shots you can spread the legs right out so the camera is only an inch or 2 above the ground


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## YellowJersey (Apr 5, 2012)

If you have a tripod where you can reverse the centre column, you could try my approach. Combined with the Manfrotto 410 geared head, this becomes rather practical and quick without having to give up your regular tripod. You can get as low as the top of the viewfinder touching the ground. 

The tripod shown is a Giotto MTL 3361B with an adjustable centre column, but this trick should work with any tripod where you can take the centre column out and then just stick it in upside down.


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## KeithR (Apr 6, 2012)

Beanbag.

A Gorillapod may well not be up to the job, depending on the body and lens in use (which it would help to know, of course).


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## dturano (Apr 6, 2012)

I was going to say this, they are really handy I took one on my trip to Spain to take pictures of my wife and I, wrapped the legs around things and set the timer, as welcoming and friendly as the locals were I just don't trust my gear with a stranger. At least it being wrapped around something tightly would stall them.



wickidwombat said:


> DeadPixel said:
> 
> 
> > Hello all,
> ...


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## wickidwombat (Apr 6, 2012)

KeithR said:


> Beanbag.
> 
> A Gorillapod may well not be up to the job, depending on the body and lens in use (which it would help to know, of course).


i've used a gorillapod with 1D and 24-105 quite a bit
works well for ground shots
I wouldn't hang that combo on apole sideways though even though its the heavy duty version


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## mdm041 (Apr 8, 2012)

i use the Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 and it allows you to get close to the ground. You'll need a ballhead though. Its carbon fiber and I've found very sturdy. I also felt it was a good middle of the ground price wise choice.


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## sawsedge (Apr 8, 2012)

Beanbag is good, so is a tripod that goes to ground level like a Gitzo with out a centerpost. The up-side down thing is awkward.


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## DHL1313 (Apr 8, 2012)

Here is what the XPRO tripods do from Manfrotto

http://www.flickr.com/photos/for_tea_too/4008363512/#


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## Isurus (Apr 8, 2012)

The Really Right Stuff ground-level tripod is great:

http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=TP-243&type=0&eq=&desc=TP-243-Ground-Level-Tripod


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## prestonpalmer (Apr 8, 2012)

The GorillaPod SLR is amazing for that! Otherwise I find myself frequently using my shoe or sandal to prop up the lens for those super low to ground wedding photo shots!


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## Kernuak (Apr 8, 2012)

DeadPixel said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Seeing how spring is here and there's a lot of little plants I've been photoing for fun, I've come up with a new want - a low to the ground tripod. My current one works fine for most things knee high up, but I'd like something that has the body sit a few inches off the ground so I can take some longer exposure with narrow aperture to get a better depth of field.
> 
> ...


Might be worth checking whether you can lower yours by either removing the centre column or replacing it with a short version, to enqable the legs to splay out as far as possible. Most enable you to do one or the other.


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## dunkers (Apr 9, 2012)

http://www.amazon.com/Vanguard-Alta-Pro-Aluminum-SBH-100/dp/B003WKOENO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1333927634&sr=8-3

I use this as my dedicated macro tripod. 

You can get as low to the ground as shown in the pictures by expanding the legs. 

Thanks to the ballhead and the adjustable middle column you can get all sorts of angles really low to the ground. There's an aluminum version and a carbon fiber version.


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