TRIPODS ??

How often do you use a tripod?

Personally, very rarely.

I have 2 tripods both approximately 30 years old!!

A Kennett Professional 3 section leg-braced tripod that is basically really only good for studio work as the leg adjustment is non existent because of the leg braces. Can't fault it for stability and build quality and has been well used . But it is heavy and folded down still measures approx 30 inches, but reaches a height of around 6 foot which was good for studio work

Also have an Original Benbo Tripod which is a superb piece of engineering and amazingly versatile once you get to grips with the single locking mechanism!!

But again it is very heavy and cumbersome and similar to the Kennett above around 30-36 inches when folded.

 Both are not really easily transportable unless the car can be got close to the intended location, which is a pity as they are both brilliant tripods.

I also have a couple of monopods which do get used now and again

Just rememberd also have a 4 section 'travel' tripod which was a 'free' gift with a magazine subscription. Only really usable on first 2 leg sections but has come to the rescue on a couple of occassions

So you've got a monopod then John 

The bean bag is good, I've just looked on Amazon and the one I have is out of stock, there are other makes though, I can't remember what it cost but it wasn't much. I do think I may need a proper tripod at some point though, one where all 3 legs work 

I have a tripod, but I only use it for the occasional macro shot, where it is useful for getting exact focus. I concede that there are other situations where a tripod may be useful, such as gloomy interiors, extreme telephoto shots, self-timer shots, night shots, or long-exposure  landscapes, but the thought of lugging a tripod around takes all my enjoyment away from a photographic walk-about. 

In any case, the better ISO performance of cameras these days and the invention of the Image Stabiliser make tripods less necessary for general use. 

No one seems to have mentioned it, but a tripod generally needs to be used with a cable release or some other remote control release to avoid camera shake.

Another good point made and with modern electric-everything cameras releases are not as cheap as they used to be and most cameras also have their own specific fittings. I have to have 2 releases, 1 for the 500d and 1 for the 5d. Manual ones can be purchased for £15-20 whereas remote ones can be in the region of £50-60 depending on the chosen quality and manufacturer. Mine are both Hahnel which I have found to be a very good third party manufacturer of all sorts of camera accessories. So yes, another factor to be considered

One other method is to use the camera inbuilt self-timer although this is not really accurate unless your subject is totally innanimate.