The Low Light Photography Field Guide

Tripods

However proficient you become at handheld shooting, a solid, locked camera support is still the most secure technique for shooting.

It is essential for any lighting condition that puts the fastest shutter speed below the safe limit for the combination of lens focal length and hand steadiness. Tripods, in various forms and designs, are the basic mechanical support. Rigidity is paramount, though for ease of carrying around this often has to be compromised to some extent by the tripod’s portability. Increasingly, new materials, such as carbon fiber and basalt fiber are being used, which have a higher strength-to-weight ratio than traditional metal alloys, so are light, while remaining rigid, but are considerably more expensive.

The standard ...