. There are several types of tripods. The least expensive, generally made of aluminum tubing and costing less than US$50, is used primarily for consumer still and video cameras; these generally come with an attached head and rubber feet. The head is very basic, and often not entirely suitable for smooth panning of a
camcorder. A common feature, mostly designed for still cameras, allows the head to flip sideways 90 degrees to allow the camera to take pictures in
portrait format rather than
landscape. Often included is a small pin on the front of the mounting screw that is used to stabilize
camcorders. This is not found on the more expensive photographic tripods. More expensive professional tripods are sturdier, stronger, and usually come with no integrated head. The separate heads allow a tripod-head combination to be customized to the photographer's needs. There are expensive carbon fiber tripods, used for applications where the tripod needs to be lightweight. Many tripods, even some relatively inexpensive ones, also include leveling indicators for the legs of the tripod and the head. Many of the more expensive tripods have additional features, such as a reversible center post so that the camera may be mounted between the legs, allowing for shots from low positions, and legs that can open to several different angles. Small
tabletop tripods (sometimes called
tablepods) are also available, ranging from relatively flimsy models costing less than US$20, to professional models that can cost up to US$800 and can support up to 68 kg (150 lb). They are used in situations where a full sized tripod would be too bulky to carry. An alternative is a
clamp-pod, which is a
ball head attached to a
C-clamp. Another technique involves forming a string triangle held taut around the two feet of the photographer and linked to the camera. This
negative string "tripod" can stabilize the camera sufficiently to use a shutter speed three stops slower.
Heads The
head is the part of the tripod that attaches to the camera and allows it to be aimed. It may be integrated into the tripod, or a separate part. There are generally two different types of heads available. A
ball head utilizes a
ball joint to allow rotational movement about all axes from a single point. Some ball heads also have a separate panoramic rotation joint on the base of the head. The head has two main parts, the
ball, which attaches to the camera, and the
socket, which attaches to the tripod. The camera is attached to the ball by means of quick release plate or a simple UNC 1/4"-20 screw. The socket encloses the rotating ball and also contains the controls for locking the ball. The socket has a slot on the side to allow the camera to be rotated to the portrait orientation. Ball heads come in varying degrees of complexity. Some have only one control for both ball and pan lock, while others have individual controls for the ball lock, pan lock, and ball friction. Ball heads are used when a free-flowing movement of the camera is needed. They are also more stable and can hold heavier loads than pan-tilt heads. However, ball heads have the disadvantage that only one control is available to allow or prevent movement of all axes of rotation, so if the camera is tilted around one axis, there may be a risk of rotation about the other axes as well. When a movement around one or two axes or rotation is needed, a
pan-tilt head is used. The pan-tilt head has separate joints and controls for
tilting and
panning, so that a certain axis can be controlled without affecting the other axes. These heads come in two types, called 2-way and 3-way. 2-way heads have 2 axes and controls, one for panoramic rotation and one for front tilt. 3-way heads have 3 axes and controls, one for panoramic rotation, front tilt, and lateral tilt. The controls on these heads are usually
handles that can be turned to loosen or tighten the certain axis. This allows movement in one, several, or none of the axes. When the rotation around all axes is needed, a ball head is used. There are some pan-tilt heads that use
gears for precision control of each axis. This is helpful for some types of photography, such as
macro photography.
Other head types include the gimbal, fluid, gear,
alt-azimuth, and
equatorial heads. Fluid heads and gear heads move very smoothly, avoiding the
jerkiness caused by the
stick-slip effect found in other types of tripod heads.
Gimbal heads are single-axis heads used in order to allow a balanced movement for camera and lenses. This proves useful in wildlife photography as well as in any other case where very long and heavy telephoto lenses are adopted: a gimbal head rotates a lens around its center of gravity, thus allowing for easy and smooth manipulation while tracking moving subjects.
Monopod In place of or to supplement a tripod, some photographers use a one-legged telescoping stand called a
monopod for convenience in setup and breakdown. A monopod requires the photographer to hold the camera in place, but because the monopod reduces the number of
degrees of freedom of the camera, and also because the photographer no longer has to support the full weight of the camera, it can provide some of the same stabilization advantages as a tripod. ==Fixed tripods==