Any need for a tripod

I%26#39;m thinking of leaving the tripod at home. Too much extra weight. Might bring a monopod but thats hardly any better than using nothing.

Anyone manage to get some decent night shots without a tripod?

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What has been your experience with taking night shots or long exposures in Toronto?? It won%26#39;t be any different in Paris. If you need a tripod for long exposures in Toronto...odds are you%26#39;re gonna%26#39; nedd it for Paris as well.

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We used the mini tripod from REI it works just great! It has a velco strap to attach to lamp post, bench top, stop sign or hold against the buildings. It is easy to carry and to pack too.

My hubby thas about 5 tripods and lots of cameras from professional jobs he used to do ( sports, restaruant magazines shoots, wedding etc.), he takes only this one from REI and we have such great pictures.

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Travel 88,

Been a professional photographer for 36 years and

just back from Paris for the 5th time.

There is no need for a full size tripod. Not only

would it be a hinderance, it could be dangerous

to you, your camera and people around you.

Discover makes a good point. There are now

a large variety of mini tripods plus small

tripods with clamps, all of which you could

place in your bag.

If it is night photography you are looking for,

with a film camera you could bring along

several rolls of high speed film for that

purpose. If it is a digital camera, you could

set the %26quot;ISO%26quot; to 1600 or 3200, negating

the need for a tripod.

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Some places in Paris won%26#39;t let you use a tripod without special permission. Palais Royal is one of these places and outside of the Louvre, around the pyramid, the security won%26#39;t let you set up your camera on a tripod. I think you need a tripod for nightshots, however.

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If it%26#39;s just steadiness for long exposures you%26#39;re looking for (vs. pointing up, etc.) I find a sandbag of some sort works quite well. Snuggle the camera into it then use your cable release or remote to shoot. A little steadier than just sitting your cam on a ledge or something, but not so good for any tricky angle shots (pointing up, down). A minipod might work for these, but they have a tendency to tip over as you lean the camera off-center for these shots, too. Again, and sandbag on the legs will minimize this, sometimes. Don%26#39;t know about packing sandbags for the trip, though. Could be heavy in their own right! lol That%26#39;s kinda the point to most sandbags, I think... good luck!

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If you choose to use a miini tripod, make sure that

one of the legs is forward facing your subject.

This helps minimize the chance that the weight of

your lens will tip your camera over.

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We%26#39;ve just returned from Paris - my husband forgot to pack our mini tripod - he regretted it on many occasions! We still managed to get some great photos though, using walls or whatever surfaces were available!

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I sometimes use my mini-tripod on my camera and unfold the legs where 2 of them fit against my chest. Makes it steadier for hand-held (semi-) long exposures.