We’ve all had a sneaky laugh at those eBay product listings that come with truly awful product shots. The images that are so blurry you have to really concentrate to make out the item for sale, or there’s a distracting shadow across the image.

Taking a professional-looking shot of your products and services can be the difference between making a sale or not so you should pay attention to this. If you are a start-up business, you’re probably on a budget but with the help of a tripod, you can help to improve the quality of your photographs.

The Benefits of Using a Tripod

You may want a steady camera to ensure that your images come out crystal-clear by reducing shake. This is an important consideration for a number of product shots, or you may want to take an image of your office or staff. Perhaps you need to take pictures quickly and react to different situations.

The price range of tripods is huge. Expensive tripods are fitted with improved features such as stronger grips, and better connections to the camera mount.

Tripods offer a strong, solid base but suffer from the drawback of being heavy and time-consuming to set up. They do not allow for fast reactions to situations and take time to adjust the camera position. Where speed is required but you still need a steady camera, you need an alternative to the tripod.


The monopod is viable alternative to the tripod. As the name suggests, it is a single leg on which the digital camera is mounted. When it comes to monopod vs tripod, which is best?

When it comes to a compromise between speed and stability, monopods come into their own. If the situation demands a photograph to be taken quickly and a steady camera is required but not the main concern, then a monopod excels. If you need support on long photo shoots where heavy equipment can be tiring, then monopods are a great option. They are also useful for sports and action pictures as they allow for fast reactions to changing situations. With only one leg instead of three, they are more quickly set up than tripods.

The thing to remember is that although the monopod is versatile, it is not as balanced as the tripod. For perfectly sharp detailed pictures where you need to present your product in the best possible light, a tripod should be used to guarantee results. When a balance between the speed possible when taking shots by hand and a steady camera, a monopod may serve you best. Using a monopod can prevent your hands from becoming tiring by the provision of additional support.

Mini Tripods

A third option may be mini tripods. Small mini tripods can cope with cameras up to around 50lbs. These can be fitted on top of a table to take image in small spaces and are useful when used with small handheld digital cameras. This is another option if you are looking for a lightweight portable tripod to make it easier to travel around.


If you need to guarantee a perfect image and time isn’t an issue, then use a tripod. If you need to react to changing subjects but require a heavy picture, then a monopod may be best.

Featured image credit: Top photo by Hong Kong wedding studio, Jeremy Wong Weddings

