Do you need to use a tripod for landscapes, by day.

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A friend mentioned you should use a tripod for landscape photography, even by day for the images to be sharp. They failed to explain to me how come you need to do this. So are they right and if so, please explain.

I would have thought if you are shooting by day there is no need for a tripod unless you are shooting at a low shutter speed. This mainly would only be the case for night photography when low shutter speeds may be very low eg 5".

So am I missing something? Is a tripod necessary by day? I would be grateful to have your opinion.

Thank you
 
Not necessarily for sharpness reasons, but I always use a tripod for landscapes regardless of the shutter speed. Much easier to accurately frame a shot, keep horizons level, etc. Or you might want to do some HDR or exposure blending, and need to keep the camera perfectly still for a series of separate exposures.
 
As mentioned above unless it is some fleeting moment you are trying to capture (perhaps a particular cloud formation and position of the sun that will change in seconds) then to always use a tripod is sound advice.

One reason is that it allows you to use features such as remote release, mirror lock-up, delay timer, etc to absolutely minimise the risk of camera shake.

The second reason is that setting up will slow the process down, and by slowing down you will tend to take more time over the shot as a whole - considering the scene, looking at different angles, etc. - and that will tend to lead to better results in terms of composition.
 
Also, depending on what the scene is, the best light is often early or late in the day. If you are keeping the ISO low and using a small aperture, your shutter speed will likely be slow enough that you need a tripod.

I suppose it depends on the final use. If you want to enlarge or submit the picture somewhere, you need low noise and good sharpness. If you're just wanting a snapshot then bumping the ISO might mean you can hand hold the shot OK.
 
I guess a lot of landscape shots will be taken either early or late in the day for the quality of the light, use a low ISO for maximum quality, a fairly small aperture to keep everything in focus, which may all result in a slow(ish) shutter speed.

To get the crispest results in such conditions, many would advocate the use of tripod to minimise even the remotest possibility of any camera shake. Many would also suggest that you should use mirror lock-up as well for the same reason.
 
using an ND filter for that 'milky' waterfall shot will defo need a tripod as shutter speed will be slooooow
 
Some great landscape shots are a merge of two or more frames. Allows you to control highlights with one exposure then blend in shadow detail from another. Can also create effect of monster depth of field like this too. Tripod pretty essential to keep different frames aligned without losing pixels on merged image.
 
Its not essensial but just a good idea if you are wanting to capture some great images first light atc

:DAll the best
 
Yes I know when there is a low shutter speed it is vital. Thanks for pointing out HDR I had forgotten it comes on handy for this. But I mean for regular landscape shots in my opinion a tripod is a bit much. I mean in broad day light. Setting up a tripod takes time so sure it ok for waterfalls etc but for anything else. So I wouldn't say a tripod is vital for all landscapes. Disagree if you like?
 
I don't use a tripod often at all, not even for HDR. I find them far too restrictive and a pain in the behind to lug around. I only use when absolutely necessary.
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
I don't use a tripod often at all, not even for HDR. I find them far too restrictive and a pain in the behind to lug around. I only use when absolutely necessary.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Take far too much time. HDR? 8fps bracketting will sort that out for you most of the time. Only - night time, waterfalls, ND filters, or low light. Other than that no.
 
Thats what I thought, not vital for all shots but helpful for some.
 
i think the times when a tripod is useful is more often than without

if you have lots of great light, so much so that at f/16 iso 100 your shutter is still 1/250 , you can compose without having to lay in a river and you don't wish to do a really accurate hdr or panoramic shot - sure no tripod neccessary.

But how often is one of the above not quite there? More often than not in my own experience. For the best light quality its normally at dusk and dawn, often needing low vantage point or a ND filter reducing the shutter speed etc. Theres more times when at least one of the things mentioned above isn't ideal. So whilst it is not essential, 9 times out of 10 it is more useful.
 
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I always use a tripod when taking planned, landscape shots. As already mentioned, they slow you down which, in my case, is a good thing.
Whilst I agree that they can be cumbersome, I have found that the more I use one, the easier it becomes.
I will also add that most of the pro and semi pro, landscape toggers use a tripod as a matter of course and if it's good enough for them, then it's good enough for me!

Andy
 
You don't need a tripod during the day, if its sole purpose is to keep the images sharp during the day. Sunlit scene typical exposure being ISO100, f16, 1/100th second. Cloudy, ISO100 f8-f11, 1/100. If you are shooting wide angle, the details can be kept sharp at 1/50th, or even 1/25th second if your hands are steady enough. Don't know what camera you use, but any semi decent camera nowadays, you can bump the ISO up to 400 or 800, if you need faster shutter speed.

As pointed out by others, it helps with composition, or if you plan to bracket, or use effects such as ND filter in order to slow down action, then yes, you would need it. All down to your shooting style. I personally don't bother with tripod during day anymore, but then, I don't bother with much landscapes during daytime neither...
 
Most photographers who don't use a tripod would be shocked at the great quality of even the Kit Lenses when shot at f/8 or f/11 tripod mounted and users of top-line lenses will get the very best quality imagery when shooting tripod mounted...
 
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