New York... Advice Sought Will A Mini Tripod Be Enough?

Spiderdudeuk

Spiderdudeuk

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I've read the vast majority of posts on here relating to New York, so not after too much from folks. There is some great information and it's been a great help to me.

I'm heading out for the first time to the Big Apple at the end of January for a few days. Going to be bloody freezing!

I'm fully aware of all the restrictions on tripods in buildings etc, so my only questions are these.

I have a Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod which served me well in Venice and Budapest.

But given that I am going to want to take a few night time snaps of the skyline from DUMBO and if I can get across to it Hoboken, is it worth taking a travel tripod?

Can anyone who has been to these locations advise me as to whether I'd get away with the Pixi as don't really want to buy a lightweight tripod just for this?

Thanks in advance.
 
Anyone......
 
I can't answer your question. But maybe I can help you ask it in a way that might get some responses.

For starters, I've been to New York but I didn't know what DUMBO is. I had to look it up. Interestingly I have been there and I have taken photographs there (a very long time ago) but I didn't recognise the name DUMBO. Maybe there are people here who could actually answer your question, but they don't know what DUMBO means either.

But more importantly, I realised I don't actually understand your question. You have a mini tripod which has served you well elsewhere. Great. So why might it not serve you just as well here? What *specifically* do you want to know about the location that will enable you to decide?
 
Thanks....

Suppose it is convoluted and could have been simplified...

Am I better taking a Mini Tripod or should I really be considering taking a full size one to New York?

In particular at Brooklyn Bridge side and at Holboken, has anyone used a mini tripod to photo the skyline, or are all the fantastic night photos I see taken using full size kit.

Thank you.
 
Hi I can't answer your question specifically I don't even do much landscape photography
But I have been on trips abroad for wildlife and always take anything that I think that I night need or may come in useful

If you are travelling that far the cost of a cheap lightweight tripod is insignificant compared to the overall cost of travelling and in in your shoes would definitely take it
If it turns out that you can't use a tripod you haven't lost much but if you can could help you get some great shots
 
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What about a superclamp and the tripod head you have? All I ever carry, smaller, lighter, sturdier - provided there's a railing, bench, pin, lamppost, sign etc. to clamp to.
 
Ive been to NY, been to Dumbo, been to Brooklyn Bridge Park and done all the other places as well.
I didnt take a tripod, and that was a mistake. I think I know the shots you're probably thinking about from Dumbo, and if you want good night shots you probably will need a lightweight travel tripod.
I've just been to cuba, and although I took my main tripod with me, I didnt use it that much because of the bulk / weight of it

I plan to go back to NY probably this year. I'll be buying a travel tripod before I go ;-)
 
When visiting European cities I always take a full size but very compact Benro travel tripod with me. I then have the freedom to carry and use it or not. I often hear comments that you don't need a tripod, use a bean bag or a wall. In reality shooting low isn't always what you want or can do, and walls either don't exist or aren't always where you want them for the ideal composition. Travelling the distance you are I wouldn't compromise, take a travel tripod.
 
danny_bhoy said:
I took a travel tripod and a Joby Gorillapod to NY back in September and used the Gorillapod nine times out of ten. There's always some railings/fencing etc to attach it to and it'll make your life much easier for Top Of The Rock, Empire State etc.
Click to expand...

My thoughts entirely. Should have mentioned that in my previous post! :oops: :$
 
Why not see if anyone here has done the kind of shots your after, and if they have, ask them how they did them.
 
Not that I'm querying the good advice, but having stood down Brooklyn Bridge Park by the old pier struts for instance ..... what you have is a concrete path and some rocks. Down by the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo for that classic view of the Empire State Building you have a road. The Gorillapod reaches 25 cms in height if you are having to floor stand it and is OK for up to 1 kilo .... is that right? I only ask as my 5Dii and 24-105 lens weigh 1.75 kilos
Has a bearing on my travel tripod purchase :-)
 
Thank you all... I've seen the above shots on Flickr and was impressed with them... thanks
 
Just returned after 5 days there, snow storm proved interesting and created a rather fraught Friday/Saturday as we flew... But the city is amazing!

The snow in Central Park was an added delight....

What did surprise me despite all the comments and warnings regarding tripods, there were two people with them inside Statue of Liberty and then at the Top of the Rock in the evening a guy was using one.

I stuck to my little pixi tripod and had no issues, but no one raised an eyebrow at these guys using there's.. Maybe it was due to it being very quiet, who knows.
 
Just to open the discussion a bit, my camera supports in order of portability and unobtrusiveness are a bean bag, which is filled with polystyrene beans, makes it very light to carry. Very handy in interiors which frown on any kind of camera support. It's often possible to use a table, a chair, a shelf, etc., for long exposures, and the bean bag is much neater and more versatile than a scrumpled up jacket or jersey. Next is a gorillapod, the heavier duty SLR Zoom version. That is usually not counted as a tripod by the security in public buildings which forbids tripods. Next is a monopod, plus the Gorillapod. The monopod hand steadied gives you a useful extra few stops in shutter speed, and gives you more if you can lean it against something. Wrap one leg of the Gorillapod round the monopod, use the other two as adjustable leaning legs, and with the assistance of walls, trees benches, etc., you can devise a variety of really steady supports. A long thin luggage-type elastic and some cord lets you do some lashing or guying if you're not going to be holding it or the camera strap.

None of these DIY contraptions are as good, as versatile, or as easily deployed as a tripod. But they're a hell of a lot easier to carry around just in case. Lets you travel light and still take advantage of the occasional unexpected unplanned long exposure opportunity.
 
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