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Considering Tripods

• Avoid silver-colored tripods. Many birders use silver-colored tripods and have no problems with them, but others believe that their brightness and reflectivity sometimes frighten birds. Manufacturers offer tripods in camouflage coloring and flat black.
• A tripod should easily adjust to a height good for you and anyone with whom you regularly bird. For example, I am six inches taller than my wife. About a year after we met, I purchased a tripod that with legs extended was too tall for her. I now use that tripod exclusively for photography, and we bird with a slightly smaller one. An alternative would be to purchase an angled eyepiece scope body.
• Consider tripods with two or fewer joints per leg (these take long enough to open). However, if you frequently travel by plane you may want one with more joints so it will be easier to fit into your luggage.
• The legs should be round and closed. Tripods with open and/or rectangular legs tend to attract grit and are best suited for raising your blood pressure.
• Better tripods allow the legs to be spread more widely apart than their normal open position, which can be helpful on uneven surfaces.
• Realistically assess how much weight you are willing to carry into the field. If your scope/tripod combination is too heavy, you may not use it, thereby negating all its benefits!