A Fresh Look at Tripods

The main components of a professional tripod are the fluid head, the pan bar, the legs, the leg locks, the spreader, and the boots. The most important is the head, as it serves as an attachment for the camera, and has four essential systems (handle, release, drag, and lock). The pan bar is detachable and is essentially a bent arm that allows you to operate the camera. For the legs, they're usually extendable in two sections so the height can be adjusted, and they can be collapsed for storage. The leg locks are responsible for locking the legs at a certain height, and the boots protect the bottom of the legs so the tripod can be used in external conditions. Finally, the spreader keeps the stability of the legs so they don't collapse on themselves, and can be adjusted to accommodate the legs at certain heights.