Tripods at the World

rickenmartin78

rickenmartin78

Member
Tripod advice needed for next Disney trip.

Anyone know of a good LIGHTWEIGHT COMPACT?
Does park security give you grief at the gate?
Monopod or tripod? ; Neither?

Thanks!
 
Security will not give you grief as long as you act like you have a little sense about you. ; Some of the horror stories on the web come from people who most likely provoked or instigated their own issue and those are very few/far between. ;

A monopod is ok during the day but wouldn't help you much at night as it won't allow for long exposures; they are better suited for giving just a little more stability when shooting in lower light or with longer lenses.

For a recommendation we would need to know what kind of camera/lens layout you have.

Welcome aboard.
 
Welcome!

I only brought a monopod into the parks for shooting Fantasmic!; but that was at DL, and DL has two areas: ; sit on the ground, or stand up. ; I would wait hours to be at the front of the "stand up" area....so nobody blocks the view :)
 
When I head to the park for a full day I usually pack three things into my backpack. ; A Velbon Tripod (for the evening shots) that compacts to 13' and fits the main compartment of a standard backpack. ; A Velbon Monopod (that compacts to same height as the tripod) that I use for parades and shows. ; And finally a small Gorillapod for any miscellaneous shot that I need to stabilize by wrapping it around a railing or such.
; ; As for any harassment, ; the only two times anyone has said anything were once at Pixelmania (Cast Member said we could not put tripod legs on other side of railing - we were trying to compact our group for other guests) and once on my earlier trip to the World as I took photos of incoming monorails as I left the magic kingdom. ; A security guard asked to make sure I wasn't taking photos of the track infrastructure. I calmly told him I was a fan of the monorail and was trying to set up my shot before it arrived. ; I even went into review mode and showed him some previous photos. ; He even waved off another guard that was just coming on duty and heading my way (having not seen the previous interaction). ; Politeness and courtesy-ness can go a long way. ; My feeling is that if they do ask me to move along after that, I can always come back later and try again.


Sent from my iPhone...
 
"Tim" said:
For a recommendation we would need to know what kind of camera/lens layout you have.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Tim.

I'm currently shooting with a Nikon D7000, 18-105mm (kit lens), no speelights/hot shoe flashes planned.
 
and don't forget the alternate tmip setup, the benro C-258EX, with the accratech ballhead. this is not the cheapest setup, more than the velbon. but now used by many tmip because of the flip lock legs, just a little more secure during setup at the parks, weight is probably the same, maybe with the accratech even a little less
 
Locker rentals at the parks are your friend. ; I will rent a locker (get the large size locker) and place my tripod and other accessories not needed during the day in it. ; I go back about 90 minutes before sunset or a night event (parade/fireworks) and get it. ;
 
And alternate TMIP setup #2, which I use happily - a Slik Sprint Pro EZ - good, lightewight, strong pod with nice extension, quick release legs, and compact enough to fit in even the smaller lockers...and just a hair over $100 (with a standard Pan-Tilt head). ; I've been happily using mine for a few years now.

And as mentioned, lockers are a great way to deal with tripods during the day when not needed - just go back and get them as evening hits, and you're ready for night shots. ; Remember, locker rentals are for the day, so even transferring parks you can get credit to move lockers over to the next park - keep the receipt and mention it to the locker attendant.
 
I've never had any trouble with security about using a tripod at WDW. ; I'd also like to mention that if you have a tripod that won't fit in a locker, Disney will tag the tripod for and hold it for you at the locker rental location for the same fee as if you rented a locker. ; I didn't know about that option until it was mentioned to me at last year's Pixelmania.
 
I have used that tagging service several times since my tripod won't fit in any locker. ; Very convenient. ; Wonder if they do the same at all the parks and DL?
 
Good question Paul. I've only ever used the tagging method at the Magic Kingdom.

Brother Jay, I don't know anything about that specific tripod, but I'd be a bit leery about any tripod that had a center rod that you can't retract. Any center pole will introduce a certain amount of vibration, especially if it's a bit windy.
 
Tim - I think this Velbon w/ Manfrotto head might be exactly the set up I have been looking for. This should work just fine with my 40d.
 
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