Tripods – are they truly necessary or just extra weight?

The short answer is both. There is no doubt lugging around a tripod can be a royal pain in the posterior, but when it comes to getting those brilliant stationary shots – landscape, architecture even people – then there is no substitute for a stable shooting platform.

However, like everything photographic there is a vast array of options, from cheap £20 jobs to wallet cracking £600 models. Fortunately for travel photographers there are some excellent pods on the market fitting every budget.

The key points to look for when buying a tripod are: weight of the pod, load bearing ability, maximum and minimum extension, versatility and the head.

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Velbon CX540

This is a good introductory tripod that should meet the demands of most photography enthusiasts. It has a maximum height of 152cm and drops down to 55.2 cm and weighs in at a reasonable 1.5kg. It comes with a three-way pan head with a quick release plate. It can bear a maximum load of 3kg.

Its downsides are the construction is not as robust as it could be, its maximum load bearing is sufficient for most DSLR’s with a medium zoom or fixed lens, but will have trouble supporting long lenses. The minimum height and limited movement of the legs makes macro work difficult. Still, for its £42 price tag it is a good piece of gear. www.jessops.com

Slik 300DX

For the advanced amateur who is keeping a close eye on the budget but still wants a decent tripod then the Slik 300DX is a good one to consider. It is of tubular lightweight aluminium construction with easy to use twist lock legs and comes with a quick release three-way pan head. Its maximum height is 154cm, with a minimum of 48cm.

The centre post is short and reversible, making close-up work easier. With a load bearing capacity of 4.9kg it should be able to handle cameras with lenses up to 200mm with ease. But with an overall weight of 2.5kg it is a bit heavy, so probably not the best option for those doing trekking or climbing. Priced at £69.99, www.warehouseexpress.com.

Velbon Sherpa Pro CF-635

Velbon have come a long way from being the company known to make cheap and nasty equipment. With this model they step up a notch into the carbon fibre arena. Carbon fibre is a lightweight, strong as steel material that is perfect for tripod construction. The CF-635 is a three-section pod with a maximum height of 163cm and a minimum of just 10.5cm, perfect for macro work.

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