Camera Supports

Saturday, 13 March 2010 12:38 |

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One of the most important aspects of a picture generally speaking is sharpness. No matter how awesome the subject of the picture is or how perfectly it has been exposed the picture isn't worth much if it isn't sharp. To make sure that you get sharp pictures there are a variety of devices you can use to stabilise your camera. The most used camera supports are probably monopods and tripods. Both monopods and tripods work fine if you're working in the field, but if you're confined to a vehicle then both monopods and tripods are not practical to use. When you're confined to a vehicle then there are a number of devices you can use, the best choice mainly depends on the kind of vehicle that you're travelling in.

Bean bag

A bean bag is essentially a bag filled with either rice or beans which you use to rest your camera on (see picture on the right of the screen). A bean bag is a very good solution for getting a steady support for your camera in a car or safari vehicle. When you're doing a self-drive you can rest the bean bag on your car door and you'll have a rock steady support for your camera. Bean bags are cheap to make, and you can also buy ready made ones. I'm lazy so I bought a bean bag, in fact I bought a double bean bag which is basically two beanbags stitched together. It holds 2 x 1.5 kilos of rice and is rock solid. Another advantage of a bean bag is weight. A bean bag weighs next to nothing when it's empty (which is good when you're flying) and you can buy the rice or beans at your holiday destination. I bought my beanbag at Wildlifewatchingsupplies.

When I started taking pictures I was skeptical about bean bags. I didn't think I'd need a bean bag because I was happy with the results I got from my image stabilized 300mm lens. The pictures I got were sharp, so I couldn't be bothered to try a bean bag. I can honestly say that I was sooo wrong all those years. Using my image stabilized lens I got sharp pictures, but not 'razor-sharp'. I realized this after a trip to South Africa in 2003. On this trip I used a bean bag for the first time and the results were stunning. Almost all of the pictures I took, even the ones I took at 1/8 sec (of static subjects), were so sharp I couldn't believe it. Since then I've taken a bean bag with me on all my trips to Africa. Check the photo gallery below for pictures of the double bean bag.

Another beanbag system that seems to be getting more and more popular is the 'Badger Gear' system. The beanbag of the 'Badger Gear' system folds on both sides of the door and holds up to 8 kg of rice, beans or pellets whatever you prefer. It forms a good and solid base for working from your car or from a bird hide, even with big 500mm or 600mm lenses. It can be used by itself or with the Specially designed Panning plate. Check the South African Outdoor Photo website for more information on this system.

Manfrotto clamp

Manfrotto super clamp If you're travelling in an open safari vehicle then a bean bag is not very practical to use as you won't have anything to balance the bean bag on. On an open vehicle I used to recommend using a Manfrotto 035 super clamp in combination with a good ballhead. I used this setup a lot in trips to the Sabi Sand and Timbavati in South Africa. The way this setup works is you attach the manfrotto clamp to the handrail on the safari vehicle you will get a rock solid platform. I use an Arca Swiss B1 ballhead in combination with a Wimberley Sidekick on and you use a Manfrotto 037 Camera Stud to connect the clamp to a ballhead. The clamp and camera stud are very inexpensive. Besides using the clamp as support for your camera you can also use the clamp for instance for holding and attaching an external flash. If you trigger the flash remotely this is a very convenient way of using the flash as a fill flash from either a safari vehicle or even a tripod if you connect it to one of the tripod legs. This clamp is an awesome little gadget that I've used a lot already in the field. The only complaint that I have is concerning the clamp is its weight, including the camera stud it weighs 437 grams. As I said I used to recommend this method for taking pictures from an open safari vehicle. The method I recommend now is to use a monopod and gimbal ballhead.

Check the photo gallery below for pictures of the clamp and camera stud.

Monopod and gimball head

During my last trip to the Sabi Sand in South Africa I tried a new method for taking pictures from an open safari vehicle which I now recommend as a best practice: a Manfrotto monopod and a Wimberley Sidekick. I've found that this method is more flexible than the Clamp and ballhead method which I used to use. I use a Wimberley SideKick on my monopod, a true gimball head would work even better.

Window mount

When you're working from a closed vehicle then you have the option of using a window mount. There are a number of different window mounts available ranging from cheap mounts that connect to the car window (like the Ergo Rest) to expensive ones that fit on the outside of the car (like the Bob Rigby Car Mount). In 2006 I received a CamStedi window mount as a present from South African friends of mine. The CamStedi window mount is produced in South Africa by Ron McKechnie. It's design is very sturdy and it'll fit on any vehicle. I was in Savuti (Botswana) in 2006 and friends of mine were driving in front of me with their CamStedi on the outside of their vehicle when a shrub next to the road caught their window mount and pulled it from the vehicle. It landed directly in front of the rear wheel and two tons of 4x4 drove over the window mount. I was surprised to see that the window mount it didn't suffer any damage. The attached ballhead was slightly damaged but the CamStedi was fine.

The CamStedi works remarkably well, it provides a rock solid platform for your camera. The CamStedi can convert into a mini tripod, which is used for low level ground shots, or over the bonnet of a vehicle, by reversing the the third attachment leg which comes with the standard bracket . If you're using a Wimberley head then a a window clamp attachment to the original bracket which is attached to the front of the bracket and clamps on to the window glass might be necessary. Check with Ron if this is the case for your Wimberley head. Check the photo gallery below for pictures of the CamStedi Window Mount.

The CamStedi window mount is currently being sold by Ron for R900 (2010 price) which roughly converts to 90 euro or 125 USD. The CamStedi is only produced in small quantities and I haven't been able to find a shop that sells them. Should you want to purchase a CamStedi then contact Ron at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , phone him at +27 (0) 18 468 5203 or snailmail him: PO Box 6390, Flamwood 2572, Klerksdorp, South Africa.

My setup

When I'm selfdriving I use a CamStedi window mound, an Arca Swiss B1 ballhead and a Wimberley Sidekick. The camera and lens combinations I use for 95% of my images are a Canon 1D Mark III with either a 300 f/2.8 IS or a 500 f/4 IS. Both these combinations work like a charm on the CamStedi, ballhead and Sidekick setup. You can find pictures of this setup in the image gallery at the bottom of this page and you can read more about the Wimberley Sidekick here.

Hints and tips

The following hints and tips always apply, even when you're using a bean bag, window mount, clamp or any other device.

Always switch off the ignition before you take a picture. The vibration of a running engine will ruin your pictures;
Always use either a remote release or a cable release. If you use the shutter button on the camera then you'll introduce a vibration which might be visible in the picture;
Use lenses, or a camera, that uses some kind of vibration reduction system. (Canon = Image Stabilisation (IS) type lenses, Nikon = Vibration Reduction (VR) lenses)

Sharpness of images is paramount in wildlife photography if you want to sell pictures so make sure that you take every precaution to ensure that you are shooting from a stable platform!

Photo gallery

Last Updated (Wednesday, 16 March 2011 06:54)

Arnoud Quanjer Wildlife Photography