even me who thinks to be able to hold the camera still - only because 15 years ago I could hold an old heavy camera absolutely quiet for 5 seconds once (and got a crystal sharp arc de triumphe in paris at sunset with nice lightlines of moving cars) ... and who has spoiled hundreds of pics since then due to the wrong assumption to do be able to repeat this ... ... - uses a tripod now.

(or an ssemblage of books, wooden blocks, cushions to put paper plus mini on one heap and the camera on the other ... Which usually takes longer to adjust then the tripod

you can better control that the base is really horizontal, that unimportant/disturbing parts don't get in the pic, you can better take pics in a row e.g. when doing step by step painting photos.

and you can use the timer to avoid that maybe the pressing the click button makes the pic unsharp.

if you choose tripod that is flexible and quickly adjustable you can take more and even better pics from different angles.

wow never thought of that, i normally just hold the camera on the table…

You'll never guess what most look like
[spoiler]Those War OF the World tripods [/spoiler]

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http://www.one-ring.co.uk/phpBB2/album_ ... er_id=1241

Stefan

I've always thought that a tripod is the best spent 5-10 coins when you are purchasing a camera. The extra megapixel will do no good if the picture is blurry from shaking hands or if you have to use flash. There are small ones meant for putting on a table instead of floor and they are not expensive.

-- Pasi

Tripod does work well but if you dont like that sit a camera on the desk or on some bookes and tilt it also works well.

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This is my hour!

I have to say, I have NEVER used a tripod to date, and I am very happy with the results. However this topic comes down to the individual, if you are like Dagorlad, and have a very nervous disposition and shake uncontrollably at the very mention of Balrogs, then I would strongly suggest using a tripod

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There are fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world

For small cameras or tabletop work with individual miniatures, there are many small, lightweight and relatively cheap tripods from Jessops and other budget camera stores worldwide.

An alternative is to use a beanbag or some other form of support. An old jumper folded up can do the trick very nicely.

I have used tripods and monopods for landscape work for years. They make a huge difference to the sharpness of the final image, though I am known for grabbing shots al fresco occasionally sans anything other than stopping breathing, slowing the pulse and pressing VERY gently on the shutter. And never slower than 1/30th sec on a wideangle lens.

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Published ebooks:
Instrument of the Empire
A Note of Defiance
Phantom Ships, Ghost Flotilla
More to come!

I have a tripod that is only about 10cm tall and is great for single minis but the only problem is takin a pic of lets say, 10 models at once, for this i somtimes put a weight on the bottom, this does get rid of most of those shakes but is still a bit blurred.

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As the old wise man said, the fist step to sucess is to put one foot in front of the other.

I had forgotten about this one.

A steady camera is a must. The other issue I have encountered over and over again on many sites is that the photos of the minis are too dark. It is such a simple thing - can you see the detail in your picture? If the answer is not an emphatic yes, the lighten the picture using an image editing application like PaintshopPro, or reshoot it with a longer exposure or higher ISO rating on the camera. Get more light fro the sun or other sources.

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Published ebooks:
Instrument of the Empire
A Note of Defiance
Phantom Ships, Ghost Flotilla
More to come!

I have to agree with you, also when using a eletric light source, use white light, not the yellow light from a standerd bulb, LED is best for this and don't burn out quickly.

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As the old wise man said, the fist step to sucess is to put one foot in front of the other.