Tripods are among the most under-used piece of photographic equipment. Many amateurs don’t bother with them because of the inconvenience of carrying this extra piece of gear around for an uncertain benefit to the quality of their shots. For years I have owned a tripod, but seldom used it. This all changed recently when I bought a 300mm f/2.8 lens which weighs a bit more than six pounds—add my D300 DSLR and I’m handholding 8lbs+.

From a distance, a Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) 1/500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 220

So, for me, a tripod has become a necessity, and therefore I need to master its use. To start with, I bought a gimbal-style tripod head (mentioned earlier), and I am now trying to get used to the new setup.

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

Airborne Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

This means getting as much practice as possible with the tripod, and resisting the temptation to shoot handheld. This is a lot easier, of course, when the birds cooperate and sit still—something not at all guaranteed.

Mallard pair (Anas Platyrhynchos) cooperating nicely 1/1000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

Mallard drake (Anas Platyrhynchos) looking like he’s about to take off. 1/1000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

Mallard drake (Anas Platyrhynchos) taking off. 1/1000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) 1/500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

So, am I happy with the results so far? To a point only. I believe I now have the optimum combination of gear for the sort of bird photography I like. The 1.7x teleconverter gives me a 35mm film equivalent of 750mm in reach—not so bad really. And at 300mm f/2.8 (35mm film equivalent of 450mm), this lens is still very usable handheld.

At times when the light is not bright enough, that f/2.8 is great. And even with a 1.4x teleconverter attached, I am able to work at f/4 with a 35mm film equivalent of 630mm in reach—not too shabby at all.

What I really need to work on is being able to quickly locate bird in flight in the lens and focus before it is out of range. A lot easier said than done.