A very portable “tripod”

Make yourself a simple “strap tripod”

Owing to various photo assignments, I seem to spend a considerable of time in the field. But I’ll have to admit that I’m not a big fan of lugging around a tripod. My “excuse” is that with all of the shuttling back and forth, a tripod is not the easiest item to carry-on when traveling by airplane.

There are many times however, that I could use the rock-steady support of a tripod. For these occasions, I make do with a substitute accessory that easily stores in my pocket or backpack.

As you’ll see, this accessory is not very sophisticated, but it does an adequate job of squeezing two or three additional stops of exposure from my camera when the light is fading.

These are the few simple materials that I used for this project: 6 feet of web strapping – available from Hobby Lobby, Michaels or other fabric store one plastic strap adjuster – also available from fabric store one 1/4″ x 20 threaded bolt – from hardware store (three are shown in this photo) one grommet – from hardware store; If you don’t have a grommet kit, this will be your biggest expense. Since I already have a grommet kit, I save about $10. Another benefit of using this strap tripod is that it’s dirt cheap to make – about $3.

The first step is to make a hole in the web strapping. The grommet kit has a tool with which you punch a small circular hole into the material. Here I have already cut the hole into the web strapping. The hole will be used for the metal grommet which in turn will accommodate the tripod screw.

The next step is to attach the grommet to the web strapping. The grommet is actually made from two metal pieces that are pressed together around the web strapping. Using the tools from the grommet kit, I have aligned the two metal grommet pieces. A few taps of the hammer is all that’s needed to fuse the top and bottom halves of the grommet together.

Here’s the finished grommet. The grommet is the perfect size for the tripod screw.

The web strapping is threaded through the plastic strap adjuster.

The tripod screw then attaches the web strap to the camera’s tripod socket.

The project is complete. The lower portion of the web strapping hooks over the photographer’s shoe. The adjuster is used to shorten or lengthen the web strapping so that the camera is pulled tightly. I’ve found that I can hold the camera steady down to about 1/4 second.

You can also wrap the web strapping around a tree, light pole, fence or any other stationary object. They key to success is to keep the web strapping tight to prevent unsteadiness.

You may be skeptical about the benefit of this “portable tripod”, but isn’t it better than no tripod at all? It can mean the difference between a steady shot and a blurry shot.

Of course you can substitute wire or string or clothesline for the web strapping and devise your own custom solution.

Written by Arnie Lee