One essential tool in any serious photographer’s inventory is his or her tripod.  Many photographers have a number of different tripods useable in a number of situations.  You wouldn’t, for instance, want to carry a heavy full-sized tripod, if you were going to be hiking ten or twelve miles to get the shot.

This is why there are so many different types of tripods.  Tripods cover a wide range of sizes, weights, and prices.  The heaviest and best-quality tripod type is the full-sized professional tripod.  Sturdy and capable of supporting the weight of the heaviest, largest telephoto lenses without camera shake, full-sized tripods are perfect for the photographer who needs a rock solid base and won’t be moving around much.

Lighter versions of the full-sized tripod are also available.  Still standing full height, but made instead out of aluminum and other lightweight materials, these lighter tripods allow a good balance between stability and mobility.  You could even opt for the ultra light tabletop models, often compact enough to be folded and carried in or on a backpack.  The downside to these is that they’re not very tall, which will require you to find a reasonably high surface to set them on if you want an eye-level shot.

One very versatile option, especially when working with lighter equipment, is the unipod. A single leg, rather than the three of a standard tripod, unipod can telescope into a single foot long bar for easy transportation, but telescope out to eye-level length, allowing you to stabilize your camera fairly well.  This sort of option is great for backpackers and photographers who need to travel light and move fast.  So, think about what your personal needs are in photography and pick the tripod that works best for you.