[intro music]
Hi, my name is Marc Linn and welcome to a Groovy Videos camera tip. Today's tip is about the benefits of using
a tripod and a quick release plate with your tripod. First off, let's do a quick review of the
tripod. The point of a camera tripod is to support
the weight of your camera and provide stabilization while you're filming. Tripods help with smooth panning -- that's
horizontal movement. And they help with tilting -- that's vertical
movement. Tripods help get your camera at the right
height and angle for your shot. Getting a nice, steady shot can really improve
your video quality and a tripod can easily help with that. I purchased this simple, oldie-but-goodie
tripod about 40 years ago if you can believe that. It still works great today. Now remember, at Groovy Videos, we're all
about budget-friendly solutions to making videos. You can find good, solid tripods online, at
stores or even at a garage sale easily in the $30 range or less. If you're just getting started with video,
I suggest you purchase a simple, inexpensive tripod to begin with. You can always upgrade later to a model with
more features as your budget allows. All tripods come with a mechanism to firmly
and safely attach your camera. Here you can see how easy it is for me quickly
attach and detach the camera to the tripod. That's because I'm using a quick release adapter
and plate, which I purchased separately after I purchased my tripod. Here we have a video camera and a quick release
assembly. The quick release assembly consists of the
base that attaches to the tripod and the plate that attaches to the camera. If you're purchasing a tripod with a built-in
quick release and you think you might need an additional plate for another camera, be
sure to find out first if you can buy additional plates for that particular tripod. Here I'm removing the quick release plate
from the base. Next I attach the base to the tripod, making
sure that the release lever on the base lines up properly with the controls on the tripod. Then I take the plate, line up the bolt with
the threads in the camera and attach the plate. If it doesn't turn easily at first, try lining
it up again. You don't want to force the bolt into the
camera or you could damage your camera's threads. Make sure it's snug, but don't go overboard
on tightening. Lastly, take your camera with the attached
quick release plate and slide it into the quick release base on your tripod. Many tripods these days already come with
their own quick release mechanism. However, if your tripod doesn't have a quick
release mechanism, I highly recommend you invest in one and here's why. First, as I mentioned, the quick release allows
you to easily attach and reattach your camera to your tripod without having to perform the
cumbersome task of bolting and unbolting the camera to the tripod. This can be a real time saver. Also, if you have multiple cameras and only
one tripod, a good idea is to have a separate quick release plate for each camera. Keep a plate attached to each of your cameras
and you can easily swap out cameras using the same tripod. When purchasing a quick release assembly,
make sure you get the right assembly for your particular tripod since not all of them work
with every brand of tripod. And here's another important point. Using a quick release plate and keeping it
attached to your camera helps protect the threads on your camera. If you're constantly screwing and unscrewing
the bolt on your quick release plate into your camera, you could damage the threads. A lot of consumer-grade video cameras these
days have plastic threads, not metal. In my opinion, these plastic threads are more
susceptible to mis-threading and damage than the metal ones. Once the camera threads are damaged, you might
not be able to get your camera back on your tripod. The solution -- use a separate quick release
plate for each camera and keep it attached at all times. There you have it, our tip on the benefits
of using a tripod and a tripod quick release. For more tips on how to make videos, be sure
to contact us at GroovyVideos.com or like us on Facebook. And thanks for watching! [end music]