Guess what I purchased?
After much debate and shopping, I finally bit the bullet (sort of) and purchased a tripod. I say “sort of” because instead of buying what I intended (a “normal” $100 or so tripod that is a pain to carry around, fully set up, and then put away) I bought one that weighs less than my small camera, is less than a foot long, extends to almost four feet, and can be fully set up and put away in about four seconds. Even though most reviewers on amazon give it poor reviews, I’m digging my Targus TG-42TT 42-Inch Travel Tripod.
Someday I may get the real thing, just like someday I may actually purchase a DSLR, but for now portability and usability weigh heavier on my priority list. Will they ever make a DSLR smaller than my TZ10 or LX3? I doubt it. Maybe I won’t be “upgrading” after all. Going bigger and heavier is a downgrade, in my opinion, as it means I won’t bring it with me much and when I do I’ll be wishing I had something smaller and lighter.
Anyway, I picked up the Targus for under $20 and couldn’t be happier. I took the tripod and my LX3 out for some test shots a couple nights back. It had been snowing most of the day, but you can’t really see the snow in this photo of the Ashland Springs Hotel. I’ll have to try this photo again in December when the hotel has its Christmas lights up.