As any photographer will inform you, keeping your camera stable is of up most importance if you want to take sharp images.
Now many photographers will be able to hand hold their camera and lens combinations steady enough to get the photo they are after, but those who can not or those who need long exposure times will find that this is where good support comes in very handy, and we have to rely on support from inanimate objects, like monopods, tripods or bean bags.
There are many manufacturers of camera supports these producers have numerous types of tripods, monopods and head units, they come in a huge array of heights and weights, and each one is designed for a certain purpose.
Exactly what suits your needs is something you have to establish yourself (I can't help there I'm afraid).
But here are some useful tips; long lens users (usually 400mm or higher) often find that a gimble head is the best supporting system, used on a heavy tripod, yet this would not be suitable for if you were using a short lens for portraiture, then again sports photographers would often find the space needed for a tripod would not be available so would opt for a monopod to add support but not use valuable space.
Then again the wildlife photographer, again, may prefer to use a specialist bean bag as support, providing them with an easier to transport tool, which allows them to get into different positions (including very low down), and use what is around them as support.
There are generic types available but as I have said your support system really needs to be specific for the job you want it to do.
The two most important things to remember when choosing a tripod or support system are Weight and Stability you will very likely be carrying the support around with you so you do not want anything that is too heavy, yet it MUST be stable! These days Carbon fibre tripods are a popular choice as they offer light weight but stable options, but they come with a hefty price tag, so as with everything in photography, the choices are vast.
Often a bean bag is seen as a lightweight yet stable option for photographers (usually wildlife photographers with large lenses but not always) they can be used almost anywhere, from being laid on the floor, to hung over car windows or balanced on walls.
There are many manufacturers out there, but this can also become a photographer's DIY project.
Now many photographers will be able to hand hold their camera and lens combinations steady enough to get the photo they are after, but those who can not or those who need long exposure times will find that this is where good support comes in very handy, and we have to rely on support from inanimate objects, like monopods, tripods or bean bags.
There are many manufacturers of camera supports these producers have numerous types of tripods, monopods and head units, they come in a huge array of heights and weights, and each one is designed for a certain purpose.
Exactly what suits your needs is something you have to establish yourself (I can't help there I'm afraid).
But here are some useful tips; long lens users (usually 400mm or higher) often find that a gimble head is the best supporting system, used on a heavy tripod, yet this would not be suitable for if you were using a short lens for portraiture, then again sports photographers would often find the space needed for a tripod would not be available so would opt for a monopod to add support but not use valuable space.
Then again the wildlife photographer, again, may prefer to use a specialist bean bag as support, providing them with an easier to transport tool, which allows them to get into different positions (including very low down), and use what is around them as support.
There are generic types available but as I have said your support system really needs to be specific for the job you want it to do.
The two most important things to remember when choosing a tripod or support system are Weight and Stability you will very likely be carrying the support around with you so you do not want anything that is too heavy, yet it MUST be stable! These days Carbon fibre tripods are a popular choice as they offer light weight but stable options, but they come with a hefty price tag, so as with everything in photography, the choices are vast.
Often a bean bag is seen as a lightweight yet stable option for photographers (usually wildlife photographers with large lenses but not always) they can be used almost anywhere, from being laid on the floor, to hung over car windows or balanced on walls.
There are many manufacturers out there, but this can also become a photographer's DIY project.