Bean bag tripods

Bean bag, stable base for creative perspectives

At first glance, a bean bag looks inconspicuous, almost old-fashioned. In practice, however, a bean bag is an amazingly flexible helper when you can’t set up your tripod or deliberately want to work close to the ground. With a well-filled bean bag, you can safely place your camera on windowsills, car doors, rocks, walls, or directly on the forest floor and still get a steady, clean shot.

A bean bag really comes into its own in wildlife photography from a car. You simply place the bean bag on the window edge, put your camera and telephoto lens on top, and immediately have a stable support. For low-angle macro shots of mushrooms, mosses, or insects, a bean bag works similarly well because it adapts to uneven surfaces and holds your camera in the desired position. A bean bag is therefore a surprisingly versatile tripod substitute that quietly does its job in many situations.

BeanBag, flexible support instead of a bulky tripod

A BeanBag is basically nothing more than a modern bean bag, just with a slightly more international name. In photographic practice, many photographers use a BeanBag when a classic camera tripod would be too bulky, too conspicuous, or simply impractical. Thanks to its loose filling, a BeanBag adapts very well to both camera and surface, which is particularly helpful with longer focal lengths and longer exposure times.

Out in the field, in a hide, or in blinds, a BeanBag can quickly be placed on a tree trunk, a ledge, or directly on the ground. A BeanBag is also quiet and unobtrusive, which can be a real advantage with shy animals. Many people also use a BeanBag for video recording when a large tripod would take up too much space. Thanks to its compact shape, a BeanBag can easily be stowed in a backpack so you can have it with you in case a spontaneous opportunity arises.

Camera tripod, why a bean bag tripod is a useful addition

A classic camera tripod remains indispensable for many situations. Nevertheless, there are moments when a tripod simply doesn’t work well—for example in tight hides, on very uneven ground, or when you want to shoot just above ground level. This is exactly where a bean bag tripod comes into play and complements your camera tripod in a useful way.

A bean bag tripod offers you a stable support without having to extend and lock tripod legs or spend time looking for a secure footing. You simply place the bean bag tripod, align the camera, and you’re ready to go. Especially in sports, action, or automotive photography, when things have to move fast, a bean bag tripod is often more practical than a conventional tripod. Many photographers combine a camera tripod and a bean bag tripod and decide spontaneously which solution fits better depending on the subject.

Ideal for travel, lightweight, compact, and usable everywhere

Especially on trips, a bean bag tripod is ideal for travel. An empty bean bag weighs almost nothing and can be folded up small. In your flight luggage, a bean bag tripod hardly adds any weight. At your destination, you simply fill the bean bag with rice, pulses, or plastic granulate that you can buy cheaply on site. This way, the bean bag tripod remains ideal for travel and you save yourself from lugging around a heavy tripod.

Those who travel a lot by car often just leave the bean bag tripod in the vehicle. There too it is ideal for travel, because you can spontaneously shoot out of the window at any time. A BeanBag or bean bag is therefore ideal for travel, for city trips, hikes, or photo tours where you want to remain flexible. Many people only realize on the road how often a bean bag tripod is ideal for travel when a normal tripod would be too much effort.

Bean bag tripod, areas of use, filling, and practical advantages

A bean bag tripod shows its strengths especially in situations where you want to work close to your subject. Wildlife photography from a car, bird photography at ground level, reptiles and amphibians from a frog’s-eye view, macro shots of flowers or mushrooms, night shots with longer exposure times—all of this can be done very well with a bean bag tripod. It is also a pleasant solution for unusual upward perspectives where you use your camera’s tilting screen.

For a bean bag tripod to work well, the filling is important. Many people use dried pulses, rice, or coffee beans; others rely on plastic granulate because it does not absorb moisture and remains dimensionally stable over time. A bean bag tripod should not be too full so that the filling can move and adapt to the camera and the surface. This way, the camera remains steady, even in wind or with a heavy telephoto lens. A bean bag tripod is thus a robust, straightforward alternative to a classic tripod and is a useful addition to a BeanBag or a simple bean bag in your kit.