90 Photography for the Sportsman Naturalist 



his plate-holders and the manner in which the 

 plates are packed in boxes, this is not necessary, 

 for feeling is all that is then requisite. 



In regard to the tripod: one that combines 

 lightness with thorough rigidity is desirable. 

 These two qualities are in no way incompatible 

 if the tripod is made of the proper kind of wood. 

 English ash is good, but heavier than mahogany 

 or willow, and both the latter make good, strong 

 tripods. The head should be broad, so that when 

 the camera is attached it will have a solid base 

 upon which to rest. The legs should telescope 

 or fold at least three times or, better still, four, so 

 that it can be packed in as small a space as pos- 

 sible, but the screw nuts at the joints should be 

 strong enough to hold absolutely firmly. The 

 tripod is not necessarily indispensable, but it is an 

 extremely important adjunct to the outfit, and as 

 it will receive much hard usage it should be so 

 built as to withstand it. The telescope tripods 

 made of aluminum are very pretty to look at, but 

 their only recommendation lies in their lightness. 

 So far as rigidity is concerned they are useless, 

 for the merest breath of air will cause them to 

 sway, and therefore they should never be used. 

 The screw bolt which attaches the camera to the 

 tripod head should be undetachable, otherwise it 

 can easily be lost and so destroy the usefulness of 

 the tripod. 



