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As a total newbie I made a mistake when I ordered a Samsung WB 600 with a Velbon CX-586 tripod that is designed for video cameras.

Can I use them together at all? Do I have to return the tripod?

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Yes. Tripods are nearly always compatible and when they are not, there is usually an extremely cheap screw adapter to fix the difference.

Video tripods (technically video tripod heads) are designed for smooth motion in one direction at a time. This is actually good for panoramas, as you want to pan without changing tilt or pitch.

The most common photo tripods use a ball head which once you loosen move freely in all directions. This makes pointing the camera much quicker. While filming though it is very hard to make smooth steady motions with it.

Many ball heads also have a separate panning control mostly for doing panoramas. It allows you to pan without loosening the ball part of the head. Some tripods have a circular center column which does the same movement as well.

You should probably get a tripod with a panning ball-head if you plan on using it regularly for photography.

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Yes you can put your camera on that tripod as it has a standard mounting screw. Video tripods are broadly similar, the main difference is that video tripod heads are designed for smooth panning which is relatively unimportant for still photography.

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  • Thank you for the quick reply. This was the cheapest tripod with decent height and degree markings as it'll be used for indoor panoramas (hence the 24 mm camera). Is there any chance the tripod plate will be seen at the bottom of the pictures? – pestaa Mar 26 '11 at 9:47
  • 24mm is wide but usually not enough to see the base of the tripod but I am sure you will understand that depends on the tripod itself and how far the lens sticks out. – Itai Mar 26 '11 at 15:30
  • @Itai Do the lens stick out when using the shortest focal length? You see, it'll be the first time I touch a camera. :) – pestaa Mar 26 '11 at 16:15
  • @pestaa - That depends. Most cameras that have a flat front and where the lens has a built-in cover have to extend the lens to take pictures. From there most will extend out as you zoom in, some will retract. Some will extend first and then retract as you zoom in. Only cameras with a folded optics path never extend the lens out of the camera. Most of those can be recognized by the lens in one corner and it rarely has a cover. – Itai Mar 26 '11 at 21:48

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