How do you put a camera on a tripod?

Answer 1

Look at the base plate of your camera. There should be a threaded socket there. Your tripod will be equipped with a corresponding screw in its head plate. The industry has standardized on a screw-and-socket arrangement (it's called 1/4" x 20 if you care). All tripods and all cameras should fit one another.

Many camera sockets, and some tripod screws, are now plastic or nylon so you need to be more than usually careful not to "cross thread" and "strip" the threads in either the socket or the screw. Underneath the tripod head the screw usually has some sort of knurled handle or grip for turning it, plus a wheel. You're not going to use the wheel yet.

Using the knurled grip, back the tripod screw down until it just shows above the head plate. Position the camera's socket over the screw and gently start the screw into the socket by turning the knurled handle. If you feel resistance, back it out and try again. Any serious resistance may mean the screw is cross threaded and if you continue you risk stripping.

When you have the screw well into the socket (about 1/4" will do it), the camera will now be attached to the tripod but you'll probably notice that it "flops." This is where the wheel on the screw under the tripod head comes in. By turning the wheel up the screw under the head you tighten the base plate of the camera against the head plate of the tripod until the camera and the tripod are a single unit. Just as you must be cautious about cross threading, you don't want to over tighten the camera to the head plate. Most of these things are relatively delicate and can be damaged or ruined by too much enthusiasm. You just don't want the camera to move independently of the tripod.

A couple of tips: you can defeat the purpose of a tripod if you touch the camera while tripping the shutter for a long exposure. Use a cable release or electronic release. Don't have a cable or the camera won't accept one? Try using the camera's self timer so you're not touching it when it trips.

If your camera lacks a threaded socket, you can still support it on the tripod head by hand. It's not as good as attaching it, but it's better than no support at all for a longish exposure. On that subject, you can also steady any camera for any exposure that might otherwise "smear" by bracing or resting it on a chair, a table, a car roof, a handy railing, or whatever you can find. Bracing your elbows on anything handy may help as well.

Tripods aren't always necessary: See the related questions on tripod use referenced below.

Answer 2

It's very simple. Just have a look at the base of your cam (camera). There is a 'hole' for a screw to fit on. Now, on the tripod, there is a 'base plate', a small flat plate like thing which has a rotatable screw on it. Just fix it on to the cam and then mount that cam into the tripod along with the base plate fixed on it. Done!

Well, this is what happens in almost all tripods. However there may be a few others with a little difference, but basically all are the same. Some may require to slide the base plate on to the tripod body.