This accessory can not be avoided. By design, the HDR-AS15 doomed never to be able to stand alone and a tripod can not tighten the screws. Included is always the underwater case where the tripod mount is installed. But in the long run you miss so very good but the sound recordings that are swallowed by the hermetically sealed off housing. With the skeleton case anything goes. The cam can stand screws on a tripod screw cross and and and. A big advantage in my opinion is also that the cam whether so it can be placed in one way or the holder. No more post-processing because the video on the head. And it's almost frightening what the small cam so everything takes for ambient noise.