Tools and Toys

I bought a Thing today.

I bought a tripod for my DSLR camera. It is very nice. It has one special feature - you can reset the mount so the camera points directly downwards. That'swhy I bought it. For years, I've been getting more and more interested in macro photography, otherwise known as 'extreme closeups'. My macros are usually of plants, but also (when I have the chance) I take pictures of things that wash up on beaches. I really like things that wash up on beaches. That's why I needed a tripod that can point down.

I take pictures, but they're not exceptionally good (note the lack of a link) and they don't earn me any money. It's for my own fun.

But taking the pictures can't be done properly (handshake is my enemy) without a tripod.

So: is my tripod a tool or a toy?

There's a task that can't be done without a tripod, which is work, but the task itself is play. So - is the object required to achieve the task a tool or a toy?

I'm going with toy, but if my pictures improve, then I may be prepared to upgrade.