Monopods....

[beanbag]

After holding a 40D with a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens, I've decided I most definitely need a monopod! It weighs a ton! (Just over 3kg!!!!)

So, I've come up with the following. Any recommendations?

(Needs to be small, light, and rigid)


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/498015-REG/B...


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5535-REG/Man...

Failing that, I was thinking the following tripod however I think the monopod would be more practical....


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/480298-REG/M...

[Famous Graham]

I had that lens on a 1D Mk II N all night on Thursday

Thankfully I had a Manfrotto mono. It doesn't really fit into your "light" criteria, as far as monopods go, but it's rock solid.

[Ledaig]

Personally I use a Manfrotto monopod, although it sounds more like FG's rather than the one in your pic. I do find that the levers allow for quick and easy height adjustment with one hand.

It's used in conjunction with a ball head similar to the one in pic 3, this gives the advantage of the quick release plate, as well as allowing greater freedom of movement.

[Ed_P]

I use the three section Manfrotto monopod (can't remember the model no.), ball head and quick release plate; with a 5D and same lens as yours. I often shoot event stuff all day and without the monopod; I'd be exhausted!

[staceyb]

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/Acc...

OH has that one to use with his Nikon D200 and lense quite happily. Maximum weight it holds is about 10kg.

[LongQ]

I decided to try monopods about 3 years ago and, since it was an experiment, bought the 7dayshop own brand items on the basis that to try the basic concept when shooting would be no different with a low cost or high cost 'pod' They do (or did) a basic straight pole and a version with a moveable head and a foot 'plate' for additional stability.

I found both of them fine for stationary shots but utterly useless for most action shots, though others may get better mileage from them. Still, cheap enough that the investment was hardly a problem.

Using my 600mm lens was out of the questions really - but then that is large and heavy. I use a tripod which offers the benefit that I can just set it up an leave ready for use. With the advent of IS systems the benefits of monopods are less clear unless you are shooting relatively static subjects that allow at least some set up time and simply need something to take weight whilst shooting. I tripod allows you to take a complete break from carrying should you wish to.

If you can find something that is suitably light (but still stable) and could be used both ways according to need it could be the better investment and provide greater flexibility of use from a single item of luggable kit.

[LongQ]

Just recalled that Luminous Landscape had an item a fewmonths back. Not really about big lenses at all - in fact the opposite, but the monopod mechanism looked interesting.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessor...

Edited by LongQ on Monday 4th May 12:36

[LongQ]

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.as...


This gets a little closer to what I had in mind but for a large lens may not offer the level of stand alone stability I would like to have available. Still, it offers more standalone potential than a straight monopod!

[beanbag]

LongQ said:

Just recalled that Luminous Landscape had an item a fewmonths back. Not really about big lenses at all - in fact the opposite, but the monopod mechanism looked interesting.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessor...

Edited by LongQ on Monday 4th May 12:36

It looks a little heavy for my liking. I'm already going to be hiking about about 6-7kg in camera equipment and that looks pretty heavy and bulky!

I was thinking of perhaps a nice rigid and light carbon fibre monopod.....

A tripod however is a different matter and you need a little bulk there to keep it steady. In this instance, the Manfrotto 055XPROB looks pretty decent. I can get this instead too.

It also got me thinking about using a tripod as a monopod. Is this practical?

[VxDuncan]

I have a combined tripod/monopod in the loft. The windup post in the middle serves as the monopod. Would be great if the clamps were useless and it wasn't all plastic!

Quite like the idea of those cam-link walking poles with a camera mount in the head. Basically a hiking pole (useful for some of the stuff I do), with a monopod built in. Anyone got one?

Have a fancy manfrotto monopod somewhere, used it about twice...

[beanbag]

So basically the moral of the story is to get a tripod and use that as a semi-monopod.....????

[SamHH]

beanbag said:

So basically the moral of the story is to get a tripod and use that as a semi-monopod.....????

Sounds like a bit of a faff to me. If you want a monopod, why not buy a monopod?