Monopods

[V8Wagon]

What do people think? Anyone use one? Would I always just wish I'd brought the tripod?

[jmorgan]

I use my tripod as a monopod.

[DibblyDobbler]

In all honesty I've never quite seen the point...

[mikef]

I do, for equestrian sports; 70-200 lens gets heavy after a while, tripod too unwieldy to move to new positions quickly; carbon fibre Gitzo monopod is just the job. Side benefits are that shots are square to the horizon even when setting up quickly (as the leg acts as a pendulum) and if a portrait shot is needed the monopod is light enough to swing through 90 degrees (ideally without taking someone's eye out)

[jurbie]

Useful if you have a heavy lens which you have to hold for long periods. A stable platform is secondary really so if that is what you need then get a tripod.

[GravelBen]

I have a cheap tripod with a leg that screws off to use as a monopod. The main thing I've found the monopod useful for is bird photography (with a 400mm f5.6 lens) - steadier than handheld when there isn't enough light to keep shutter speeds as fast as I'd like, but much more mobile and versatile than a tripod.

[K12beano]

V8Wagon said:

What do people think? Anyone use one? Would I always just wish I'd brought the tripod?

Definitely a horses and courses thing.

Macro, landscape, night, low light - you're always going to be wanting a tripod.

Moving stuff, especially long lenses - perhaps those horses I mentioned (breathing or mechanical!) and birds or animals - a tripod is just too limiting, even with something like an action head.

Hence you might decide you need either, both or neither.

For birds with a 300mm and TC, I have a 20+ year old thing called a "Cam Cane" which doubles as a walking stick: a little ball head and a little cup for your lens tripod thread, and you effectively have the ultimately most flexible set up and quick and easy to use. But I've not seen anything anywhere that's as good. Even so, it's something which only gets occasional use. I'd be hard pressed to justify the spend today compared to the need for a tripod.

[Nigel_O]

I use a Sigma 50-500 for motorsport stuff and it gets bloody heavy after a while - I use cheap-ish Manfrotto monopod just to save my tired arms and to reduce motion blur

Far more wieldy than a tripod, especially when I'm packed like a sardine halfway up a grandstand at Silverstone

[mikef]

K12beano said:

V8Wagon said:

What do people think? Anyone use one? Would I always just wish I'd brought the tripod?

Definitely a horses and courses thing

Yes, perfect for that

[Riley Blue]

Nigel_O said:

I use a Sigma 50-500 for motorsport stuff and it gets bloody heavy after a while - I use cheap-ish Manfrotto monopod just to save my tired arms and to reduce motion blur

Far more wieldy than a tripod, especially when I'm packed like a sardine halfway up a grandstand at Silverstone

Sigma 50-500 here too and oh boy, is it heavy. I left my monopod, also a Manfrotto, at home at the last race meeting I went to and really regretted it after a few hours - never again!