Monopod, Tripod or freehand

Ruffy

Ruffy

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Paul
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As the heading says really, what do you guys go for when shooting motorsport.

I am into shooting motorcycles (supermoto) and I have found that my best shots are freehand, what are your views on it all ?

Thanks for reading.
 
depends on type of shot, if its fixed on a corner for example then monopod

if its anything else, even some corner shots I handhold
 
What size of lens are you talking about using?
 
IMO definitely not a tripod :eek:

If it's offroad bike racing with jumps etc I would shoot handheld because of amount of tracking required, a monopod could be a bit restrictive.
 
Unless you've got heavy equipment that you can't hold steady or that is going to cause fatigue I don't see the point.

I think a lot of people have seen the guys with top of line bodies and huge lenses using them out of necessity and have assumed they're going to improve their photos because the professionals are using them.
 
Tripods are far to limiting for motorsport - you could get away with a monopod.

Ultimately I like to hand hold especially if you are going to be panning
 
I use a monopod with my 400 f5.6, otherwise just hand-held.
 
Tried to use a monopod and hated it, just think of handheld as 'enjoyable' exercise

.DAVID.
 
Well I am glad that freehand has the vote, I brought a monopod because I saw everyone else using them and yes I thought it would improve my shot...how wrong could i have been, thanks for your advice guys.
 
for my 400 2.8 i use mono pod and for my 28-300 i somtimes do but this is for really slow shutter speeds but mainly i freehold, like already stated give you move freedom of movment
 
monopod for head on shot at 300mm or longer
especially helpful with lower shutter speeds where you have wheels showing and want some blur.
whatever you do though dont try panning with one, you will have yer doodahs off
However Paul (of Paul and Shaz fame) uses a short monopod on a waist support and it works really well
 
Hand held for me most of the time. As others have said, i only feel the need for a monopod when using heavey gear. I have shot aircraft taking off with a tripod and ball
head though (panning)
 
Handheld. The only reason you need a monopod is to steady the weight of a heavy lens (300 2.8 or larger probably). The only reason you need a monopod is for long exposure static stuff, not for motorsport action shots!
 
It depends on what type of motorsport!

If all cars or bikes take exactly the same line on a circuit and you can predict where they will be, then a tripod or monopod help as a big lens gets harder to hold steady as your arms get tired.

All other situations then its freehold

Mind you, a monopod can be useful for whacking down that annoying stem thats just in the wrong place over the safety barrier :LOL:

David
 
Depending what kit I am using but most of the time a monopod for motorsport.
 
Depends on the shot result I want the kit and the location. I use all three at racing events, a lot hand held but for panning below 50th a tripod is handy especially with a fluid head, especially to get down to 15th for a really blurred panning shot. Monopod has uses as well. I now realize replying to the OP was ultimately going to vague. The best advise - take as much as you can try it all and stick with what you like. I've always had a steady hand but below an 80th I'm usually not happy with the images. If you you use to fast of a shutter you will not get a sense of motion and the subject might as well be parked/static.
 
Would a tri/monopod not be more conducive to those fast panning moto gp shots we always see?
 
Another vote for handheld here, even when I used a 1D and 300mmf2.8.
 
Tokkelossi said:
Hand hold plus 2 valium :)
Click to expand...

:D

I recommend beta-blockers rather than valium - or if you add a couple of pints at lunchtime you'll be asleep after the 2pm race!

If I'm out for a full day I use a monopod because anything from around 300mm up otherwise gets very heavy.
 
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Hand held for the 70-200 and smaller, everything else on a monopod usually (occasionally grabbing some tight stuff with the 300mm handheld)
 
hand held for me, haven used a monopod but can see it being quite restrictive sometimes
 
jamest said:
hand held for me, haven used a monopod but can see it being quite restrictive sometimes
Click to expand...

I agree with you for some applications (most recently for me on open-Land Rover game drives in the Kruger park in South Africa, when I started off using a monopod on the floor of the vehicle. After the first day I switched to handholding except when the light was bad because I was missing too many quick shots of rapidly-disappearing animals).

For motorsports, however, I've never had much of a problem with a monopod getting in the way. There's a good article on the Nikonians website on monopod tips and tricks: http://www.nikonians.org/monopods/what_monopod_3.html
 
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