Monopod vs Tripod

milster

milster

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What are the pros and cons of both, I'm debating buying one or the other, I think personally I'm leaning towards a monopod but I'd like to see what you guys think are the pros and cons of each :)
 
Monopod general pros: Lighter, takes up less space and quicker/easier to set up.
monopod general cons: Needs your constant support so can't be left by itself or it will fall over, they don't always come with an adjustable head.

Tripod general pros: Very sturdy, can be left by itself (while you grab kit, take long exposures, use self-timer etc.), more adjustment can be made as most come with proper heads.
Tripod general cons: Heavier (the heavier the tripod the better in use as you can less vibration but this leads to it being harder to carry), takes more time to set up, takes up more space when collapsed.

Really it depends on what sort of shots you think you will take and how much portability you want. If you are going to be taking shots in a long slow methodical manner then a tripod is better as you can really set the camera up in any way you want and it gives you a lot of options. If you want to be less encumbered and like to quickly set up your equipment to take a shot and then quickly set it back then a monopod is more useful.

Hope this helps!
 
The obvious difference is that the monopod doesn't stand up by itself, you have to hold onto it and you can't use it for long time exposures. But for general nature photography (for example) a monopod is a lot more practical for animals which won't stand still.
 
Completely different really.

Monopods are for steadying long lenses, when they're very effective. For anything else, you need a tripod.

Edit: crossed post with Asa and Eric
 
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Cheers guys. That's what I'm beginning to lean towards Eric, out and about taking shots of wildlife etc.

I did forget to mention, I do have a cheap tripod that I was given which I use occasionally but it's not up to much :)
 
HoppyUK said:
Completely different really.

Monopods are for steadying long lenses, when they're very effective. For anything else, you need a tripod.

Edit: crossed post with Asa and Eric
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I've just bought myself a 70-300mm lens which has got me thinking about it. I know it's not massively log but a bit of support might help.
 
milster said:
I've just bought myself a 70-300mm lens which has got me thinking about it. I know it's not massively log but a bit of support might help.
Click to expand...

If you are simply looking to steady a long lens then a monopod is probably more what you want; tripods really are for setting up and fine-tuning shots which require long-term stability.
 
There are a few tripods on the market that allow you to use one of the legs as a monopod, maybe look at them. best of both worlds
 
Or just buy a monopod. They're so cheap. I just got a giottos monopod that's really sturdy for £24 from amazon.
 
milster said:
I've just bought myself a 70-300mm lens which has got me thinking about it. I know it's not massively log but a bit of support might help.
Click to expand...

Not a rude question in any way but is there a reason you think you need a monopod for a 70-300 as they're not particularly long or heavy?
If it's got IS/OS you can hand hold it at 300mm and still get nice, sharp shots.
Just thinking it's something else to carry that may not have any impact on the quality of your shots unless you suffer from shaky hands or weakness.
Again, that's not intended to be rude, I'm just curious. ;)
 
Not really, I just thought it would help. I tend to set my camera on things (wall/fence etc) when taking pictures as much as possible, not because of weight but I just thought the steadier the camera the better, that' just my newbie theory :)
 
If you're fit and healthy I don't think you need a monopod for such a short focal length for general 'out and about' use but they're so cheap there's no reason not to buy one to try out or better still, see if you can borrow one.
I've just bought a sigma 150-500 off here and though it's a beast of a lens I have no trouble hand holding it at 500mm.
Having said that, I am intending to buy a monopod. :thumbs:
 
I have a Sigma 150-500 OS and while I have no trouble holding it for long periods taking various photos, although I'm going to be going to airshows where I'll be sat or stood in the same place for a good few hours I think a monopod would help more than a tripod. I took a tripod to last years airshows but hardly used it as it seemed a bit too cumbersome when panning with the planes.
 
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