Beginner Monopod

daveg22

daveg22

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I know this may sound like a real dumb question, but is there a "right way" to use a monopod?

I like to take my camera on any walking trip and find carrying a tripod a bit "clumsy"; so I use my monopod, and although a lot easier to deploy, and less clumsy (for me at least), I still get the feeling that I'm not doing it quite right. .....so, are there any tips, tricks, hints. ...? Thanks in advance, Dave.
 
I don't think it is a dumb question and I suspect that you are having similar thoughts to what I had before getting rid of my monopod, i.e. "it is not all that such a good piece if kit and not much less trouble to hump about than a tripod". People who go long walks with a monopod/tripod will have a completely different perspective on them from those that use them when not walking very far. They are a pest to carry.

To answer your question, all I can say is when using the monopod try to get your camera up/down to your eye level when standing/kneeling/perching comfortably. If you need to contort your body/strain yourself to use the camera on a monopod then that is torture.
In practice I found that a fence/tree/dyke boulder/rucksack etc. are all better supports. I now use a one piece carbon fibre walking pole as a support when I cannot find any natural "furniture" (I just grasp the pole and camera with the same hand). The pole weighs almost nothing. You can stick it in the ground when you don't want to use it and it is damned handy on the walk like any walking stick (I suggest using one longer than the various guides recommend for your height - BTW I am not a fan of the telescopic types).
 
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I didn't like my monopod until I put a trigger head on, now I love it when I'm out walking. I jam it up against anything handy, adjust the head and Voila! I've also used it for some gig/music photography where there simply wasn't room to get a tripod out.
 
Thanks folks, a mixed bag of opinion, I like that....appreciate your views and I sort of get what your saying....except for Gerry......sorry my friend.....trigger head?? :)
 
Hi Dave.
As above, try to find something to lean/rest against, but if not try using it with the base a foot or two in front of you & leaning the top inwards towards yourself. (form a tripod)

You can also just `wrap` a leg around it for stability.

Depending what you are shooting (& your camera/lens combo) you can use it without a `head` just fine.
If using for birding etc you can use a gimbal (eg something lightweight http://www.lensmaster.co.uk/rh2.htm )
 
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My monopod does one of two things ...

1) carries the weight of the camera/lens when I'm shooting, or
2) helps me steady the camera/lens when carrying it over my shoulder.

So a useful piece of kit when I don't want to take my tripod :)
 
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gramps said:
My monopod does one of two things ...

1) carries the weight of the camera/lens when I'm shooting, or
2) helps me steady the camera/lens when carrying it over my shoulder.

So a useful piece of kit when I don't want to take my tripod :)
Click to expand...

This^ and I also use mine rather like a walking stick too.

Oh... and it makes a great light stand when attached to an assistant
 
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The only time I don't carry a monopod is when I carry a tripod. It's easily carried over the back with a shoulder strap like a rifle. I use it with the foot on the ground on other convenient support. I use it folded up as a support with the foot tucked into my trouser belt. I take photographs from 4m up by holding it fully extended up over my head, using a radio shutter trigger, and aiming it by looking at the flipped out pointing down LCD. I hold it out over small rivers to shoot upriver past shore shrubbery without getting my feet wet. I use it to lift the camera up over high wire barriers round road works etc..

I've used it leant against trees or walls to take sharp night exposures tens of seconds long. I've used it for long exposures in churches which forbid tripods by leading it against pillars, walls, pews, etc.. You can greatly extend the range and stability of its long exposure leaning modes by wrapping one leg of a gorillapod round the 'pod and using the other two legs as little stabilising arms.

I usually use it without a head, fixed camera position, as that makes it much faster to deploy and keep horizons straight etc.. But I carry a ball head in bag or pocket just in case I need it.

Even when not doing any of the above, just using it folded up as a big heavy handle the weight and wider placed hands improves camera stability.

I wondered about one of those walking poles with a tripod head, but discovered that my monopod was a much better rough country walking staff than a walking pole. It's bigger stronger and usable two handed.

Don't worry about the "correct" way to use a monopod. There isn't one. Its virtue is that there's dozens of different ways to use it. Did I mention how you can use it as a mobile video stabiliser?
 
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I use a monopod quite a bit - but only to take the weight of my camera with a Sigma 150-500 attached (but the monopod is fixed to the lens foot) particularly when going for birds, insects etc.; I don't use it with a short lens.

I use it with a ball-head slack enough to manoeuvre the camera without being so slack as to let the camera drop. I tend to use it sitting (on a little camping stool) or kneeling but there are occasions when I use it standing up. When standing, if the environment doesn't offer any obvious solutions for stability, I usually either have the leg extended higher than eye level and place the foot a fair bit in front of me with the leg sloping up towards my face, or I adopt a stance with one of my legs to the back with my toes pointing outwards; I then push the foot of the monopod against my instep for stability and slope the pole up and forwards to put the camera in a shooting position in front of me. I hope that description is easily followed. And as gramps and Phil say, it can help carry a heavy set up.
 
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I love mine - I use it on portrait shoots to capture sharper shots at f2.

I'm not so steady any more.

The technique I was shown when I bought it (over 6 years ago) was to push the leg forward at a slight angle and lean on it to make it steadier?

The head I bought at the same time angled the camera level.

I don't really employ this technique, but I keep it in the back of my mind.

Mandy
 
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