Monopods - how do you use yours?

chris321

chris321

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As above really, I've got a monopod which I know I'll need to use at some point, the only reason I haven't been recently is because I've only been doing quick shoots with my heavy kit (1D and 120-300). However, I'm struggling to get to grips with how best to use it when I do. It's currently got a ball head on top of it, which I find is too restricting when the ball is fairly tight, and just a bit of a pain when the ball is loose.

Maybe it's just practice I need, anyone have any hints, tips, or suggestions what they do with theirs? I know there was a thread about it a while ago, but all of the search terms I use are too common to find the thread!

Cheers :thumbs:
 
chris321 said:
As above really, I've got a monopod which I know I'll need to use at some point, the only reason I haven't been recently is because I've only been doing quick shoots with my heavy kit (1D and 120-300). However, I'm struggling to get to grips with how best to use it when I do. It's currently got a ball head on top of it, which I find is too restricting when the ball is fairly tight, and just a bit of a pain when the ball is loose.

Maybe it's just practice I need, anyone have any hints, tips, or suggestions what they do with theirs? I know there was a thread about it a while ago, but all of the search terms I use are too common to find the thread!

Cheers :thumbs:
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Does the ballhead have friction control?
 
OutLore said:
Does the ballhead have friction control?
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It appears to have 2 :D

Big knob, and little knob as I very imaginatively call them. Little knob makes a big change with only a small turn (I'm assuming this is the friction control?), big knob needs lots of turning to get the head to move. I tend to tweak both till it feels how I want it to :shrug:

Can you tell my ballhead experience is limited? In hindsight perhaps learning how to use the thing would have been a useful precursor to complaining about it :lol: :D
 
For what appeared like an eternity I never considered a monopod. Now I have two, a lighter Giottos 3260 when I have to hike somewhere but the one I really like is the Manfrotto Neotec. You extend it by simply pulling the sections apart which is easily shortened by pressing on the locking lever and trigger grip. It really speeds up the operation. The downside though is that the minimum operating height of the Manfrotto is 76mm compared to 51mm of the Giottos so you can't get down too low. The Giottos with its' fliplocks may be slower to use but it weighs in lighter at just 0.5kg which is just under half the weight of the Manfrotto. Now if Manfrotto made a slightly smaller Neotec, it would be a winner.

Incidentally I use a Giottos 1302-652 ballhead with a Custom Bracket mounted on top of it. The latter allows me to shift from landscape to portrait orientation in one swift movement. Makes the whole setup heavier though but worth it for what I do. I keep at least one monopod in the boot of my car. From years of not using one I'l never be without a monopod now. Understandably the tripod is feeling a little ignored ;)


Hope you enjoy yours

Merry Christmas

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Useful info, having just received one from my son for xmas, after some prompting :)
'£40 for what's basically a stick????' lol. He's not a photographer....!
As to a ball or just a tilt head, I'm debating which would be better for me. I like the idea of a versatile ball-head but also drawn to the simplicity of the tilt. So far, I'm envisaging using it for local live music (in pubs, mainly): No space for a tripod and not quite often enough light for hand-held.
 
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Subscribing to this thread in the hope of reading up some useful tips as I got the Redsnapper recently :D
 
I use a Giottos 3290 with a Manfrotto 234RC head.

It gets used with a 100-400mm if I'm covering something like cricket, where I'm not going to be moving around much; but tbh I don't need it that often as none of my current lenses are really heavy enough to warrant it.

Horizontal movement by just swivelling on the monopod's axis, and vertical by leaving the 234 head loose enough to move if I need to.

A ballhead's completely counter intuitive for using with a monopod as you can get all the flexibility of movement as outlined above. If you need to switch to portrait orientation, just loosen the lens collar.
 
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I just got a mono-pod for xmas from the mrs for use with my 50-500 os, and just stuck my gimble head on it yesterday ( and before she wrapped it without her knowing ) and give it a good try...for me perfect..
 
Carter64 said:
'£40 for what's basically a stick????' lol. He's not a photographer....!
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He may not be a "photographer" but he has a good understanding of basic mechanics (and of prices !!), which in this case, is the more important !

A monopod is a "stick", it works because when used correctly the weight of the camera passes down through the leg to the ground - if the weight is directly above the point of contact with the ground the whole thing is at its most stable. Put the weight off centre and the thing becomes more unstable, negating much of the point of having the thing in the first place !
It is very much the same as having your camera on a 3 foot sideways extension arm when mounted on a tripod. (C of G outside the base area - and all that !)

I have used a monopod for many years - usually getting many pitying looks from "real photographers" with their hugely expensive gold plated tripods !

I suppose we can now look forward to an "arms race" to produce the most expensive monopod with the largest array of snap-on/gimballed/ballheaded/tilting/friction controlled/fliplocked/big or little knobbed gizmos fitted to the top of it

Keep up the good work guys, it makes entertaining reading :lol::lol:
 
Cheers for the input everyone!

'Moonrakerz', I'd be interested to head your thoughts on the link in the post above mine, which (unless I'm reading it wrong), seems to say the exact opposite of what you're saying! And just out of curiosity, what is it you shoot when you use a monopod? Cheers,

Chris
 
Moonrakerz said:
it works because when used correctly the weight of the camera passes down through the leg to the ground - if the weight is directly above the point of contact with the ground the whole thing is at its most stable. Put the weight off centre and the thing becomes more unstable, negating much of the point of having the thing in the first place !
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Of course. But if a force is applied down the monopod, rather than just weight, it will still be more stable than not having one? Isn't that why they have straps at the top?
 
neil_g said:
how do i use mine? i dont really i may as well sell it.. :lol: even with the 120-300 i prefer to hand hold as using the monopod is far to restrictive.
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Chris,

I'm glad you are getting on with the 120-300mm....I found if I was shooting from a fixed location ie shooting sport, a stool and the monopod closed down to my shooting heightwas ideal. I did not use any extra head at all as it was just too slow to change anything when the action was taking place. The rotation ring on the tripod mount was a godsend as it allowed me to quickly change from Landscape to portrait if needed. Changing to portrait also allowed the action to be captured at a closer distance.

When I shoot cricket, I put the 300 on a tripod with either the 1.4 or the 2x TC with a remote shutter release cable...

I dont think you shoot sport but I hope my experience helps you.

Simon Tug Wilson
 
I have (what I believe to be :thinking:) a very unconventional way of using my monopod :D.

When I'm out stalking buzzards in the local forest (with a 300mm prime lens), I have the (Giottos 3290B ;)) monopod fully retracted, with a (Giottos MH1301) ballhead on the top, and with the camera set to an angle of about 170° from vertical and pointing out slightly to the left at the bottom end :gag:. In other words, if you planted the monopod in the ground, pointing vertical, the camera would also be tipped back looking almost directly upward.

Instead of actually resting the monopod on the ground, I hold the camera with my right hand and tuck the monopod up under my left armpit, gripping the foam part with my left hand and resting the shaft of the monopod along my forearm. This enables me to stabilise the camera in three different ways:

1. By pushing inward (i.e. to the left) on the camera with my right hand.
2. By pushing inward (to the right) on the grip of the monopod with my left arm.
3. By pulling the whole assembly inward toward my face and resting my forehead against the top of the viewfinder.

If this sounds uncomfortable - well, it is :lol:, but it makes for a much more stable set-up than a straight forward 'hand-held' scenario and also allows me instant tracking response to birds that fly quickly overhead. I just let my upper body do all the work and the ball head stays completely locked in position at all times.

Of course, the downside to this is that it does rather make one like like something of a tit :|, but then to many people, anyone who takes photographs of birds is already in that category anyway, so what the hell :lol:!
 
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I use a mono pod(Manfrotto) with a tilt head for motor sport with a gripped D300 and Sigma 100-300 f/f + 1.4 tc, I started with a ball head but then put that on a tripod and added the tilt head to the mono pod. It's all about technique and personal comfort, I also found watching the Pro's at the race circuits helped a little as well.
 
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I used a Manfrotto 234RC head with my monopod and the Canon 400/5.6 lens but for anything heavier the 234 is not up to it. For my 300/2.8 I now just screw directly onto monopod without using a head.
 
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Carter64 said:
Of course. But if a force is applied down the monopod, rather than just weight, it will still be more stable than not having one? Isn't that why they have straps at the top?
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Actually, a monopod where the camera is off-centre is far less stable than one with the camera directly over the C of G - often it is less stable than hand holding. "Straps at the top" ? if you are referring to the camera - awful place to put them ! Mine is at the bottom :lol:

chris321.

That link you refer to, IMHO, makes a mountain out of a molehill that doesn't actually exist.
Its opening premise is flawed for a start:- IT IS perfectly feasible to hold a monopod in a perpendicular position - why then, write a long pseudo-scientific article about it not being feasible ?

I use mine a lot for railway photography, when you are trying to alter the zoom almost continuously the last extra thing you need to do is try and hold the camera (with a fairly hefty lens on it) steady as well :D
 
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