monopods -talk to me for motorsport

formula400

formula400

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lewis
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right after the weekend at silverstone, i think i monopod is in order, my panning skills are not great but i believe a monopod will help me better better pictures,

at the moment i have a 5dm3 and a 70-300l 5.6 but i quite liked hiring a bigger heavier lens.


i know nothing about monopods, i have about £100 to play with, maybe more or less. (less would be better)



cheers
 
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I always found it harder to pan with a monopod as you move through the arc it's very difficult to keep the subject in the viewfinder. If I were you I would try and borrow one for a day to see if its worth spending money on one. I even tried it in one of those flag bearers supports that you loop through your belt but it just didn't feel right. If you watch the pro's at a circuit very few use them for panning shots.
 
I struggle with a monopod for Motorsport with any sort of panning, but find them extremely useful for head on shots etc.

I've a ball head on mine with a quick release plate so easy to add / remove monopod.

I've a manfrotto mono pod and am very pleased with it (when I use it).
 
ok cheers guys, i might grab a cheap one to get an idea of what its like or just rent one next time i rent a lens
 
I've always used a Manfrotto 679b, I'm not sure if they still sell it but it is quite lightweight yet very sturdy and only cost about £30. It doesnt have a quick release but i always found that if I was panning I wouldn't have a big 300mm prime on anyway, I'd have another lens such as a 70-200 which didnt need a monopod.

As has already been mentioned, you don't want to be using a monopod on panning where the key is constant and smooth movement which a monopod doesn't allow.

Another key factor is not to stop the pan when the mirror locks up.. that can cause motion blur - I found this to be a common mistake people made (including myself at first).
 
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