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01/19/2012 11:44:08 AM · #1 |
When I travel or hike I do get tired of trying to get my big tripod into my suitcase or backpack. I'm headed to Hawaii this weekend and wondered if it wasn't time to get a monopod. For those who have used them, what am I looking for in particular and how useful are they? I see a few on Google that have small legs at the bottom that I would guess might let it free stand. Would something like that work under good conditions? What's the lower range for shutter speed with a monopod? Could I do a 1 second exposure and get good results?
Curious as to if people have found them useful. |
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01/19/2012 11:59:45 AM · #2 |
They'll help you stabilize quite a bit. Combined with IS they are pretty good. 1 second would be pushing it with any sort of reach, but would be doable with ultrawide landscapes. They are VERY good for self-timer and extending camera way above your head for scenics :-) The ones with the little feet on the bottom, those feet aren't much use at all IMO. The biggest thing about monopods, is to learn to use them at an angle, not straight up and down, so you become sort of an "assisted human tripod"...
R.
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01/19/2012 12:16:00 PM · #3 |
Yeah, I've been looking at monopods for quite a while, and have yet to bite the bullet. There seems to be a lot of conflicting reports on the web about the usefulness of mono's in terms of extending the amount of useable shutter speed handholding. Some folks say 1-2 stops extra over pure handholding, others say none really. I suspect it comes down to technique more than anything, since there is clearly right/wrongs ways to stabilize the monopod.
I've been looking at the Manfrotto 679B/681B. Both have great reviews, and seem to be very solidly built and very stable monopods. Going for around $65 last I checked. Of course, the other expense is getting a good ballhead to go with it. |
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01/19/2012 12:29:24 PM · #4 |
If you want to travel light, may I suggest the "string tripod" technique?
Something similar to //wiskerke.home.xs4all.nl/artikelen/string.html
Sure, it's not as stable as a tripod, or even as a monopod, but hard to have lighter than that. |
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01/19/2012 12:30:31 PM · #5 |
Here's a link showing a few ways of using 'em:
//www.outdooreyes.com/photo5.php3 |
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01/19/2012 12:37:57 PM · #6 |
I decided on the Manfrotto 680B monopod (it doesn't have any stabilization legs) and the 234RC swivel quick release head. I think the combined weight is about two pounds which is five pounds lighter than my tripod. That might make a huge difference on hikes like the Stairway to Heaven on Oahu which is 3,922 steps climbing 2,500 feet of elevation.
Francis, it's good to remember the string method. I've used it before with mixed success, but I was probably trying to do something silly like a 0.5 to 1 second exposure. It may be something to think about when I'm just trying to bracket three exposures for HDR.
Message edited by author 2012-01-19 12:39:26. |
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01/19/2012 10:54:03 PM · #7 |
I see you've already decided on something... but I'm at pretty much the exact same place as you. I loathe carrying my tripod on extended trips into the backcountry, since the damn thing outweighs my tent and sleep system combined.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to get a Gitzo mono, partly because I have gift certificates from my employer that can only be used at local businesses and the local "camera shop" (which is actually an outdoors supplier, mostly) stocks them. They also have that 60B, and it seems decent. The telescoping didn't feel as smooth as I could expect. I guess with a mono I'm really looking for weight savings, so I'm leaning towards CF, even though my tripod is aluminum. |
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01/19/2012 11:11:17 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
I decided on the Manfrotto 680B monopod (it doesn't have any stabilization legs) and the 234RC swivel quick release head. I think the combined weight is about two pounds which is five pounds lighter than my tripod. That might make a huge difference on hikes like the Stairway to Heaven on Oahu which is 3,922 steps climbing 2,500 feet of elevation.
Francis, it's good to remember the string method. I've used it before with mixed success, but I was probably trying to do something silly like a 0.5 to 1 second exposure. It may be something to think about when I'm just trying to bracket three exposures for HDR. |
that's more like the stairway to hell wonder how many calories that climb would burn.
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