monopod HDR question

[bs0604]

I am going to be traveling to the Galapagos Islands & Machu Pichu later this year and fear lugging my Gitzo tripod/Really Right Stuff head around will prove problematic. However, as I have never used a monopod I am not sure if this would be stable enough to allow 3 sequential shots for HDR using my Nikon D90. Alternatively, perhaps someting like a "traveler" Gitzo tripod would be light enough to lug around? Any suggestions?

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[Big Mike]

Well, a monopod is not a tripod...there will still be camera movement. You may be able to get by if the auto align works well enough though.

Personally, I'd always want to have a tripod on hand. Not only for HDR, but for panos, long exposures and just getting the best quality images.
I can't recommend a specific model, or guess how much would be too heavy for you to lug around...but you could always buy a tripod for the trip, and then sell it afterward. Even better if you can buy it used in the first place.

[JG_Coleman]

As Big Mike said, a monopod simply doesn't provide much stability when compared to a tripod. A tripod is really required if you want to have images of the highest possible quality. You may not need it in every situation, but there will inevitably be cases where it will prove extremely helpful in producing the sharpest results.

Auto-align might work for monopod HDRs... but I wouldn't recommend relying on it. I suppose it all has alot to do with how steady you can hold a monopod, how fast your shutter speeds will be, as well as the type of lens you're using. The problem you may run into with auto-align is that, if you're using a wide-angle lens for instance, subtle movements of your camera on the monopod may actually change the proportions of certain objects in the scene. If that happens, the individual exposures will never really line up perfectly. On the other hand, such issues will probably be less pronounced if you're using a telephoto lens, since the proportions will remain roughly the same despite subtle camera movements. Either way, producing great HDRs really requires that the shots will line up perfectly. Without a tripod, there's just no surefire way to make sure this happens.

Definitely try to bring along a tripod if at all possible.

[vipgraphx]

Personally I have done many handheld shots (in daylight) that came out fine but since you are going to these two places I Would make sure to bring your tripod! You never know what lighting conditions will be and it's not like you can just go back and reshoot.Monopods are good but still allow for camera shake also if you don't auto bracket and manually change your exposure You will really need a tripod to keep the camera in a set position.

[iski12345]

I think Darwin used a monopod for his DSLR while on the islands.

[ann]

google uni lock monpods, it is a very clever monopod with an additional brace for you foot , an adds additional support.

[DiskoJoe]

I am going to be traveling to the Galapagos Islands & Machu Pichu later this year and fear lugging my Gitzo tripod/Really Right Stuff head around will prove problematic. However, as I have never used a monopod I am not sure if this would be stable enough to allow 3 sequential shots for HDR using my Nikon D90. Alternatively, perhaps someting like a "traveler" Gitzo tripod would be light enough to lug around? Any suggestions?

Man up now! I would never complain that I had a GITZO and had to carry it too much.

Honestly tooting a Gitzo would probably break your back. If you can get a lighter one I would say do it. They come in really handy especially if it would close small enough to fit in a back pack. A friend of mine has one of the smaller gitzo tripods and he told me it cost more then his heavy duty tripod. I would not recommend trying to get the job done with just a monopod. You will probably miss more shots then it is worth.

[Bynx]

I dont know why you asked the question. No one in their right mind would ever recommend you take a monopod but would tell you to man up and take your tripod. To go all that way for shots that a lot of us only dream of taking and then coming home with fuzzy hand held shots of those beautiful sights is such a shame. We are talking a tripod, not an industrial crane. Buy a lighter tripod, use a smaller camera, but DONT bother using a monopod.

[maybeshewill]

HA! Have fun taking a tripod on the 4 day hike to Machu Pichu! I did it 3 years ago. I'm very fit, have played multiple sports all my life, and all I had to carry was a day back, and it was still very, very tough. Could only imagine with a damn tripod..

That being said, they are amazing places, you will have an incredible time!