Anybody use a monopod?

railman44 · Jul 3, 2005

I bought a cheap Slik monopod and it was delivered today. I attached a Nikkor AF 80-200 (non VR) to it and was pleased with the results. I used to think my hands were steady but not anymore especially with a long zoom. I've got a decent tripod but it's a hassle to drag around. The mono is very light and portable. Your thoughts?

mrsid99 · Jul 3, 2005

Hi Railman,
My rotten kids bought me a Bogen 3230 about a year ago and I stuck a ballhead on it.
I find that for most shots it gains me about two stops until I get into the one second and longer range and at that point my DT's take over.
For reference, the 3230 has the ability to be a shaky tripod but so far I haven't tried it in that mode.
Overall I love my monopod and use it a lot but for longer time exposures it has to be a tripod.

Lensmeister · Jul 3, 2005

I use a monopod when I need to in low light sports .. it's a lot better than hand held and it give me flexibility to turn and shoot as required.

mentos_007 · Jul 3, 2005

hah I used the cheapest thing possible... I bought a broom and I use the stick of it. I managed to get the screw thay fits to the camera's screw-thread and... then I heard about monopods for the first time...

ajmall · Jul 3, 2005

i haven't used mine for a long time but then i've just bought a zoom lens with the possibility of a tripod ring. in fact, it was second hand and came without a ring...!

Bosscat · Jul 3, 2005

Wouldn't leave home without it.

Makes a great walking stick and comes in handy for pushing your way through crowds too

ajmall · Jul 3, 2005

Bosscat said:
Wouldn't leave home without it.

Makes a great walking stick and comes in handy for pushing your way through crowds too

haha I'll have to try that next time I'm in a crowded area.

railman44 · Jul 3, 2005

Bosscat,
Spray paint it white and put a pair of sunglasses on. People will just seem to part a path for you until they see you take a picture. LOL...

ksmattfish · Jul 4, 2005

You can also use it like a camera boom. Put the camera on timer, grab the other end of the monopod, and hoist the camera above the crowd, over the edge of the cliff, closer to the rattlesnake, etc...

Bosscat · Jul 4, 2005

railman44 said:
Bosscat,
Spray paint it white and put a pair of sunglasses on. People will just seem to part a path for you until they see you take a picture. LOL...

I'm sure anyone that has worked at a lab, has seen pictures that have been taken in this style.

I often would like to work in a lab, just to see what others shoot.

Maybe I or anyone would be suprised