Camera stability

[slat]

Will a monopod make that much difference over hand holding when using a long lens?

 

[Derrel]

Yeah...a monopod could give you two, three, or even four shutter speeds slower. With a heavy lens like a 7 1/2 pound 300 F2.8 and a 3 pound camera added, holding more than a few minutes time becomes incredibly stressful on the muscles. A monopod makes it much easier to shoot a heavy or long telephoto lens, and to keep it stable, and it also aids when you have to wait for a shot to develop, as in baseball or football or track and field, or when out shooting nature photos, where it is important to keep the camera up and ready to shoot at a moment's notice.

 

[Jeff15]

Yes it will.....

 

[ac12]

It depends.
A monopod provides VERTICAL stability, but not horizontal stability. So if you are out in the wind, you will still get blown around.

It depends on what lens and what you are shooting.
As Derrel said, simply weight support is a BIG deal.
I do not like to use a monopod when shooting field sports, as it severely limits my ability to follow the action over a wide horizontal arc.

 

[Solarflare]

Quite a huge difference, because with a monopod its much easier to hold heavy lenses over long times.

And if you know how to handle it correctly, you can effectively form a tripod with your feet and the monopod, giving good general stability. The trick is not to make muscle groups work against each other.

For really long lenses, like a 600/4 from Canon or Nikon, you probably will really want a tripod and gimbal, though.

 

[zombiesniper]

I keep one in the car. If I intend to be stationary more than five or ten minutes I'll use it.
It can aid in lower as Derrel has said.
Just don't be that person who has it hooked up while trying to get birds in flight......those people confuse me.

 

[Original katomi]

I use a mono pod, not only does it hold the camera but I use it to replace my walking stick having mad a cover to go over the thread.

 

[RVT1K]

I have both a monopod and tripod. Both add stability that leads to clearer shots.

I find that the monopod is very handy when you need to move around a lot and the tripod works best for me when I'm going to be more stationary.

 

[Overread]

Monopods also have additional advantages

1) They are typically very light, so you can clip them to the lens (big lenses have collars that mount them to the tripod/monopod rather than mounting the camera) or the camera and still lift the whole setup into the air for a shot. Ergo if you were shooting, say, a duck on a pond and then one flew over you can easily lift the setup to get the bird in flight and the weight addition of the monopod would not be much different nor be much of a barrier for the average person.

2) Many places will ban tripods - eg sports venues or tracks events etc... Mostly this is because they are avoiding issues or becomes someone in the past used a tripod in a silly way* or was inconsiderate etc... However a monopod is often allowed because its "leg" isn't much further from your body than yourself; its not sticking out there to take up space or trip people up.

3) Cheap - yep they are very affordable even at the high end compared to a high end tripod. Granted they are not free standing nor as stable in terms of side to side motion, but they are still a more affordable option.. Note there are some out there which have folding down legs at the bottom and try to be a hybrid tripod/monopod - though my impression is that the feature isn't as much help and its more of a marketing thing.

4) Small - the higher priced ones with more sections can fold down very small and easily slip into a bag or onto straps.


*eg at the horse races some people have poked one leg of the tripod through the barriers into where the horses run so that they could get closer to the action. Of course if a horse came their way that's a huge trip and accident hazard.

 

[Dao]

Based on this photo
http://i.imgur.com/FnNJuVZ.jpg

I will say yes.

 

[dunfly]

My definitive answer is yes, no and maybe. It depends on who is using it. If you have a steady hand and know how to use it, then yes. If not, it is no or maybe. I use a monopod all the time, particularly when I am traveling but I also have a condition known as essential tremors, so if I am touching anything that is connected to the camera it is going to shake. I can normally hand hold at a shutter speed of 2 times 1/focal length but if my shutter speed is equal to 1/focal length, I will get shake. If I use the monopod, I can shoot at a shutter speed equal to 1/focal length, so it helps.

Where it really helps, however, is when I can connect it to additional support. I have a small ball head on the top of my monopod and carry a velcro strap with me. That way, if I have a post, railing or other stable object, I can strap the monopod to it, use the ball head to level the shot and fire away. Doing it this way, it is just a stable as a tripod.