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portability access to places that don't allow it weight (when hiking) mobility in wildlife photography and other similar feats, a monopod is often good enough for long lenses in sports, racing, birding, it can be easier to follow the action utility (as a walking stick) takes the weight off of big lenses (especially when the shutter speed needed is ...

Yes it will make a difference even at 1/500s. Sports shooters often use a monopod for the increased stability without the extra hassle of a full tripod setup, though they typically do so with longer heavier lenses. Since your lens is on a single leg, there should be no issue panning. You can achieve some tilt as well, but a head would help with that. With ...

I was long a user of monopods out in the field. With the advent of image stabilization lenses, I find I almost never haul it out any more. About the only use case I have for it now is when I'm using my 300/1.4x combo with waterbirds or shorebirds, and even then, I'm most likely to either carry the tripod or go handheld. I see the use case for monopods in ...

If you want stability at that height, I would suggest a camera bean bag: http://lifehacker.com/5601668/craft-a-diy-camera-bean-bag-for-on+the+go-stability There are commercial ones available too but a DIY is just as good. As an added bonus, you can use them to stabilize a shot from, say, inside your car on a halfway lowered window.

Where I use my mono-pod is video. Taking the video camera to school functions, where you are packed in small seats means a tripod is out of the question. Holding a video camera up to your eye for a 45 minute performance is asking for a sore arm, and sore eyes. I find that the mono-pod will fit in the space between me and the person in front of me, and ...

I find I get about 1 stop more by using a monopod. Maybe 2 stops, if I'm lucky. Functionally, it's pretty much the same as hand-holding, only a bit less shaky because the camera only has two degrees of freedom instead of three. So you can still make use of image stabilisation. Camera weight shouldn't be an issue, since the monopod won't be supporting the ...

There is no such thing. Unlike a tripod, a monopod only improves stability. How much will depend on the particular monopod, its height, the wind, the focal-length you use, how you breath, etc. What you can hope is that it will improve compared to how you hand-hold. Remember than these is no absolute their either. A common rule of thumb is 1 over the ...

I've been using a monopod for over fours years now, predominantly in situations where I'm treking through rough terrain and a tripod would take too much time to set up and break down. I've found it particularly useful in shooting wildlife (penguin colonies for instance) where I'm often moving position very frequently. It's also been invaluable for shooting ...

Reasons: Tripods are banned where you want to take pictures. You need some stability but increased mobility from a tripod (concerts or some sports shooting for example). You need something lighter to carry and don't intend on taking really long exposures. I have a Manfrotto very similar to this and find it perfectly fine. Depending on your application, ...

I've found that I like my monopod tall enough so that the viewfinder is pretty much exactly at eye level. If it's much lower than that then I find that after only a short period of use, my neck starts to cramp. It should also be noted that if I'm shooting something above me (birds in flight for instance) then I'll tend to have the viewfinder above eye level, ...

Yes, you can do it. I know some people that have, one friend made one out of wood because it was easier than metal. If you intend to do it for your 8mm, it will be relatively easy since there is ONE fixed nodal point, contrarily to the zoom. You said you do not do panoramas often but do you do Macro? If so, a macro rail is sufficient to work for a DSLR with ...

The Canon Monopod 100 is a great budget monopod at ~$30. Extends to 64.5", folds down to 21.3" (and attaches to my little bag quite easily), sturdy, nice ball head that holds a good bit of weight, makes a good walking stick on hikes and has a wrist strap. I've used it with my Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 at airshows and for sports. Works great on the tripod ...

I am using very basic monopod Velbon UP 4DX II 4 Section Unipod and I am satisfied for the price. It is very useful when I shoot with my Tamron 70-300 - the focusing is much easier and also waiting for optimal shot is better as you do not have to hold the camera with long telephoto lens only in your hands. In some cases - as already mentioned - museums, ...

I've got a Trekpod - a monopod with fold-out tripod legs on the bottom. It's slightly heavier than a "plain" monopod, but quite a bit more versatile. One of the issues you'd potentially run into is stability, since the "legs" are relatively short (around 14", I'd estimate). If you consider it to be a monopod with the additional stability of these legs, ...

One thing you may want to look for in a monopod is one that can become self standing. They're not as stable as a proper tripod, but under the right circumstances they can really help in getting some shots. Manfrotto makes one and there are others kicking around as well.

I tried one for a very short time and got frustrated from not gaining significant stabilization for my needs, so I returned it. However, this may be a problem with my undeveloped technique and lack of practice with monos. One thing that it can be useful for, though, is as an available solution for ad-hoc leveling of your camera, in case the horizon is ...

Yes, it makes sens and it is about as cheap as you can get for achieving this result. You will have to experiment to find the exact point. This point changes with focal length, so zoom lens will need extra measurements. One way to experiment is to put two standing batteries on the table, one behind the other on the optical axis. Now rotate the camera left ...

You usually can and they will usually let you. Obviously it has to fold within the carry-on specifications of the airlines and the security regulations of your departure and transiting airports. Note that it is best to carry a printed version of the applicable regulations with you to avoid the case where you can but the do NOT let you. With certain ...

There are a lot of monopods out there. You can also buy a bolt that screws into the tripod hole in the bottom of your camera. Attach a length of twine to the bold that will reach the ground with a couple of feet to spare. Step on the twine and raise the camera to pull it taught. There are companies that make devices like this too. Just so some Google ...

First we need to understand if you're actually shooting at "macro" focusing distances, or just "close-up." Life-size is the typical aim of "full macro" shots, which is to say you are working at a 1:1 reproduction ratio, shooting very small objects at close range. Insects, flower stamens, etc. There are two problems typically encountered here that are ...

It would seem simple and cheap enough to make one. (I have not done this, but I have made other camera mounts before). Buy a length of threaded rod to match your camera, typically 1/4-20. Cut the rod to the desired length (i.e., 10cm), and clean any burrs on the ends. If you don't have tools, some hardware stores may be willing to cut it for you. Screw the ...

It sounds like what you are looking for is something like the GorillaPod and its sister products from Joby. http://joby.com/ They make flexible pods that you can use on ground level as well as having articulated arms so you can wrap the legs around different things like tree limbs.

I found a description of several different ways to hold the monopod while shooting at the Nikonians website. Here is the direct link to the article on Monopod Technique. I think there are some good ideas/suggestions there. It is not specific for sports, and doesn't talk about panning/tilting, but it offers several different ways to place your feet for ...

There are reports on forums of dpreview, Fred Miranda, photokb and boards.ie from users claiming to have done it, most of them several times. On the other hand, Overclockers Australia has several people telling negative experiences. As long as you meet dimension and weight limitations and don't have spiked foot on the monopod, I see little reason why it ...

Situations for which I find a monopod useful: When shooting an event for several hours, allowing the monopod to support the weight of a heavy lens is quite beneficial for your arm, shoulder, neck, and back muscles. You can "stack" the benefits of IS and the extra stabilization the monopod supplies. If you're using a 200mm lens on a 1.6x crop body, you ...