Monopod Suggestions

castnerrmcastnerrm Registered Users Posts: 24 Big grins
edited April 17, 2011 in Sports
My Mark IV arrived yesterday and I am hoping to get a 300 2.8 in the next several weeks.

The Mark IV is a bit heavier than my 40D and once I add the 300 I think I'll be challenged to go all game handheld. I tried a monopod several months ago and didn't find it too comfortable. A majority of my shots were slanted one way or the other and some I missed cause of not being used to the monopod. Id like to give it another try but with a better monopod this time.

Opinions and comments on some good Monopod/Head combinations would be very helpful.

Thanks
Bob
www.castnerphoto.net

Comments

  • toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited April 12, 2011
    I like the manfrotto 685B. No clamps/twist locks for set up.

    Squeeze the handle to raise/lower. Extremely fast set up (I think the fastest). Change heights in seconds with one hand & has good capacity
    Rags
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited April 13, 2011
    I use a Giottos P-Pod with a manfrotto Tilt Swivel head/w RC2 QR or the Manfrotto 322 Rc2 ball head
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited April 13, 2011
    Does your current tripod system use an Arca-swiss type clamp? That might influence your choice. And yes, unless you're built like Hulk Hogan, you do NOT want to be trying to hand hold a 300 f/2.8 for very long.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
  • travischancetravischance Registered Users Posts: 642 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2011
    torags wrote: »
    I like the manfrotto 685B. No clamps/twist locks for set up.

    Squeeze the handle to raise/lower. Extremely fast set up (I think the fastest). Change heights in seconds with one hand & has good capacity

    15524779-Ti.gif (I have this one and so far, its been great). Cheap too at around $60
    Travis M. Chance
    twin Mark IV's & a bunch of "L" glass
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  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,940 moderator
    edited April 16, 2011
    I have a Manfrotto 685. $50. Works great. I do not use any sort of head with the big glass--it's easy to control the lens without it.
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • catspawcatspaw Registered Users Posts: 1,292 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2011
    depending on how high action your games are, a gimbal head might be useful.
    //Leah
  • MJRPHOTOMJRPHOTO Registered Users Posts: 432 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2011
    I do not use a head on my mono. No need. I do use a wimberly dovetail connection on it so it is the same as my tripod mount.
    www.mjrphoto.net
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  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,940 moderator
    edited April 16, 2011
    catspaw wrote: »
    depending on how high action your games are, a gimbal head might be useful.

    A gimbal head on a monopod?
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • catspawcatspaw Registered Users Posts: 1,292 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2011
    ian408 wrote: »
    A gimbal head on a monopod?

    ayup. solves the feeling of being 'locked in' which I detest in a mono pod. I've used it that way, but it was another photographer who clued me in to that set up at the ice skating finals last year (speed skating, long track).
    //Leah
  • Farmer FredFarmer Fred Registered Users Posts: 34 Big grins
    edited April 17, 2011
    I use a Manfrotto 3218 with a 468RC2 ball head. A bit heavy but way sturdy.
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,940 moderator
    edited April 17, 2011
    catspaw wrote: »
    ayup. solves the feeling of being 'locked in' which I detest in a mono pod. I've used it that way, but it was another photographer who clued me in to that set up at the ice skating finals last year (speed skating, long track).

    I guess I don't see how a gimbal head, ie a Wimberley, is gonna be useful on a monopod. Tripod, absolutely. But a monopod, it seems like you're at risk of dropping the whole rig.

    Maybe a tilt head like the Manfrotto 234 ne_nau.gif but anything more complicated just makes using the monopod harder (to me at least).
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • kurtwkurtw Registered Users Posts: 100 Major grins
    edited April 17, 2011
    ian408 wrote: »
    I guess I don't see how a gimbal head, ie a Wimberley, is gonna be useful on a monopod. Tripod, absolutely. But a monopod, it seems like you're at risk of dropping the whole rig.

    Maybe a tilt head like the Manfrotto 234 ne_nau.gif but anything more complicated just makes using the monopod harder (to me at least).

    *IF* you aren't attaching the camera directly to the monopod (this is very stable of course), then a gimbal works well on a monopod for the same reason it works well on a tripod (compared to using a tilt or ball head). The gimbal gives you smooth and easy to use, on-the-fly tilt control without feeling incredibly unstable and top heavy. You're working with a brick hanging free under its own weight rather than a brick balanced tenuously on top of a hinge/ball. Plus you have some friction/drag control to further dampen movements.

    I sometimes use a 400f5.6 on a monopod with a (relatively) inexpensive Jobu gimbal and it works very good while still being much more portable than a tripod+head. I can't say how the 300f2.8 would be with an appropriate setup but I expect the same would be true.
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