I wanted to know if it would be practical to use a monopod for DSLR that doesnt have one of thoes huge heavy lenses. I got a Nikon D70s with a 18-70mm kit lense but im planning on gettin something a little better in the future but nothing huge.

Anything that helps keep your camera steady is practical. Not as effective as a tripod but way better than your hands/arms.

I wanted to know if it would be practical to use a monopod for DSLR that doesnt have one of thoes huge heavy lenses. I got a Nikon D70s with a 18-70mm kit lense but im planning on gettin something a little better in the future but nothing huge.

The important word here is "practical". I have a nice Manfrotto monopod which I bought for serious hiking in the Alps when a tripod is too bulky to carry and I'm too busy trying to keep up with the rest of the party to do many photos. The monopod works fine as a walking stick and as a support for the camera (mostly in the evening and morning when we camp).

HOWEVER for more general use - it just gets in the way. When I'm wandering about in cities and I want to whip the camera out and do a quick shot without using the monopod - I don't know what to do with the monopod. I need two hands to hold the camera and a third one to hold the monopod.

On serious landscape trips I need something really solid and the tripod is way ahead. So my monopod doesn't get much use.

Charles

but im planning on gettin something a little better in the future but nothing huge.

Just a comment about that quote - there's nothing wrong with the 18-70. It might not be the perfect lens for every situation but if you think that your equipment isn't any good then you might blame any problems with your shots on it. Kind of a pet peeve - you should be able to do pretty well with this lens but it's maximum aperture will hold you back in some situations. That's why pros use those big, heavy, expensive f2.8 zooms.

Anyway - I have a monopod and have used it about a grand total of twice in 2-3 years. Like Charles, I find it got more in the way than anything else but can be a big help when you're down to barely hand-holdable shutter speeds. I'd get a good tripod first and use it with the legs extended but closed together. See if it's what you're looking for - but the tripod will be handy in many situations.

The important word here is "practical". I have a nice Manfrotto monopod which I bought for serious hiking in the Alps when a tripod is too bulky to carry and I'm too busy trying to keep up with the rest of the party to do many photos. The monopod works fine as a walking stick and as a support for the camera (mostly in the evening and morning when we camp).

HOWEVER for more general use - it just gets in the way. When I'm wandering about in cities and I want to whip the camera out and do a quick shot without using the monopod - I don't know what to do with the monopod. I need two hands to hold the camera and a third one to hold the monopod.

On serious landscape trips I need something really solid and the tripod is way ahead. So my monopod doesn't get much use.

Charles

thanks alot charles, i have a better idea now about them. Im going to china and japan (possibly other areas in asia) this winter so i wanted to get somethin that was easy to go around with but i think i might just buy a better tripod now.

Anything that helps keep your camera steady is practical. Not as effective as a tripod but way better than your hands/arms.

i see. thanks for the tip

Just a comment about that quote - there's nothing wrong with the 18-70. It might not be the perfect lens for every situation but if you think that your equipment isn't any good then you might blame any problems with your shots on it. Kind of a pet peeve - you should be able to do pretty well with this lens but it's maximum aperture will hold you back in some situations. That's why pros use those big, heavy, expensive f2.8 zooms.

Anyway - I have a monopod and have used it about a grand total of twice in 2-3 years. Like Charles, I find it got more in the way than anything else but can be a big help when you're down to barely hand-holdable shutter speeds. I'd get a good tripod first and use it with the legs extended but closed together. See if it's what you're looking for - but the tripod will be handy in many situations.

Its no that i think my 18-70 is bad, i love it, i think its excellent. but i wanted to get something that would let me zoom in more and maybe another lens that would let me get wide angle shots. But i woudl still keep and use my 18-70 lol.

anyways on your tip with the tri-pod, thats a really good idea i never thought of that lol. do you have any recomendations of what brand i should get?

anyways on your tip with the tri-pod, thats a really good idea i never thought of that lol. do you have any recomendations of what brand i should get?

My "standard" answer is a Bogen/Manfrotto 3001 with a 3025 head. Plenty of other good choices too, but you won't go wrong with that brand. Well, I'm not a fan of the pistol-grip heads but other than that...