Time to buy a monopod

[rgusberti]

I've become quite adept at lurking at the Sports Forum, and now I've decided to go mono, so I thought I would come over to the Help forum. I shoot a Canon 20D and do a good amount of sports with the EF 70-200L IS and the 1.4 extender. I know it's time to start using a monopod, as more and more my arms are feeling it. Liven, if you're out there, I remember some time ago you posted some shots of your recently expired monopod. Not really sure what you replaced it with.
Manfrotto seems to be the one of choice. If any of you can provide guidance I would very much appreciate it.
Thanks
Bob G

[SmartWombat]

Yep, mine is a manfrotto.

I wish now I'd bought lightweight carbon fibre.
After walking about for 24 hours at Le Mans it felt rather heavy

[drg]

The Bogen-Manfrotto options are many!

In the moderate cost range, the 681/682 is a nice NON-Carbon Fiber unit. Weight might be an issue. Accesories are available and one package includes a quick release head. Another package includes a self standing tri-foot option, but it does not replace a tripod no matter what the literature says! Still and all a good sturdy series. I've used the non-tripod type 681 and I think that's the model series in the trunk of one of the cars all the time.

There are also multi-section (4 or more) as opposed to the three section monopods that close up much smaller and many are carbon fiber which makes them almost weightless. More money. I don't know that many of these come with a head.

I've also used with some regularity a Giottos Carbon Fiber with a sliding plate head (Bogen 32xx I believe) because I use different combos of bodies and lenses and the plate easily adjusts for different centers of gravity of different setups.

If you are going to hike around a lot, get a carbon fiber, the weight savings is noticeable. If you are going to be in one spot, or want an extra option occasionally the aluminum varieties work just as well.

A good head, if one not included, for the monopod though is worth an extra $50 or thereabouts.

Let us know what you find!

[SmartWombat]

Mine is the 679B http://www.manfrotto.com/Jahia/site/manfrotto/cache/off/pid/2366?livid=107|117&idx=119

Worth noting that the standard manfrotto quick release does not fit direct on the monopod.
The pivot pin for the release lever protrudes below the plate and it prevents it fitting on directly.
Adding a 488 ball head solves that problem but makes it even heavier.

[rovowen]

Just a couple of months ago, I also was in the market to upgrade the el-cheapo mono-pod that I owned.
I looked at the monfrotto with the stand. It is a heavy brute. Plus not sure I would want to trust my camera sitting on top of it unsupported. To me, was not easy to close up the stand when moving around.
But I had an image, of me carrying that weapon around in a crowd of people. Camera, lens being carried as a club on one end and war spikes on the other.

[livin4lax09]

ive got the same one as SW, I think its a good weight. I wish it were a bit stronger though, you can feel it bend when you lean it against something.

[rgusberti]

To all who responded...thanks
I think I'll be going with the manfrotto 681b with a variation (one of the various quick release systems) on the 488 Ball Head . I'm guessing, based on what and how much I shoot, this system will serve me well for a long time to come.
Thanks for the responses!

[gryphonslair99]

Ok, I just had to jump in here. If you are planning on shooting sports and using the 70-200 then I would drop the 488 ball head. Serves no real purpose unless you are shooting small glass that has no tripod ring. With the tripod ring on the 70-200, a half twist of the knob loosens it up enough to switch to portrait mode. Much more stable. A ball head will placed in portrait mode will shift the balance to one side.

For me, since I almost never have my rig on a monopod with a lens ring I prefer th 680B (4 section bit shorter closed) with the 3232 head and an Arca-Swiss type QR head. On one of those rare occasions i happen to be shooting with a short lens with no ring then I prefer putting my Custom Brackets QRS-35-SV Bracket on top with my camera. Keeps the body directly above the tripod.

[livin4lax09]

i never use a head on my monopod. just adds weight. there's no real benefit to it, since the monopod only has 1 leg that can move pretty freely.

[gryphonslair99]

i never use a head on my monopod. just adds weight. there's no real benefit to it, since the monopod only has 1 leg that can move pretty freely.

The benefit to a tilting head is a simple one. The least stable position to use a monopod is to have it sitting vertically on the ground. It is much more stable to have it either positioned behind your feet against your leg or my position of choice with the monopod leg coming back and the foot of the monopod resting against the inside of my foot. That creates a more stable platform for shooting from. Especially for a long period of time. This requires at least a tilt head on the monopod.

http://www.outdooreyes.com/photo5.php3

[deckcadet]

I also never really use a head on my monopods. For a relatively small lens like a 70-200, it's possible a small swivel/tilt head would be okay (e.g. Manfrotto 3232- i think that's the one), but if you ever upgrade to a heavier lens, it probably won't be something you'd trust that much.

I own both the 679B and 681B. The 681 is noticeably thicker and larger- if you ask me overkill for your rig. The 679 is plenty sturdy and is a better choice, if you ask me. Mine is a bit worse for wear, but despite being worn out at the foot, bent in the lower section, being tackled by a football player full-on, pummeled, abused, used as a walking stick, supporting lenses 300mm 2.8 and longer, thrown in the trunk, on the patio, on the field, in the classroom, the lower segment packed with dirt 8" in, dragged about in the mud, rain, even a hurricane!- it still works great. Old faithful, really. The single most abused part of my kit.

Right now since I've only got one monopod-material long lens (300/2.8L IS) it sits backup to my 681 which I bought for my old 400mm f/2.8, which is twice as heavy as the 300mm. When I shot with the 400mm, I was also shooting either a 70-200 or 200 f/2.0 (same weight and size as a 300mm 2.8) so I had the 679 for that.

Basically, just get the 679

[livin4lax09]

The benefit to a tilting head is a simple one. The least stable position to use a monopod is to have it sitting vertically on the ground. It is much more stable to have it either positioned behind your feet against your leg or my position of choice with the monopod leg coming back and the foot of the monopod resting against the inside of my foot. That creates a more stable platform for shooting from. Especially for a long period of time. This requires at least a tilt head on the monopod.

http://www.outdooreyes.com/photo5.php3

on paper, yes it makes much more sense. I have seen that site before, when I was looking around for buying monopods. But I have to tell you, holding a pod like that (at least for me) makes it much harder to shoot, and much more awkward to have it right against my body. I'm not really looking for stability as much as something to just save my arms when I'm shooting for 14 hours straight. I guess it really just all depends on how you use it and what you're looking to get out of it. As I said, I've tried it, and even tried tilting it, but I find it screws with my lateral movement and I have to adjust the head. Between zooming and holding the pod, adjusting the head is a little too much for me. By no means am I saying you should shoot how I shoot, I'm just saying what I do has been proven to work for me.

most of the time i prefer to handhold the 70-200 anyways, unless I am shooting for an extended period of time where I have to constantly be holding the camera up.

one other thing to think about is how you shoot. I tend to sit for field sports to get a low perspective, and if a head were on the monopod it would be too tall.

[drg]

There is another reason for the head and NOT only Ball head should be considered. I use one for the quick release capability. If I need to change lenses (I've had lenses crap out at very inopportune times) instead of unscrewing the thing, mounting a new lens to body and then screwing back in, I just hit the QR and mount a whole second camera and lens with the plate already installed.

I also have numerous occasions (and I shoot a lot where there are things both above and below my feet so that is different as well) where I want to quickly change between fixed focal length or t/s lens and just change the entire camera.

Try shooting on very broken ground such as moto-cross or TT's with a rigid monopod. You'll throw the damn thing away in five minutes. Put a head on, and leave it loose and you will wonder how you ever did without it. The head isn't meant to be tight like on tripod, it is meant to be a guide and keep the camera motion in a range so you can just go right back to the same spot and get, for example, ten riders off a jump with virtually the same background over and over and over in a few seconds.

Try shooting from about ten rows up in a normal basketball arena and you may find the a monopod will greatly lessen any discomfort of swinging the camera back and forth.

There was a mono head I had that was a big chunk of rubber between the camera plate and the pod plate that just let you wiggle the camera around. It didn't last very long, but it works really well and I've never replaced the insert as I haven't had to shoot anything for some time where it would work best.

The adjustable plates whether from Bogen/Manfrotto or ARCA come in very handy when using a T/C, a big 2.8, and wireless controller to handle ganged or preset strobes. Otherwise it can be a bulky unwieldy combo and if a tripod setup isn't practical the movable head really helps.

[rgusberti]

Thanks for all your detailed responses. I probably have overthought this purchase. Liven, I have only shot handheld so far. Normally not too big a deal. There's plenty of downtime in the sports I am currently shooting. But as you pointed out (and I haven't had any 14 hr days yet) it can get to the forearms after several hours (maybe I need to start hitting the weights again).

It's real great to be able to tap into the collective wisdom and experience on this forum. I now will be able to make a better informed purchase.

As in the past, my gratitude
Bob G