monopod

[cruso]

hi can any one recommend a monopod . And will i need a head. for 40d 100-400 lens

[c2thew]

manfrotto monopods in my opinion have the best bang for the buck in stability and ease of use.

carbon monopods = overpriced and do the same job

cheap aluminum monopods = waste of money and you get what you pay for.

[JohnJ80]

hi can any one recommend a monopod . And will i need a head. for 40d 100-400 lens

Why do you need a head?

I'd look at the monopod offerings from Gitzo and Feisol.

J.

[ed rader]

hi can any one recommend a monopod . And will i need a head. for 40d 100-400 lens


i've owned gitzo, manfrotto and benro monopods. my favorite monopod for my current equipment is the benro MC-66 (owned it twice) with manfrotto tilt head and RRS flip lever release.

the monopod is 5-section and weighs under a pound without head and collapses to 16.25" without the head.

i use this set-up with 1d mark III and 100-400L . i've taken the benro to africa on safari and to katmai np to shoot brown bears.

ed rader

[Lowner]

Whether you need a head and indeed what sort of head very much depends on what you intend to use it for.

I shoot motorsports with mine and need a fully functioning ball head and QR clamp so that I can plant the monopod foot between my feet and pan with the subject. I have read that others manage without heads, or simple tilt heads for other photography. If you do get a ballhead it need not be as expensive as a head for a tripod. I use a basic Manfrotto 486 with a Markins QR-60 clamp on mine.

[cruso]

i am doing wildlife and birds at a moment I am thinking a carbon fiber so it is light for taking on Holiday but dont know what head would be the best?

[Lowner]

Cruso,

Try it without and see how you get on. That will help you decide how much movement you need if indeed you need one at all. Tilt heads only operate vertically, while a ball has the full range of movement.

[Mark Theriot]

I've had Gitzo's that cost twice as much but I'll take the Induro every time!

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=655319&is=REG

For ground level and panning (like drag racing) I could get by without a head but I prefer a simple monopod ball head. I use the ball head loose and wrap my free hand around it for stabilization - works for me!

Mark

[jhom]

The Manfrotto 680 is a very good and inexpensive monopod. If you want cf then Gitzo has several excellent monopods.

[PacAce]

hi can any one recommend a monopod . And will i need a head. for 40d 100-400 lens

For shooting birds especially in flight, yes, you'll need a head. I'd recommend one of the following (both require the use of an Arca-Swiss compatible QR system):

RRS Hi-Capacity monopod head:
http://reallyrightstuff.com/rrs/Itemdesc.asp?ic=MH%2D01%2D40LR&eq=&Tp=

Wimberley Head II (good for big lenses but might be overkill for the 100-400):
http://tripodhead.com/products/wimberley-main.cfm

Manfrotto has the 234 swivel/tilt head which has a load capacity of only 5.5 pounds. But it's probably OK for the 100-400 lens. One version comes with an RC2 QR plate and clamp and the other version has a screw so you can mount your own clamp to it.

[Jon]

I'll second Leo on the RRS or Wimberley heads. I use the RRS monopod head on mine with lenses up to the 300 2.8 + stacked TCs. I had a Manfrotto swivel-tilt (non RC2 model) with A-S clamp attached and it just wouldn't stay solidly in position no matter how I tightened it down, even with the 100-400. But if you use an RC2 QR, it'll probably be OK.

[wicker_man]

A friend has a Manfrotto 680B monopod which he uses with a gripped D90 + Sigma 70-200mm f2.8, and he recommends it. It seems very solid, and available for around £40 in the UK.

[ben_r_]

I have owned a Bogen/Manfrotto 680B and a Gitzo GM2541 and a few heads and if youre going cheap, I think the 680B with a bogen ball head is good, if you wanna go top notch, check out my review here: LINK (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=556818)

[cruso]

thanks a lot every one. that as given me a lot to think about their is a lot more choices than i thought their is some really top notch rigs i will search around and see what i can get hold of in the UK that fits my pocket i dont want to go cheap though

[DeaconG]

I'm currently using the Manfrotto 685B Neotec with a 486RC2 head...doesn't collapse as short as the others, but I've gotten the one hand trigger trick down. Works very well with my Bigmos.

More food fer thought...are you stuffed yet?:lol:

[Lowner]

"More food fer thought...are you stuffed yet"?

Very!

I use a carbon fibre Manfrotto 694, to which I've added an old Manfrotto 486 and Markins QR-60 clamp. Like all the Manfrotto range it uses the lever lock system rather than the twist locks favoured by Gitzo. I happen to prefer the lever system.

Quality is slightly less of an issue with monopods than tripods, as long as the leg is sturdy then it will do the job. A previous monopod of mine was a well sellotaped cheapy alloy twist lock Velbon. It was fine except that it was prone to gradually getting shorter! It met it's end when my wife twisted her ankle badly at a MotoGP event and had to use it as a walking stick (It did not survive the experience), yet was perfectly usable as a monopod until then.