Why use a head unit on a monopod?

I have read on several occasions in this forum that people use a ball head on their monopod. My question is why? It's a stick. It can easily rotate on the ground. and I also don't see why, unless you had the monopod at an odd angle to the ground, why you'd even need a fully adjustable head. If it's being held at such an odd angle, just hand hold.

I have a monopod, and I have never found a use for a complex head unit yet.

Just my observation, and curiosity.

-Kirk

I have a Manfrotto mono pod and a head for it. Reasons being a, the head has a quick detachable mounting plate that I can leave on the camera, simply click on and off and b, have you ever tried going to portrait (vertical) mode with a mono pod

ah...portrait...never thought of that. duh. that was short-lived confusion.

I don't shoot a lot of portrait...which is perhaps why I didn't think of it.


Thanks
-Kirk

I screw the monopod directly into the foot of the lens' tripod collar....

And, usually, any lens that's heavy enough to USE a monopod with (a few that come to mind: 70-200 2.8; 100-400 5.6; 300 2.8; 400 2.8; etc.) have their own tripod collar that rotates ... so it's easy to go from horizontal to portrait even attached directly to a monopod. And I go from landscape mode to portrait mode at the turn of lock ....

I've tried to use a ball-head on a monopod, but was totally unsuccesfull with it - no amount of tightening the ball head could prevent my 400 2.8 from dipping and wobbling all over the place ... I just never could keep it steady and level ...

So, for me, monopod only - no ball head .....

the quick release it worth it alone, but another benefit is the ability to sqaure the picture in the event the camera cannot be directly above the foot of the tripod. I would not have guessed it until I got mine, it made things way simpler.

AA

I have ball heads on both of my monopods. I wouldn't have it any other way.

When I am using it for motorsports I like that I can pan or adjust as the cars come at me without having to alter my stance. With a large lens, the tripod ring is essential to keep the whole rig in balance. Vertical (portrait) orientation is another reason.

The other interesting use of a monopod for me was shooting high school plays. I sat in a seat in the orchestra pit and ran the monopod from my chest down to the floor at an angle and secured the bottom with my feet. The ball head allowed me to have the camera at that odd angle. It worked quite well.

My 2 cents.

Have Fun,

I have considered getting a monopod... Maybe this Christmas!

The monopod's foot should form the stationary third side of a tripod along with your 2 size 12 Nike's. So to avoid a shaky soft-shoe-shuffle you still need one plane of movement (up &down) on the monopod for anything that's not on the straight & level, such as aircraft or birds.
I use a Manfrotto head that just tilts up and down, rather than a full ball.

I use my monopod in many ways, including while I am sitting and waiting for some sort of animal or bird to do whatever I am waiting for it to do. The monopod could be at a very strange angle, and a ball head (Bogen/Manfrotto 486RC2) on top makes this sort of thing not only possible but quite practical.

Since I may be using the monopod with the camera in any position, the ball head is much more versatile than the one-way tilt heads.

It all depends on what you are doing with the setup. You never see pros using ballheads with monopods at sporting events when they have lenses with collars. You very quickly learn how to tilt as well as pan. With short lenses, even a 70-200 2.8IS, there isn't any need for a monopod unless you are in virtual darkness with a very slow shutter speed. Your own lens collection does not justify one, unless you do a lot of low-light work.

Disagree with KennyG here. You, as a pro photographer may well be able to hold a 75 - 300 (zoomed out to 300mm) perfectly stable, but I'll bet there are a shed load of people here that cant

I find the ball head works great for lenses like the 70-200 f/2.8 IS that you can hand hold for a period of time but don't want to hold for long. After 4-5 hours it can make a BIG difference on how my back feels.

Monopod with the lens mounted directly to it. For vertical shot's I leave the collar slightly loose. Shooting with a 70-200 2.8L non IS only so this might not apply if you don't have a lens collar.

Why not go for one more and you'll have a tripod.....

I have a ball head on my most used monopod for practically all the reasons stated above. I do have a monopod without the head which is a bit lighter, but I really seldom use it.

Mark