Hand Held or Monopod - whats your preference?

I'd say I hand hold 99% of the time.

I shoot with with a Sigma 50-500mm, and a Sigma 70-200mm (sometimes with 2x plonked on). The main reason I shoot hand held, is that I simply feel more comfortable that way. I've always found a monopod restrictive. For me personally it make tracking a lot harder and it doesn't really add any benifits for me, unless it's very windy.

When I start shooting with the really big lenses, I guess I'll have to get used to one, but for now, hand held for me.

When using my Bigma I as a matter of course fit my monopod but will still handhold for pans. I tried panning on the monopod but really didn't like it and I don't think it will help with getting good steady pans.

i think its all dependent on the monopod/head combination. a friend of mine has one which is silky smooth, makes panning just as easy as handheld if not easier. then i have another friend, same monopod, different head, to hard to use.

I have to say there are sometimes that i would love to use a monopod with my 300 f2.8 but for the majority of motorsport pics i take it would make getting a decent pan shot next to impossible and i just cant be botherd to lug it around when there are other objects and methods you can use around the track to steady yourself and your lens.

I have a Sigma 120-300, (and unlike my avatar shot), I DON'T use my monopod. I hand hold everything, I get much sharper shots, and a more fluid movement through my arms, than some rigid thing. Most recently, I've shot motorsports. Only time I've found monopod handy, was shooting the pod at lowest height, 2 feet off the ground, doing rugby/league shots...

http://wazza.nfscity.c​om/20d/nrl_04.jpg

Well, I am a wuss I guess... because I use a monopod all the time. I frankly haven't had any issues panning with it either - it is just a matter of adjusting the height correctly so you are not tempted to swing the camera at a angle, which you can't do with a monopod. Which leads to the second reason I use one all the time - once setup - I never have to worry about horizons being off. It reduces one variable in composing the image also as you have it set properly vertically... you just need to locate the subject horizontally. I am just not really clear what shot it is you can get hand held you can't get with a monopod. I surely am not going to hand hold the big lenses for the 12 hour in Atlanta later this month. Oh well....

i hand hold 99% of the time even my 500f4 with 1.4tc - for birds in flight i think its the only way to get the shot.
Rob.