monopod question

hey guys i have a question, I am about to get a monopod and everyone has the monopod and a head. do you need the head? can't you just screw it in the bottom of the camera? Also I am planning on getting a sigma 70-200 2.8 do i need anything special to attach the monopod to the lens? Thanks for the help i hope these arn't stupid questions

Depends on what you're shooting. Many of us use the tripod nd the camera off-axis. If you're happy with the camera being squarely locked at right angles to the tripod, by all means skip the head. But even people who don't use a ball or tilt head frequently use a quick release adapter.

mep42 wrote in post #6353880
hey guys i have a question, I am about to get a monopod and everyone has the monopod and a head. do you need the head? can't you just screw it in the bottom of the camera? Also I am planning on getting a sigma 70-200 2.8 do i need anything special to attach the monopod to the lens? Thanks for the help i hope these arn't stupid questions

Nope, you don't need a head. It all depends on what you shoot. Most sports shooters don't use a head. If you need one, you might consider a tilt head like the Manfrotto 3232.

Nope, you don't need anything special to attach the lens or camera to the monopod. However, a QR clamp and plates like RRS makes it very convenient.

I like a quick release on my monopod. As my tripod has an Acratech head with Arca-Swiss clamp, so does my monopod have an A-S clamp.

I also have a Bogen 3232 (I think the number is right...) tilt head for the monopod - the clamp is an RRS lever clamp. I use a lens plate on all my long lenses and connect that to the monopod.

The scenario - I'm tracking birds - one is perched, so I need support. After a few frames, the bird takes flight. I flip the lever on teh quick release plate, and let the monopod/head/clamp rig fall in the grass, and swing into bird-in-flight mode.

Beats the heck out of screwing and unscrewing the tripod each time to use or to put the thing away.