Advice Needed on monopods and monopod tilt heads

[Ehcalum]

It wasn't that I wanted to use the wrong tool, it was being as new to this as I am, I did not realize I was considering the wrong tool for my needs until a number of extremely helpful people explained the differentpurposes for each. I will be saving for a tripod but Ehcalum's experience is paying off because in my opinion the photos posted in his profile are wonderful! Since I am just beginning, I am learning a lot about the gear I need (and don't need)from everyone on this site which is for the professional and the hobbyist like myself.


Denise
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Thanks for the props Denise. I wish you best of luck and joy with your photography.


People do not give the monopod enough credit. There are many different ways to hold a monopod, the most use way, just in front of your legs and in the center, is the least stable. I shoot sports, primarily, and wildlife. Freelance, I shoot surfing on a weekly basis in the summer with a 400 2.8 and a 500 F4 using the monopod. A tripod is not the correct tool for use on the beach with surfers, I have never seen anyone on the sidelines in a soccer game or a football game with a tripod and a 400 2.8. I shoot sports, primarily, and wildlife. I'm lucky, I can handhold a 300 f4 or a 70-200 2.8 for hours and with a steady hand, God and years of piano and the french horn gifted me the ability of strong steady hands.


I don't hate tripods, I just prefer the monopod. I have a decent tripod myself, and yes I do use it on occassion. Tripods, even carbon fiber ones will always be bulky in my opinion, and take a bit of time to setup, level. For the record, I depending on the lens, I can hand hold down to 1/5 of a second, without IS (IS is an entirely different rant of mine) [img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.24.72/monopod_5F00_400.jpg[/img]

[neuroanatomist]

No question that monopods are great tools for their intended use. But the type of shooting you're doing determines the support you'll need. In addition to the 300mm, Denise also has the 100mm L Macro and stated an interest in taking pics of flowers. Getting any sort of reasonable DOF in macro shooting requires long exposures (several seconds, sometimes) - a monopod, no matter how it's held and regardless of the experience and steadiness of the hands of the user, just is not going to permit exposures of that length.