let's talk....monopods

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

never had a real one, always have used a hiking stick with a bolt on top, which worked just fine.

was just handed a really nice vanguard, folds short, goes long and has a swivel foot

anyone else use one?

[Mira]

1. Not yet. I asked for one for Christmas, and will follow this thread with interest N/T

[ManiacJoe]

2. I have a Giottos mm5580 monopod.

I have not used it that much, mostly because the situation was easier with hand holding or because I really needed a tripod. It is not light, but it is more than adequate for getting the job done in the right circumstances.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

4. i use my walking stick a lot

mostly as a holder for flashes... I find it is pretty handy for that... the monopod I now have is a vanguard elite c-324, which is a carbon-fiber wonder.... lite, short enough to actually carry... seems pretty sturdy even for big lenses... long enough for my flash stick thing...

[NV Whino]

3. Looking for one

My current infirmities still make it tough to hold the D100 steady. I thought a monopod might be a good answer for quick shots.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. might help... are you getting camera movement

issues?

d100's are heavy

[NV Whino]

6. Yeah.

About 1 in 5 is in focus.

[Adsos Letter]

7. Sounds nice; alfredo encouraged me to think about one, so I just

purchased these two:

Manfrotto 679B (no swivel foot, though)



and a Manfrotto 234RC tilt-head




They just modified the tilt-head to replace the four-eared thumb twist with a two-eared one, which is what I have.

It worked very well for me on a trip to the Presidio last week, and as alfredo also suggested to me, it works well as a walking stick.

This set-up was a little less than $100 (including shipping), and is certain to make it out of the house with me more often than the tripod does.

[HappyCynic]

8. Manfrotto 790B

Mine is a Manfrotto 790B. I have to get a swivel head for it though. I've been looking at the same one Adsos Letter bought.
I chose the 790B because it was the most compact I could find. Its folded length is 15.4", which is small enough to easily fit in a normal sized backpack. It's light too, weighing in at less than 300 grams. The price is good too - less than $40.
It only supports 1 kg so if you have a really heavy camera/lens/flash setup, you'll probably want a heavier/sturdier monopod. It doesn't have a swivel foot either.
I usually try to push it against something (like a railing) for additional stability, especially for slow shutter speed shots. I don't normally pack my tripod (which is a cheap, short, lightweight one) but I always pack my monopod.

[Adsos Letter]

9. If you are at all concerned about weight, that 234RC is fairly heavy

it's almost entirely cast metal.

You enjoy backpacking? Have you ever read any of Colin Fletcher's books? The Man Who Walked Through Time was the one I remember most, mainly because of his obsession with weight.

Did quite a lot of backpacking when I was younger.

[HappyCynic]

11. Weight

I'm not too concerned about weight (but every little bit helps). I tend to carry a lot anyways - camera, a few extra lenses (including the Minolta beercan which is about a pound and a half by itself), monopod, misc other stuff. So the weight wasn't actually the key factor for me but I did think it was worth mentioning for those who are concerned about it. For me, the key factor was the folded size. I currently have a giant camera bag that I'm really just using as a storage system and a normal backpack. When I'm out and about on the weekends with the camera, I don't want stuff hanging off the side of the pack so it was important that a monopod be small enough to fit inside the pack.
I haven't read any of his books and I haven't really done any backpacking. My current outings are currently only half day outings. I currently just throw my camera stuff in a backpack and go to various places in and around the city. I'm working most of the week, then one day for errands, and one day for either getting some shots or resting.

[alfredo]

10. Yes, I have a Promaster 1600 with a Promaster ball head. One

thing I found is that you need an insert to make the threads compatible. I like it.

I put my camera on the monopod, adjusted the ball head pointing down. I extended to its full length, set the timer on my camera, hoisted the camera into the air and got this:


I set the camera to color accent.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

12. that's funny

I bet that old guy behind you was pissed you took his picture


oh, wait

that's you?

ooops

my bad

LOL

[alfredo]

14. He's not pissed, he's amazed that the guy taking the picture is

only fifteen, still growing, and hates basketball.

That technique could be used for some interesting group photos.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

13. but seriously, I guess I need a ball

head on mine too... the foot thing is nice, but...

the problem is the ones that are just ball heads are too flimsy, and the ones made for tripods are too big/heavy for what I want

[alfredo]

15. You can try them out in the store to see if they will support

your camera. Mine is a rangefinder style so it isn't very heavy. The ball head I bought looks pretty substantial.

[alfredo]

16. Here's the one I got

Be sure to take your monopod with you to make sure the thread of the monopod and the head match. If you are worried about weight overwhelming the smaller one, go with the heavy duty.

Here's the one I have.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

17. yeah, that is real similar to the one I

had in my photo junk box/closet

but I can't get it to tighten down... going to try some kind of gasket/washer

[alfredo]

19. That's what I did. It shouldn't cost more than a few dollars.

[NashVegas]

18. I've Got a Quantaray w/Ballhead

It SUCKS.

[alfredo]

20. Garage sell it and get something different.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

23. okay, here is my answer to that

you may call it a big disgusting mess, I call it home

my workroom

[alfredo]

24. That is a real live man cave.

[Adsos Letter]

28. Everyone is looking at all that camera stuff

and, as a retired painter/finisher, I am checkin' out that beautiful door! :thumbsup:

[kentauros]

29. You're lookin' at the door

and missing that nice chest buried in the background?!

[Adsos Letter]

30. The chest looks nice

but I spent years as a finisher on mega-mansions up in Napa Valley, making new surfaces look like that. Loved it!

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

31. we do have some nice wood in this house

1910 Bungalow

and the chest is a Lane,, but the lid is cracked, which is why I got it for photo stuff

I should post a pic of the other wall, it is worse

[Adsos Letter]

32. Craftsman and Art-Deco are my favorite styles

1910; yes, I would bet there is some very nice wood in there.

Unless you're willing to spend some serious money, the newer homes around here can't hold a candle to the early-20th century designs.

Edited to add that even the multi-million dollar estates up in Napa Valley often spen big bucks to reproduce the materials and designs of earlier years.

[alfredo]

34. Do they do the cross and bible doors out west, or is that a regional thing?

[Adsos Letter]

38. Yes; they are actually fairly common in older homes, and even some new designs

but I suspect the association of "cross and bible" with the panel layout is lost on most, except the interior designers.

[alfredo]

39. And old farts like me

[Adsos Letter]

40. Hey now, I wear my Old Fartdom proudly.

[alfredo]

41. Same here. I like having a few years under my belt, and a bit of me

over my belt.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

42. dunlap's disease

yo belly dunlaped over yo belt?

[alfredo]

43. Not as much as two months ago. I've lost 11 to 12 lbs.

[HappyCynic]

37. There should be...

There should be a poll on what everyone's looking at most:
1. Cameras on the left hand side of the photo.
2. The door.
3. The chest.
4. The big zoom lens in the back.
5. WannaJumpMyScooter.
6. Other.

[JeffR]

36. Nothing disgusting about that. I can actually see parts of the floor

unlike in my own.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

21. well, that turned into a project

crap... the thing got to a point where it would not loosen or tighten, even with Boatswain's Mate Brute Force (tm)

so, finally got the ball part apart and was able to put a wrench in the middle to hold it

now have it back on with locktite on the adapter thing and some gasket material between the ball head and monopod plates

it still swings around, but I feel somehow satisfied.

[Adsos Letter]

22. Struggle-induced endorphins will do that.

[kentauros]

25. I like the idea of a bolt in a walking stick as I have the latter.

I'll have to look into installing one :)

I have one of those Gorilla Grip tripods for my point'n'shoot, but rarely use it.

I don't use the vacuum-mount "instrument base" often either, but it's the closest thing to a monopod I've got. I just took the portrait below with it:










It's pretty solid once you wet the base and have a smooth surface for it :)

[Cassandra]

26. Didn't realize I was hanging out with a lot of...

old guys. I thought a lot of you were younger than me. Oh well, at least I have more hair.

[kentauros]

27. My hair started falling out when I was 16

thanks to a ruptured appendix. My dermatologist at the time told me my body shut down all non-essential things like hair growth while I healed. So, I had a widow's peak at age 17! :o

I'm not that old, either, just 48 ;)

[Cassandra]

33. Just a babe!

My apologies. ;-)

[kentauros]

35. That's okay

:D

I still got plenty of years left. If we make it past 2012 :P

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

44. finally gave up frankensteining my old

ball head and bought a manfrotto 484RC2.... I like the lever lock, and it has a built-in quick release for my system I already use

[Adsos Letter]

45. That looks like a good addition to yer equipment

and the lever lock looks efficient.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

46. yep, I like it... had to make it fit existing

flash stuff, but I think it will do just fine... certainly better than the walking stick with a bolt in it



and the resultant light on mo

[Adsos Letter]

47. That shot of Mo is outstanding!

I take it she and her shop steward got the grievance worked out? :D