Monopods - Are they worth having?

Are monopods worth the investment? What kinda of photography applications are they used for?

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Permalink Reply by jadeast on February 16, 2008 at 4:34pm

Never thought they were worth having an extra piece of equipment to carry. Don't think they do anything you can't do better with a tripod and a home made Steady cam is much more versatil in my opinion.

Permalink Reply by Steve on February 16, 2008 at 5:58pm

I have only seen a couple people use them, most photographers I see just use normal tripods.

Permalink Reply by Kelly Kiefer on February 16, 2008 at 10:34pm

I know people use them alot at sporting events for long-lens photos, more stability.

Permalink Reply by kkwok on February 16, 2008 at 11:34pm

I've seen 'TrekPods' at my local camera store. It is about the size of a monopod but works as a tripod with a very long center column. I can see this being used with a lightweight camera for lowlight photography such as fashion shows or fireworks shows. I would still rather use a tripod whenever possible though.

Permalink Reply by Earl E. Gibson on February 17, 2008 at 8:43am

Actually both Blake and Kelly are correct. They are mainly for places where you can not take a tripod. They are not meant as tripod replacements. Watch any NFL game and you will see sport photographers on the sidelines using them. I have one and have had a few occasions where it came in handy.

Permalink Reply by Glen on February 17, 2008 at 3:18pm

Boy I sure wish i had one on many occasions. I could almost bet that some of my shots would have come out much sharper if I had one.
I'll shoot the kids soccer, baseball and football games with my tripod folded up and with one leg down. Then if I want the tripod, BAM! it's there!

Permalink Reply by ian neilson on February 18, 2008 at 3:56pm

I bought a Manfrotto mono pod last summer and don't go anywhere without it. I love the unit and it helps me with low ISO speeds to achieve excellence in photo shooting....Give it a try......Ian

Permalink Reply by Earl E. Gibson on February 18, 2008 at 4:21pm

Ian,

I bought my Manfrotto last summer also. Which model did you get? I did not go expensive. I go the 679B model, but I agree... they do come in very handy.

Permalink Reply by Jim Van Namee on February 21, 2008 at 6:03pm

I have a SunPak VersiPod 2 monopod. It has 3 legs that open up and becomes a tripod. Is it as steady as a regular tripod? No! But, it is helpful when I need something to help keep the camera steady. It also doubles as a walking stick.

Jim Van Namee

Permalink Reply by Jim Van Namee on February 21, 2008 at 6:27pm

I should have mentioned that I would rather use my tripod rather than the SunPak monopod, but sometimes I just don't want to lug the bloody thing around over hill and dale. It's a bit heavy.

Permalink Reply by Ryan on February 21, 2008 at 6:16pm