Monopods; any recommendations?

[jdlaing]

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I prefer a monopod which can conceal a long metal blade that can be pulled out for defense. So far I haven't found anyone selling one. Maybe I should patent the idea and start dreaming of getting rich.

 

You couldn't have one in San Francisco anyway.

[otto.f]

I have a Manfrotto monopod which is not expensive and very sturdy. I used it in the mountains as a walking stick, but it was in fact too heavy for that purpose.

I totally agree with pico here. I found that a monopod is in fact useless/redundant, unless the camera body + lens is a completely unbalanced unit. I don't know about the system you want to support but a thumb grip on your M is very usefull from 75 to 135mm and can make a monopod superfluous. With a monopod there's hardly any gain in IQ compared to handheld, only a tripod can deliver that.

 

So my next idea was to bring a lightweight tripod: with this I had even more movement blur than handheld, most probably because of the wind in the mountains.

So I doubt whether a carbon Gitzo tripod would be better than my good old steel Gitzo Reporter, which is heavy, reliable and comes with real gain in IQ

[pico]

I prefer a monopod which can conceal a long metal blade that can be pulled out for defense. So far I haven't found anyone selling one. Maybe I should patent the idea and start dreaming of getting rich.

 

I can make you one.

[mmradman]

From my limited experience (computer games), projectile weapons are more effective than a pointed stick.

Wondering, what video games does Kim Jong Un likes to play?

 

Back to topic, a small table tripod like Manfrotto 709B, very cheap and lighter than Leica equivalent, would support any M camera of the street furniture.  I rested mine on top of rounded street bollards, example M9 with SEM 21mm and 3 sec exposure.

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[lucerne]

Ensure you buy a model that extends to a height that puts the camera viewfinder at the height of your eyes. Second. The number of sections influences the strength and stability of the monopod. Less is better but less might mean that the collapsed monopod is longer than you want for packing in a case for long distance travel. Weight is determined by the materials used . Carbon fibre is light and strong but the most expensive.

Check out Gitzo and Manfrotto.

[jaapv]

I do use a monopod that doubles as a walking stick/ski pole, but it is mainly used to stabilize video shots (M240 ). As a tripod replacement I find it pretty useless and prefer using a bean bag and placing the camera on some convenient surface.

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[Tailwagger]

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I was thinking of getting a monopod, possibly one with the 3 small feet on the bottom.

 

I have a Sirui P342-S from a couple of years ago which is a CF monopod with a removable set of feet. Its nicely made, came with a decent bag.  There are certainly downsides, however.  With the feet in place, the size and weight is pretty much the same as my Gitzo GT2531 with nowhere near the stability in any dimension.  While its not flimsy nor overly tipsy,  I certainly would never leave my M240 atop it unattended, even indoors. The added complexity of the feet means that even with them removed, its not particularly light nor compact. To be blunt, as others have mentioned, from a pure shooting perspective the feet add very little value.  I'd suggest that If all you're interested in is a monopod, IMO, its not worth going this way.

 

That said, in general I do find the feet a worthwhile addition, though perhaps not for the reasons most might expect. The advantage of such a unit, as I see it, is that when not in use as a monopod, it can double as a light/remote flash stand.  For me, that aspect made spending the extra $$$ for a CF monopod, something I knew I would only use on very rare occasions, a more reasonable proposition.  In fact, this capability has become my primary use for it. So if the double duty aspect of a 3 foot monopod is appealing, it might be worth considering.