Monopod or Tripod for Typ 006

[Acekerman]

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New to Leica S but not Leicas. Any recommendations between a monopod or tripod for travel and pack gear. Thanks. 

[Herr Barnack]

I would highly recommend getting a monopod. 

I have used one for years and have found it to be quite valuable in slow shutter speed scenarios where you need a little assistance with camera stability but can get by without dragging out a tripod.  We are currently in Hawaii and I did not bring my monopod due to the airline checked bag weight restrictions.  I have missed having it and won't make that mistake again. 

 

[Acekerman]

I as hoping someone said monopod.

 

[albertknappmd]

I always use tripod as monopod is

1. useless in low light situations.

2. useless for doing panoramas (with Nodal point correction).

3. useless for long exposures etc...

Albert

[Acekerman]

I agree for those scenarios. I imagine I'll end up with both with the S.

 

[Stuart Richardson]

if your shutter speed is below 1/250th and you want to maximize the sharpness of the S, I highly recommend the heaviest tripod you can handle, preferably wood, but if not wood, then CF, especially from Really Right Stuff. But for long lenses, heavy wind or macro, a wooden tripod from Ries will do a much better job. Yes, you won't want to carry it, but IS noticeably better. It is more about choosing the right amount of inconvenience. I often do large crops and 1.5m prints, and live in the windiest inhabited country in the world, so take that into consideration with this...

Edited November 8, 2019 by Stuart Richardson

[albertknappmd]

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On 11/7/2019 at 7:12 PM, Stuart Richardson said:

if your shutter speed is below 1/250th and you want to maximize the sharpness of the S, I highly recommend the heaviest tripod you can handle, preferably wood, but if not wood, then CF, especially from Really Right Stuff. But for long lenses, heavy wind or macro, a wooden tripod from Ries will do a much better job. Yes, you won't want to carry it, but IS noticeably better. It is more about choosing the right amount of inconvenience. I often do large crops and 1.5m prints, and live in the windiest inhabited country in the world, so take that into consideration with this...

Stuart is quite correct..

I use the RRS CF tripod and have had great results... A high quality tripod is a must. How ironic it is when I see people with very expensive equipment astride a cheap unstable tripod. In the past I would comment but it was like criticizing some other parent's wayward child, so I now just roll my eyes and march on!

The only potential petulant parents are out in cyberspace!

Albert

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[albertknappmd]

The dolmen was taken on a recent trip to Ireland with a RRS tripod. The tripod was used predominantly to insure the correct composition as you can see.

[Acekerman]

Do you use the 55 or 40 head on your RRS tripod?

[otto.f]

On 11/7/2019 at 10:10 PM, Acekerman said:

I agree for those scenarios. I imagine I'll end up with both with the S.

 

Rollei has one or more tripods that contains a monopod, you just screw it off and on. Nice for a trekking when you to go for a promenade from basecamp and back. It’s good quality, I use the tripod even for 4x5, if I don’t need it to stand higher than a meter or so, that spares me the weight of my gitzo. It is called Rollei Rock Solid Carbon

Edited November 10, 2019 by otto.f

[Acekerman]

Thank you everyone. 

[albertknappmd]

13 hours ago, Acekerman said:

Do you use the 55 or 40 head on your RRS tripod?

55 for S but 40 may be fine... I don't know for sure..

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[albertknappmd]

Irish neolithic fortress on the island of Aran.

Zoom lens and HDR on tripod.

[Acekerman]

Ive been there its a beautiful place

[Stuart Richardson]

I use the BH55 for the TVC 33 and the BH40 for the smaller one. As with everything else in tripods, bigger and heavier is better for everything other than transport. The rule of thumb is bring the biggest, heaviest tripod and head you are comfortable using. This is not a problem you can buy your way out of...you want the largest coupling surface and most amount of mass with the most "dead" material. Well made wood tripods with big heads are best, followed by big CF tripods with big heads, and so on down the line. I have used the BH55 and TVC33 with the S system since the beginning, and it is a very good all purpose solution for the S. You will see an improvement with a wood tripod, especially in macro or long lens work, but for most work the setup works well. The BH40 can also hold the S without too much of a problem, even on a smaller tripod like one of the travel ones, but you are then best off using it in situations with little or no wind, and with a camera release or self timer. That is good practice anyway. Of course, something is better than nothing, so better to have a flimsy tripod than no tripod. In my own experience, however, I have found monopods to be nearly useless, other than to help hold a very heavy camera. They take away the weight, but they really do not do too much regarding stability unless you brace them against something.

Edited November 13, 2019 by Stuart Richardson

[otto.f]

1 hour ago, Stuart Richardson said:

, I have found monopods to be nearly useless, other than to help hold a very heavy camera. They take away the weight, but they really do not do too much regarding stability unless you brace them against something.

I didn’t want to spoil the thread but I fully agree, and more so when the camera gets heavier, because the system gets more and more top-heavy with low balance as a consequence.

I see that the TVC33 has a transportlength of 65cm, which is the same as my Gitzo. In practice I find that too long alas, and my Rollei, see above, is too short. Strange that the big brands have nothing sturdy in the 55cm category, not that I have found at least and I really searched. 

[davidmknoble]

I have used the Gitzo Series 3, and carried it (heavy).  I use it with the long metal spikes in the sand at the beach and even in high wind have not had it move. I have used a monopod with the S007 some, but as soon as you get a blurry photo where you thought it was sharp on the LCD, you tend to migrate back to tripods.  The lighter tripods are typically not sturdy enough.  I do use the graphite and it's worth the cost for weight.  I also use the RRS bracket on the S which is great to switch landscape to portrait (thanks to a friend at a northern lights workshop!).

(image 8 seconds, 30mm)

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