Tripod or Monopod?


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spinthemwheels

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Feb 13, 2007
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hi guys,

i take mostly street/candid shots, and a bit of landscapes once in a while. i already have a tripod, but it's of very low quality. some flimsy crap. i'm thinking a mono would be more portable and faster to set up for street/candid shots. but ofcourse it can't beat the sturdyness of the tripod. pls do advise on what make and model to get. just need a mid-level model. my gear is a 400D, with kit lens and a 700-300 zoom lens. would appreciate yout input.

cheers
 

dun need any pods for street/candid shots cause u need to take the actions fast. For landscape either u handheld or use tripod for long exposure for night scene or panorama.
 

Sounds to me like you have already decided! ;)

IMHO - monopods are good-to-have while tripods fall into the must-have category. Also, a tripod can mimic a monopod but not vice versa.

If money no object, go get yourself a better tripod and get the monopod as well!

My 2 cents! Cheers!
 

get both, use it on specific condition, e.g. crowded/inconvenient place use monopod, night shot use tripod.
 

Sounds to me like you have already decided! ;)

IMHO - monopods are good-to-have while tripods fall into the must-have category. Also, a tripod can mimic a monopod but not vice versa.

If money no object, go get yourself a better tripod and get the monopod as well!

My 2 cents! Cheers!

get both, use it on specific condition, e.g. crowded/inconvenient place use monopod, night shot use tripod.

Yes, i agree. I have both too. :)
 

Totally different:

Monopod provides a small amount of support (avoids the jitters)

Tripod holds the camera (e.g. in low light)

My feeling is that, if you have to ask, you probably could use a tripod. A monopod is much less useful, most of the time, IMHO.
 

Monopod is most useful for covering events where it's a little crowded and you're using a heavy lens or when you need to trek a lot (such as in the jungle or mountains) where weight is a major consideration.

My question to threadstarter is : Why are you thinking of getting a monopod? A monopod may not solve the problem which causes you to think about getting one.
 

If you afford it go and buy both, make sure they are light weight. You can use a mono at low light and a tripod at even lower light, but for candid street shots you should be shooting fast anyway and wont have time to use either,

Rich
 

yupz.. u gotta get both if u want to cover everything... as much as u want the monopod for portability... it can never beat a tripod.. esp for landscapes and night shots...

in fact if u want to buy only one first u should get a tripod first... it's just a little more troublesome at times when using a monopod would have been much faster and easier.. but then u could save a little more and get that monopod another time..
 

Agreed. It may be troublesome, but the rewards of a stable shot, without having to pay EXTRA $$$ for any image stabalizing lens or cam with the function outweighs the "trouble"..

yupz.. u gotta get both if u want to cover everything... as much as u want the monopod for portability... it can never beat a tripod.. esp for landscapes and night shots...

in fact if u want to buy only one first u should get a tripod first... it's just a little more troublesome at times when using a monopod would have been much faster and easier.. but then u could save a little more and get that monopod another time..
 

hey thanks a lot guys. well i do want to get both. eventually. just a question of which one to get first.
reason why i'm siding more on the mono is cos i like to take shots in the crowd. like say in the middle of orchard rd or a shopping centre.
so it won't take up much space. like to "camp" somewhere and snipe. haha.
and if u want to take a different perspective of the subject u can also move the mono around faster. i think i'd probably try using my flimsy crap tripod first and see if a tripod works for me. then i'll decide to buy either the tri or the mono. then comes the question of the make and model.. decisions decisions decisions.. haha.

cheers
 

Dun think it is practical to use monpod for candid and street shots. What you need is a fast lens or use high ISO.
 

Dun think it is practical to use monpod for candid and street shots. What you need is a fast lens or use high ISO.

yea i realized that. just thought a pod would be useful when i rest at one spot and take people or scenery n stuff.
 

yea i realized that. just thought a pod would be useful when i rest at one spot and take people or scenery n stuff.

While it may be useful in 1 aspect, the other problem would be that you're not exactly blending in when you deploy a monopod or a tripod for that matter....
 

hi guys,

i take mostly street/candid shots, and a bit of landscapes once in a while. i already have a tripod, but it's of very low quality. some flimsy crap. i'm thinking a mono would be more portable and faster to set up for street/candid shots. but ofcourse it can't beat the sturdyness of the tripod. pls do advise on what make and model to get. just need a mid-level model. my gear is a 400D, with kit lens and a 700-300 zoom lens. would appreciate yout input.

cheers

Get a 50f1.8 (cheap!) or a 35f2 if u want something wider.

These fast primes will help you with your street shooting. They are light and easily portable too.
 

Get a 50f1.8 (cheap!) or a 35f2 if u want something wider.

These fast primes will help you with your street shooting. They are light and easily portable too.

ah i see. whoa another option.have to prioritize the equipment. monopod, tripod, fast lens, and i still want to get a battery grip. have to send my lens for servicing due to fungus infection on top of that. god. $$$$ :confused:
 

ah i see. whoa another option.have to prioritize the equipment. monopod, tripod, fast lens, and i still want to get a battery grip. have to send my lens for servicing due to fungus infection on top of that. god. $$$$ :confused:

Hahaha, welcome to the world of photography, hope nobody told you it would be cheap! :bigeyes:

Can you imagine the pre-digital age when we had to buy film and pay for processing and prints? More moolah out the door lah! :sweat:
 

That's right... Actually, without a pod - as long as you're shooting in the day (or at nite with sufficient light), should not be a problem. And those blurring may actually be artistic... If people can see clearly, but can't understand your photos (the story you're trying to tell) - no point. If images are blurry (but people can grasp your message) - Plus point.

Looks like this could form another basis of your decision to spend or not to spend...:dunno:

Welcome to the world of decision making at it's most profound - sometime too many inputs, sometimes too little. End of the day, all the inputs seems like none at all, and you're non the wiser... hahahah...:bsmilie: Follow your gut feel instead... Cheers
 

Hahaha, welcome to the world of photography, hope nobody told you it would be cheap! :bigeyes:

Can you imagine the pre-digital age when we had to buy film and pay for processing and prints? More moolah out the door lah! :sweat:

well i didn't expect to be cheap. but it didn't expect it to be this expensive either! haha. gotta pace myself.
 

That's right... Actually, without a pod - as long as you're shooting in the day (or at nite with sufficient light), should not be a problem. And those blurring may actually be artistic... If people can see clearly, but can't understand your photos (the story you're trying to tell) - no point. If images are blurry (but people can grasp your message) - Plus point.

Looks like this could form another basis of your decision to spend or not to spend...:dunno:

Welcome to the world of decision making at it's most profound - sometime too many inputs, sometimes too little. End of the day, all the inputs seems like none at all, and you're non the wiser... hahahah...:bsmilie: Follow your gut feel instead... Cheers

Yep agree with you fv18m. I think i'd just make do with what i have now and have fun taking shots first. Then i'll see how to proceed.
Thanks a lot guys. Appreciate all your opinions and advice. :thumbsup:

cheers
 

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