monopod vs tripod


fudoushin

Senior Member
Jan 2, 2010
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Hi guys,
Care to share what are you using and why? I feel that my tripod is abit heavy and am considering a monopod for taking panaromas, landscapes, etc.

Cheers
 

Me too! thinking of whether to get a monopod after seeing ppl travelling around with one and seems light and easy (like on the spot shoot).

But then again, also saw ppl carrying tripod without tri-grounded and using it as a monopod for fast shoot and move on.

=o
 

Me too! thinking of whether to get a monopod after seeing ppl travelling around with one and seems light and easy (like on the spot shoot).

But then again, also saw ppl carrying tripod without tri-grounded and using it as a monopod for fast shoot and move on.

=o

i didnt think of that.. haha. maybe i should go try. then i can save money!
 

yeah, you have use a tripod as a monopod but not the other way. The downside of a tripod is the weight.
 

main advantages for monopod is fast deployment and space....tripod weight-wise, it's not so much as an issue as i feel it is still manageable.
not too mention actually u can use tripod as a monopod as well....
 

Another option is to get a lighter tripod or improvise on the surroundings. I've used railings, dustbins, fences, tables, camera bags, telephone booths etc to support my camera for low light shots.
 

thanks for sharing guys, will attempt to use tripod as monopod next time.
 

Hi guys,
Care to share what are you using and why? I feel that my tripod is abit heavy and am considering a monopod for taking panaromas, landscapes, etc.

Cheers

hi,

how heavy is your tripod?

mine's like, 3+ kg combined with head...... when i travel, mainly because of the size i use a 1 kg tripod.

a monopod will never be as stable as a tripod. it will not be good for taking panoramas because you will not be able to not-move your camera with taking the photos that you want to stitch together.

a monopod will help you with slightly longer exposures, anything more than 1 second, tripod still kicks ass anytime. assuming you get a half-decent one, which starts from $50+ these days.
 

Well, a monopod can never work like a tripod for exposures greater than 1 second. A monopod is only useful in improving your stability when shooting at slightly slower shutter speeds like 1/2s to 1/30s.
 

thanks for sharing guys,
reason is my tripod's about 3-4kg (with ballhead).. i went travelling with it and felt it wasnt as light as i thought it would be - but i guess thats just something i have to get used to it eh?

ive seen some fashion photographers use monopods for their work and could twist and turn their camera fast but lock it up in time for their recomposed shots... perhaps better than a tripod in that sense as it is more flexible/faster to set up? pardon me if i am wrong, would be cool to hear from any of your experiences.

but as for now, im pretty satisfied with my tripod and dont see a need for a monopod.
 

thanks for sharing guys,
reason is my tripod's about 3-4kg (with ballhead).. i went travelling with it and felt it wasnt as light as i thought it would be - but i guess thats just something i have to get used to it eh?

ive seen some fashion photographers use monopods for their work and could twist and turn their camera fast but lock it up in time for their recomposed shots... perhaps better than a tripod in that sense as it is more flexible/faster to set up? pardon me if i am wrong, would be cool to hear from any of your experiences.

but as for now, im pretty satisfied with my tripod and dont see a need for a monopod.

why is your tripod 3-4 kg, what model is it?
 

You can consider getting the carbon fiber tripods offered by several brands. They offer great strength for less weight. Of course, they are still not ideal if you are in situations where real weight truely matters. (Like at the top of a mountain will strong winds etc)

A monopod is definitely much easier to use than a tripod. However, I suspect that the fashion photographers you mentioned worked in controlled lighting and hence can shoot at a specific shutter speed where a monopod can still provide sufficient stability.
 

why is your tripod 3-4 kg, what model is it?

oops sorry, it actually is only about 1.5kg - im using a benro 350ex with a 488rc2 bh but i guess carrying my camera and the lenses along got to my head. something i just have to get used to.

You can consider getting the carbon fiber tripods offered by several brands. They offer great strength for less weight. Of course, they are still not ideal if you are in situations where real weight truely matters. (Like at the top of a mountain will strong winds etc)

A monopod is definitely much easier to use than a tripod. However, I suspect that the fashion photographers you mentioned worked in controlled lighting and hence can shoot at a specific shutter speed where a monopod can still provide sufficient stability.

yes, i agree. perhaps i haven't been tested in such weather conditions or else i think i will appreciate the weight of my tripod more. monopods should serve a specific purpose in controlled lighting i guess.

--

alright, looks like i got the answers that i needed and i should close the thread now. thanks for the helpful responses!
 

oops sorry, it actually is only about 1.5kg - im using a benro 350ex with a 488rc2 bh but i guess carrying my camera and the lenses along got to my head. something i just have to get used to.

yes, i thought so. i don't think it is easy to find a 3-4kg tripod these days.
 

A monopod is good for situations where you're shooting with long focal lengths and require better stability than hand-holding. Some applications include portrait photography with a 70-200mm lens, or sports/wildlife photography with a super telephoto length such as 300 or 400mm. The shutter speed should still be relatively fast for a monopod to be effective, perhaps around 1/80th if you're shooting with a 200mm lens.

The monopod is compact, which makes it effective when shooting in a crowd, such as a corner of the soccer field. It's also fast to redeploy, and swiveling to follow the action is easy with a monopod. However, you lose the ability to shoot at really slow shutter speeds that a tripod affords you, which makes the latter a much more suitable choice for landscape photographer favouring slow shutter speeds and small aperture.

For your applications (panorama/landscape), there's no escaping the fact that you require a good sturdy tripod (preferably with a pan/tilt head).
 

Why dont you try Benro angel travel series tripod that can double up as both tripod and monopod as needed? When required, you can remove the one of its leg as a monopod. Check out models like C-0681Ex. :)
 

Why dont you try Benro angel travel series tripod that can double up as both tripod and monopod as needed? When required, you can remove the one of its leg as a monopod. Check out models like C-0681Ex. :)

Only the 'Transfunctional Travel Angel' series can be used as tripod and monopod.The normal 'Travel Angel' cannot...