Monopod walking stick

[ChrisPlatt]

On a monopod a simple tilt head with quick release is preferable to any ball head.

Chris

 

[Rob-F]

On a monopod a simple tilt head with quick release is preferable to any ball head.

Chris

This has got me thinking. My first reaction was that a tilt head would be too cumbersome, what with the extra bulk and the control handles sticking out in two directions. But I was thinking of my hiking stick. On a monopod, that is heavier, larger, bulkier, maybe it is a good idea. I suppose it depends on how far you have to carry it; how far you can carry it comfortably with the added protrusions. There's also the matter of usability. The stick or monopod is going to lean just a bit this way and that while making adjustments to the tilt head, so that once I have the elevation set right, and now turn my attention to the azimuth, I'd expect that the elevation will now be a little off. I've always used a Ball head on the monopod so that when everything looks right in the finder, I tighten the ball and it's one and done. And my ball heads travel better, as well.

 

[shawn]

I think Chris is talking about tilt only, not pan and tilt. Tilt only for monopod is based on the idea that a full ball head can be harder to control since you are holding the camera with one hand and loosening the ball head with the other the ball head can flop fully to one of the sides and cause problems. That is why I use the bowl (leveling) head, it only has about 15 or 20 degrees of motion in each direction so gives you most of the flexibility of the ball head without the possibility of flopping the same way. It also can be set to hold its position but also be loose enough to change position when I want it to. That helps when panning with the leg out in front, that can be a little more award with tilt only if the leg is off center.

 

[wjlapier]

A company called Fishpond made a wading staff for flyfishing called the Slippery Rock. It has this small cork ball on top that screws off so you can attach a camera to it. If the staff can support most human bodies I’m certain it will support most cameras.

There was a time I would go walking downtown with either a Fujifilm GX680, Mamiya RB67, or a chopped top Mamiya Universal attached to the Manfrotto 680b monopod. When my kinds played sports in HS I used the 680b attached to a Nikon 200mm f/2 lens with the D700.

I never once felt I needed a ball head or a tilt head on the monopod or the wading staff.

The Fishpond wading staff in this photo:



The Fishpond staff and the old standard:

 

[The Spastic Image]

I have a leki sierra trekking pole made for photography as well, and it works well as a trekking stick and ok as a monopod. Adjustable height. Unfortunately just discontinued. They also make an adapter for their other poles.

Thanks. I own Leki poles myself. Cortec Legacy Lites.

 

[CP93]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it yet but they make cane-type handles that take a 1/4-20 tri/monopod bolt, to turn your’pod into a walking stick.