Thoughts on table top tripod/ monopod

[Little Prince]

One more silly gear post. But often, silly matters are easier on the mind than grave ones. So here goes.

I am going to be spending a day (this month) in Yosemite. That's right. Same old place where everyone's been and photographed underneath every rock. But I haven't been there before. I don't plan on being preoccupied with shooting. I'm going to be there with friends and am sure they will be annoyed if I go on with my esoteric inclinations. So I'll be packing only one fixed lens 6x4.5 camera. I'm quite satisfied with the thought of it. Not trying to get any uber spectacular shots. Just some nice ones with minimal effort/ distraction. Now, the geek in me is still wondering if I could do with a monopod or something of that nature for support. I shall take no tripod.

I don't have either a monopod or table-top. Will one of these help me. Don't know if anyone bothers with a table top for outdoor shooting. Is it a stupid notion? I believe it will hold a GA645. Quite a light camera. But is it practical?

Advantage of table-top: better support, disadvantage: i'll be lying on the ground?

Advantage of monopod: doubles as a stick for a hiker, useful to harass co hikers and/or dog 😀 ; disadvantage: still subject to shake.

OTOH, I might not really benefit that much from one of these. I have been able to handhold the camera to 1/15th before without discernible shake on a projected slide. What are your preferences and recommendations?

 

[Roman]

Well, I love to use a monopod for hiking with non-photo-oriented people - just so much faster to use than a tripod (a table-top tripod is almost as slow as a real one...), and with 400 ASA film, you can stop down for the apertures needed for adequate DOF for landscapes, and still stay in 'safe' shutter-speed ranges (that might only be 50 % safe handheld - I'm thinking about something like 1/60 with my Mamiya 645 Super - which can work handheld, but might not work for big enlargements - with a monopod it definitely will work - and I get a 50% rate down to 1/15 with the monopod - hope you get what I mean?)

Roman

 

[DougK]

I also have a GA645. I have a monopod which I don't use all that often (except with my TLRs where it works wonderfully) and frankly I always find an excuse to leave it behind. On the other hand, I always keep a tabletop tripod in my bag. You never know when you're going to need it, great for propping up against a wall, on a table, against your chest, whatever. They weigh almost nothing and take up very little space in the bag, so I'd say take one along.

 

[shaaktiman]

As far as small space goes, I just got a cullman magic 2. It is a real tripod, sorta. But it folds down to nearly nothing. It fits in my small shoulder bag along with my mamiya 6 and other junk easily. But it takes as long to set up as a normal tripod. It's only advantage is its size. Also it isn't the most stable tripod I've ever seen. But everything's a compromise, isn't it?

adam

 

[DaveP]

What your looking for is an Ultrapod. Sorry i dont have a link , but i do have the ultra pod and it works perfect in a backpack situation. It will also strap to a tree with a provided strap. Super light,sturdy, and they pack small. Do a search on "Ultrapod"......cheap too

 

[Little Prince]

Oh, the Cullman is exactly the species I dislike 🙁 . Sorry. I have a Benbo and the only reason I haven't sold it so far is that the thought of shipping it is making me feel lazy about the whole thing. Wonder if it will be cost effective for anyone to get me to ship it.

Anyway, recommendations for monopod/ table-tops? Something within say $60 and not too heavy (1.5 - 2 lb at most). Actually I realize that if you consider including a head, the monopods cost more than that. Hmm...

 

[Kin Lau]

I have a little table top tripod with a ballhead, and on the bottom of the column, there's a 1/4 tripod mount, so that I can actually mount it on top of the monopod when I need the ballhead.

 

[Rob]

I never like the table top tripods, indoor use only I think, set up for a vertical and watch it tip over. Go with the mono pod at least. You can use it to kill snakes with, dont do that with a wimpy tabletop tripod.

 

[schaubild]

If tripods are not allowed or I can't take it with me I often use a (heavy) tabletop tripod from Novoflex. Lean it against a tree or fence or you can use it to fix the camera against your upper body to hold the camera steady. Works very fine, always better than freehand 🙂

 

[richard_l]

For hiking and photography I use a Tracks Sherlock hiking staff (an adjustable telescoping staff, which has survived several hundred miles of rough usage on the Appalachian Trail, proving itself to be practically bombproof) with a Manfrotto 3229 QR monopod head.

 

[Andy K]

How about a length of string? You tie it into a large loop, put your foot in the bottom and loop the top over the lens, straighten yourself up slightly to gently tension the string and you have handheld stability. It won't protect you from a grizzly bear, but it's easy to carry! 😉
(credit: I borrowed the illustration from The 35mm Photogrpher's Handbook by Julian Calder and John Garrett)

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Hey Andy... isn't that one of the models for the airline flotation device diagrams?

 

[Andy K]

Yeah, he's a welsh fella, goes by the name of Dai Agram. He tends to get about a bit! 😉

 

[Little Prince]

Update. Deed has been done. I've just ordered a Gitzo Monotrek monopod. No one can accuse me of throwing money away, I had a gift card. At least now I'll have something nice to show.

Funny, at one point I was certain I would never be buying a monopod. Who needs those, I said. Well it still remains to be seen if I am impressed with its use. I was wavering between so many choices that I'm relieved I just ordered something. I liked the idea of hiking poles, but they don't have heads, and they're either too short (at full length) or too long (closed down). Just now I realized that the Monotrek won't have a QR on it. Aaargh! Can't have it all, can we.

So 2 questions:
Is it strong enough? Not for camera loads, but as a stick. I don't need one, but I don't want to lean on it and find it give way.
Can you think of a suitable QR that is really cheap? Remember the head itself is rated for only 4.4 lb. I'm not going to be using anything very heavy. Maybe a MF rangefinder with a somewhat heavy lens someday (like one of those 90mm Fujinons that go on the fixed 6x7s).

All right. I told myself I won't buy a camera/lens for a while. But you can't dismiss GAS, you can only channelize it in another direction 😉 .

 

[Rockford]

Monopod

Monopod

My wife got a hiking stick. I got one, too.Great for holding one steady when going down hill over rocks, etc. One day I was surprised to find it had a screw under the handsome walnut nob for a a camera. I had backed into a monopod. Horizonal only for 35mm. After a while, I got a nice little Manfrotto Monopod head for $17.00 that allows horizonal or vertical format, and it takes a standard Manfrotto quick release plate.

No problem holding an 85mm or 105mm at 1/30 with this set up. The walking stick was made by Tracks. It came from Great Outdoor Provision Company. The Manfrotto head is a 3229. Hope this helps.