Jody, you asked >>What does it look like?<<
A basic monopod would be like a hiking stick with a 1/4 - 20 threaded bolt
embedded in the top, onto which you screw your camera. (I have one of these
I constructed 20 years ago, crude but effective.) The next step up would be
a a three or four part commercially made adjustable length walking stick
with a 1/4 20 tripod threaded bolt on the top (hidden under the cap of
course). A purpose built monopod is a bit larger in tube diameter, heavier,
more solid. Visualize one leg of a good tripod. At the top end add a padded
handgrip and, instead of just a threaded bolt sticking up, a platform with
the tripod bolt in the middle. So when you attach your camera it is
supported by the platform and held by the bolt (rather than being supported
and held by the bolt, as with the walking stick variation). You can attach
your camera directly to the top of this monopod, adjust the length so the
viewpiece is a comfortable height for your eye and, as others have noted,
move much more freely through a crowd (or a brushy forest) than with a
tripod. Of course you lose stability compared to a tripod.
One additional variation. Instead of attaching camera to monopod, add a head
of some sort. I use a Bogen/Manfrotto 3262QR ball head on the top of my
monopod. For normal horizontal shots, this is meaningless, but it makes a
huge difference if you want to shot vertical format! I can quickly loosen
the tension on the ball, "flop" the camera over to vertical, and retighten.
Exactness is not important as final front-to-back and side-to-side leveling
is handled by moving the monopod. And be choosing a head with a
quick-release rather than a direct connection to the camera, I can both
switch among different cameras and/or just more easily move one camera on
and off the monopod (on for photos, off for walking down the trail to the
next spot . . .)
Stan
> From: petit miam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> This may sound a really silly few questions, but I've
> never seen a monopod. I realise it has one leg, but
> how do you hold it steady? And when is it better than
> a tripod? Is it as steady as a tripod? What does it
> look like?
>
> Jody.
>
>>> I will bring a monopod,
>
>
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