 JEEVAN |
MONOPOD OR A TRIPOD FOR SHOOTING WILDLIFE? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER IT IS USEFUL TO USE A MONOPOD OR A TRIPOD OR A SHOULDER POD FOR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY ? MY HANDS SHAKE A LOT........ SO GUIDE ME WITH A RIGHT THING.... I DONT KNOW WHETHER I WOULD HAVE TIME TO SET UP THE TRIPOD IN CASE I SEE AN ANIMAL IN SAFARI..WHAT WOULD U RECOMMEND FOR IT????
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Use a monopod for your mobility and if the mobility of what you're shooting isn't predictable,or is back and forth. Auto racing is predictable and you could use a tripod for that pretty easily. You could stay in one spot, loosen the screw for side to side movement, and the cars all go across you. Just a matter of panning across. Animals, I would use a monopod sense you'll have to follow them and they can move in any direction. But you could use a tripod if you're able to consistantly get them while they're at watering holes, resting, at the moment they stand there looking at you to see if they should run or not.
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Paul Tobeck |
If you are asking either/or, the answer is both. As Greg stated, the monopod is great for erratic subjects, such as flying birds or in my case, youth soccer. Mobility is key when the action is fast. I can't run up and down the field following the action with a full tripod without killing someone, or myself! Use the monopod during the daylight hours when the animals are most active. Have the tripod available for dawn/dusk shooting when the animals are less active. I use a tripod for shooting youth baseball, because I'm usually stationary (on top of the dugout) and only concentrating on a couple of subjects (i.e.-the batter or the pitcher). If it's a question of packing lighter (or equipment restrictions), most monopods collapse to under 2 ft. and can easily be strapped to the bottom of a camera bag, or to the side of a photo backpack. It shouldn't be a problem bringing both.
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Irene Troy |
One other suggestion is to buy or make (if you are handy) a bean bag that is large enough and flexible enough to support even your largest lens. I use a bean bag a lot – sometimes when shooting from my car window or from the edge of an ATV. I also use the bag on a flat rock or even on the ground to support my lens. Personally, I own 2 monopods and rarely use either – only because I am a total klutz. I do use my Bogan Tracker tripod and carry it with me everywhere. I keep my camera and long lens attached and have gotten it down so that I can set it up and shoot in seconds when needed.
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chrisbudny.com - Chris Budny Contact Chris Budny Chris Budny's Gallery |
Along these lines... is there any secret to using a monopod well? When I first started shooting, I took one to Longwood Gardens (they only allow tripods from 9-12 each morning.) Looking back, I see that I was most likely doomed, since I was using the monopod to try and capture night scenes of their holiday lights... I was disappointed with most of those images (although, they were probably a little better than handheld---but still shaky/blurred.) Is it just as simple as monopods work better in daylight, due to faster shutters? If so, when does a monopod give advantage over handheld? (ie, if my daylight shot can use a 1/1000th second shutter, shooting handheld will not really pick up shake, when I'm holding as steady as I can... would a monopod be any better in that case?) Thanks for any input!
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
There's no secret to using a monopod. It's something to get used to since you pivot a little differently when you pan. It's really made for heavy lenses when you or what you're shooting is moving around a lot. As far as shutter speeds, it's not something to use for long ones, close to whole seconds for nights. For something like 1/10th, yeah, if you couldn't keep it still. It's more stable than hand held, less than a tripod. But easier to carry and move around with than a tripod. I wouldn't use one with short lenses for panning or following movement.
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