Looking for some advice re monopods and quick release plates

Msmoto

Cheap tripods...I think I had one in the 1960's which was so flimsy about all it did was to keep the camera off the ground. And, the legs would sometimes "self-retract" as the locks were able to hold only a few pounds. I then purchased a couple of very heavy (about 10 lbs.) tripods, and these are very rugged, albeit heavy, but, will hold a camera well...even a 4"x5" view camera.

And, to re-emphasize, sometimes a cheap tripod/monopod is the most expensive.

adamz

if You serious in photography, than sooner than later You will have to replace Your cheap tripod and it's gonna cost You more than buying the good one at the very beginning.

Msmoto

Anyone have any hands on experience with the Really Right Stuff carbon fiber monopod?

I need to support the Nikon 600mm F/4 and 400mm F/2.8

Denver Shooter

DenverShooter

Anyone have any hands on experience with the Really Right Stuff carbon fiber monopod?

I need to support the Nikon 600mm F/4 and 400mm F/2.8

Denver Shooter

Msmoto

For sure, this would do the trick. And, with the head which comes on the MH02-LR Pkg: MC-34 Monopod + MH-02 LR, one can switch from right/left to fore/aft tilt. This is a big feature. If I am not mistaken, the leg tension rings work in a unique way in that loosening the top ring loosens all the extensions so one can rapidly extend the leg. At least this is how it worked on one of the tripods I inspected.

I have never heard anyone who had a complaint with RRS...except for the price. And, in retrospect, if I were to purchase a monopod again, I would seriously consider this.

PB_PM

Based on the gear the OP is using, the suggested monopods from Manfrotto are more than good enough. They are designed to hold a d4 with 70-200. They may not be carbon fiber, but they will do the job.

Golf007sd

@DenverShooter I have been the proud owner of the RRS gear, their level of performance is Fantastic. As for price, they are very much in line with their competition. I highly recommend giving them a call to answer any questions you may have.

Msmoto

Probably what we need to do is list the monopods/heads by price.

Benro A48F Classic Aluminum Monopod..... about $75
Kirk MPA-2 Monopod Head $200

So, without the head, the Benro supports nearly 40 pounds. With the head this will do everything the RRS will do, but it is heavier and the operation will not be as smooth as the RRS.

The reason to get a heavy weight capacity IMO is that sometimes we end up leaning on the monopod either accidentally or just for support. The less robust ones will simply collapse.

PB_PM

Or worse, flex and snap.

adamz

I have manfrotto 190cx4 and I wouldn't say it's a perfect choice for d4 + N70-200/2.8 combination (d3s in my case), the legs are not as solid as I would love them to be. it's ok for smaller lenses like 24-70/2.8 or any wide & normal primes

turnthedarncranks

Thanks again, all. Fascinating discussion to follow. The prices for the monopods themsevles seem well within the realm of reason, but the ballheads are mind-blowing to a newbie like me.

Msmoto

The Manfrotto 496 Compact Ball Head for about $65 will support 13 pounds and is entirely adequate for a monopod to make it adjustable. No fancy plate or anything, just mounts into he camera with a screw.

turnthedarncranks

Thanks. That may do the trick! Then again, my birthday isn't so far down the road, so maybe a spiffier head is in the offing . . .

spraynpray

This whole tripod/monopod/ballhead subject is best thought of as counter-intuitive like the importance of the components in a high end hi-fi set-up. In hi-fi, if you don't get the information off the disc, you will never, ever recreate it or compensate for that failure by spending zillions on components further down the chain. If you have a crappy tripod/monopod/ballhead, you will never get back the sharpness it will cost you no matter how much you spend on bodies and lenses or how much PP you do.

Having said that, you don't have to spend thousands to get really good stuff (or RRS) - a few hundred carefully spent can do it. Hint: The head should be ergonomically suited to you and your task, should hold the camera securely and not move when tightened.

JJ_SO

I find it only true that cheap solutions tend to become expensive ones. But I can't see much benefit of a monopod except one is shooting with long teles and long distances, because a monopod only can stabilise one of three axes, the other two still can cause blurr.

This picture is done with D5100, 70-200/4 at 135mm, f/18 and 1/10 sec without any mono- or tripod. The VR just does this trick. And I seriously doubt if only a monopod and no VR would have been as good.

Msmoto

@ JJ_SO

Very good point...the best use is long lenses. VR is so much more useful and I agree fully, your shot without VR using a monopod...probably not possible...nice shot as well..

Golf007sd

@JJ_SO: First things first. Nice shot. Monopod are not intended to be used for long exposure photography on a stationary object, They are most effective when used for taking photo's of fast moving subjects, like athletic sports and fast moving subjects (1/300 and up)...where the photographer needs a steady platform in order to hold and support their long telephoto lenses/gear. For long exposure of a stationary object, a tripod is the best and most effective way. Moreover, when shooting such object it is best to turn off VR, to obtain the sharpest image, if left on the internal lenses may shift and thus result in blurred images. In addition, I highly recommend turning off the AF on the lenses once you have obtained focus. Needless to say, M-Mode is also the best way to go.

PB_PM

@JJ_OS VR, along with a monopod is even better.

Gitzo

You asked about monopods and QR plates; all I see is talk about monopods ? I very rarely use a monopod, so
so I won't talk about them. But I DO use QR plates; on EVERYTHING; as far as I'm concerned, if a QR plate isn't compatible with an Arca Swiss style clamp, I don't want it; period. There are many people making arca style plates; they all work; many come from places I know nothing about; they MAY "work" just fine and dandy, but I'm not sure about that; so I only use the ones that I AM sure about; any plate from RRS, (or Kirk) is like money in the bank; there are no better. But a lot of people are always "in a hurry"; when they "want" something, they "want" it RIGHT NOW ! That's just fine; (If you're rich) (Unfortunately, I'm not) So I usually find most of my QR plates on eBay; a QR plate is very small piece of aluminum....as long as it's not bent, twisted, been run over by a tracked vehicle while laying on concrete, it will "work" exactly like a new one; there IS one exception, and that's "L" plates; an "L" plate is essentially just two QR plates at 90 degrees to each other; they may "seem" to be very expensive, but there's a very good reason for that; they are milled out of a solid block of VERY high strength aluminum alloy, because the two small sections at the "corner of the 90 degree "bend" must be strong enough (while shooting in vertical (portrait) mode, to safely hold the weight of a $5000 camera body, often with a $5000 lens attached to it; if an "L" plate says "RRS" on it, or "Kirk Enterprises", you may rest assured that it is in fact made from the "right stuff", and is definitely up to the task. There ARE other good brands, but I prefer to trust my Nikon equipment to the brands that I'm sure about.

For some reason unknown to me, Manfroto makes some great tripods and monopods, but they seem to have an "aversion" to the AS style compatibility for QR plates; which is too bad for them because there are MANY more GREAT brands of tripods "out there"....( from RRS, Gitzo, Induro and a bunch more, too numerous to list.

If you choose to screw YOUR high end camera body "onto" an "off of" a small 1/4" X 20 stud every time you attach it and detach it from a tripod........all I can say is, it's your camera, (and your valuable time you're wasting), not to mention all of the needless wear and tear on those internal threads in that small "hole" in the body of your EXPENSIVE camera body.

If you're still fretting about "how expensive" those small little aluminum plates are, here's an example from my personal experience, (about 14 years ago) I finally bought myself a decent Camera, (and my very first Nikon, a Nikon F-5; the F 5 is a BIG camera, and at the time, RRS wanted like $70 or $75 for their custom-milled plate;
so I looked at Kirk; at the time, I still lived in Cincinnati, which is maybe 150 miles from Kirk's facility in Indiana; as far as I can remember, Kirk wanted maybe $60 or $65, plus $20 shipping, (for a carton the size of my fist, over 150 miles) ! Being "poor", I spent some time on eBay, and found a "like new", RRS custom plate for the Nikon F5, for $25! ( it was in what we referred to then, as "Red China" ) Never having purchased anything from "mainland China", I sent the seller an email, inquiring about postage, how "safe" it was, etc; within a HOUR, I received a reply, from this delightful Chinese gentleman ! "No problemo" (or words to that effect)....and the postage from mainline China was ..........$5 My custom F5 plate arrived in something like 4 days, and I could have resold the thing as "brand new", as it was absolutely PERFECT ! ( It's still attached to my F 5 yet today, BTW. )

When I bought the "L" plate for my D 300s, ( a RRS ) I "scored it" for about $65. If you're still in a "big hurry" go ahead and send RRS about $170; ( they'll be glad to get your business ! )

Just one "tip"; I'm "not big" on shoulder straps on cameras; I may use one N&T, but generally I always have a short hand (or "wrist" strap) on my camera; every time, BEFORE I clamp the camera QR plate to my ball head, I always put the hand strap AROUND the ball head; I have never known of a camera properly clamped to "come loose", but I still like the "free insurance" of knowing that it it ever did come loose, it's only gonna go about 6 inches ! And it costs nothing.

Seriously, anyone who can afford to have several K of bucks wrapped up in a new D SLR, (not to mention what "the glass" costs).......you're "shooting yourself in the foot" if you don't have a decent arca-style plate on ever body, (and any lens that attaches direct to a tripod head) (and yes, you DO need a BH on a monopod, but I don't use my pod that much, so someone else can fight that battle)

JJ_SO

After wondering, what possibly makes arca-swiss plates so superior over others, now it became clear, it's only the availabilty of cheap Chinese copies ;;) Excellent. Arca is as Swiss as a Coca-Cola these days, as Gitzo is as French as Spaghetti. But Gitzo doesn't pretend to be French or Swiss made.

Manfrotto and Gitzo together are vitec and sell something like a dozen various QR-systems and plates, that's sort of nonsense but keeps the customers buying new stuff. To me Manfrotto plates do look rougher, they just are as they come out of the mold (except some threads in them). Also, I never found any spirit level which was accurate on Manfrotto tripods or heads, they are more decorative things. The bonus side: they can take a bump or a hard scratch and they still work. While the arca system, especially the clamps, does need to be handled more carefully. Probably this is one of the reasons, Manfrotto is still doing them. The other reason might be, they sold much more than RRS and arca together (except the Chinese copies everybody seems to prefer)? I don't have the numbers, so I'm only guessing.

Now Mr. Gitzo, to your ideas of about how good a QR plate treats the 1/4" thread of the camera: it's the other way round. With a solid L-Plate one has a real good chance to rip the threads out of the body. If in doubt, google " principle of the lever".

I still keep my Manfrotto plates 394, but I would run for arca type the day Nikon brings out a decent body with two arca profiles at the bottom and left side. Before it's more a discussion of whether apples or pears are the better fruit.

JJ_SO

@Golf007sd great, that somebody pointed out the use of a monopod. I think it's more to carry and balance heavy tele lenses than to be used in daily shooting. I hardly see Pro photogs using them. I think most of us developed a body posture in which we can dare to shoot "a bit longer times", but when switching over to D800 I saw that as an illusion. Switching off VR when using tripod saves energy but if the rest of the shooting technique is ok, it won't result in more blurred shots necessarily, but I'm aware of a small risk, i.e. the time between mirror lock up and shutter releases not long enough and the camera still moving a bit, or the time was too long and VR is reengaging.

@PP_BM ( I will keeping on puzzling your alias as you constantly doing with mine ): No. Simply not possible for me. As you know, I'm not using the useless collar with the 70-200. So, I'd have to fix the camera to the monopod. But when shooting I hold the lens tight and the camera soft. Other way round will result to a bigger angle of movement for me and my body. As Golf correctly pointed out, a monopod is not for longtime exposures. You can try and show the results, but I'm not convinced unless I see it.

One role plays as well, which camera you're using. The shutters and mirrors of DX bodies never will cause the same amount of vibrations as the mechanics of a FX. Also, after some pixel peeping I admit the 1/10 is already over the edge of unblurred. But 1. Still good enough and 2. Simply a single blurr without VR.

PB_PM

Oh my bad OS_JJ :P It was a typo and not intentional.

How is it not possible to use VR while a lens is on a monopod? If you won't use the tripod collar, that's your issue. As for the other stuff you said, I don't even get what you are saying. My comment had nothing to do with how you hold your camera. I still find using a monopod very useful, for shorter shutter speeds, and if you have VR on top of that you can achieve even better results. Far better than simply handling anyway. As you pointed out, they won't be super sharp, for long exposures, unless you can get away with using mirror lockup. I'd rather use a tripod over VR or a monopod, in most situations, but that's just me.

JJ_SO

@PB_PM I didn't say it was on purpose, I just realized this OS thing happened often, not only with you. Anyway. I fully agree with your last sentence and I want to make a little drawing to show what I meant, but first things first - weekend shopping and some DIY for mounting of flashed and preparing a Manfrotto grip to my usual adapter clamp. Be back in a couple of hours.

tcole1983

I can post some pics when I get home via a monopod and no vr. You still can't achieve tripod length long exposures but it is better than hand holding. Maybe 1/5 or 1/10 shots.

JJ_SO

@PB_PM I still owe you an explanation about my comments this afternoon. Now I think I have one. As you can see in the drawing, a monopod is only a perpendicular, downside up. In my case, L is something like 1.5 meter.
If you multiply L horizontally only, because you want to shoot a 15m, X will also be multiplied by 10 - a small movement will become a huge one.

If I move the camera, it will move around the foot of the monopod. And that means, if you only move the camera like 3 mm and the whole thing is 1500 mm high, it turns only 0.11459° - but this little angle becomes a movement of 30 mm in 15 m distance. I tried, but for me it‘s impossible to hold the camera steady with a monopod, maybe I‘m just shaky, maybe it‘s just a lot of weight.

Now, If I use 200 mm on a FX, I can see 430mm height in a distance of 4 meters. Ijn this exampe, the picture height of 4912 Pixel divided by 430mm is something like 11 pixels per mm, based on this distance of 4 meters. Even if the resolution of the lens might be less high, a vertical movement of 1 mm will be seen over 11 Pixels.
Now, Msmoto is a clever lady, because she uses a Gimbal head. If she opens the lock screw for shooting, she won‘t have my problems, because she can counterturn the movement of the perpendicular monopod.

That‘s in my eyes the reason why the VR probably can‘t compensate the movement forward or sideward I am totally incapable to avoid.