When and How to Use a Monopod Instead of a Tripod

Share:  

In George Orwell’s seminal book Animal Farm, the animals in question stated that four legs were better than two. In this article we are going to look at why, sometimes, one leg is better than three, and at why you should use a monopod.

A tripod is regarded as pretty much an essential piece of equipment for any photographer, but they have their drawbacks, they are cumbersome, heavy and sometimes can severely slow down your shooting rate. However, as we all know, the more stable you can keep your camera, the sharper your images will potentially be. Enter the monopod. 

https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6088/6105964273_fd39205eec.jpg

Monopods can be an excellent addition to your kit by Dave Dugdale, on Flickr

When buying a monopod, you are looking for more or less the same things that you will find in a tripod, stability weight and height. It is preferable to get the minimum amount of sections for your required height, each additional section being a source of instability.

As with tripods, some of the very best monopods are the carbon fibre type, which combine great rigidity with remarkable lightness. Of course you can use a monopod without a head, but this can make some shots very difficult especially if you are shooting at extreme angles. The best option for a monopod is a good quality ball head. This affords you a good deal of rotational movement whilst being able to solidly lock the camera off.

Again you need to consider the weight, there is no point in buying a light carbon fibre monopod and then sticking a heavy and cumbersome head on it. 

https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6163/6171125322_04f2e45f8c.jpg

Manfrotto 681B Monopod with 234RC Tilt Head and Shoulder Brace by Michael Kappel, on Flickr

When it comes to using a monopod, you need to realize that they are not a complete substitute for a tripod. Areas where you will struggle to get a good image with a monopod include very low light photography, i.e. night time, and shots where you need a 100% stable camera for example shooting light trails or landscapes with extreme depth of field. Where a monopod does come into its own is in areas such a wildlife and sports photography where you can dramatically increase the stability of long lenses, travel photography, particularly around the golden hours and of course outdoor macro photography, especially when trying to photograph insects etc.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/194/507884647_bcccdff232.jpg

Not all monopods provide the same quality by Krypto, on Flickr

How to Hold A Monopod!

One of the most important aspects of using a monopod is how to stabilize it. Here the best option is to think of your legs as making up the three legs of a tripod. The two best ways to do this are:

Stand with your own legs about 50cm apart and have the monopod in front of you so that your body forms a triangle with the monopod. Hold the top of the monopod firmly but not too tight, using the wrist strap to anchor your grip. The key to stability is, oddly, not to be too rigid. Be firm but do not try to lock your position as this will result in your muscles tiring and generating shakes to the monopod.

The second method to stabilize is to stand with one leg slightly ahead and your rearmost foot turned perpendicular to your body. Then you can wedge the base of the monopod into the arch of your rear foot whilst at the top, you hand is pushing the monopod down. You can again add extra stability by looping your hand through the wrist strap. This is a good method for wildlife photography as it allows you to use your body to smoothly pan the monopod whilst maintaining stability.

So in Summary Lets Look at the Pros and Cons of Using a Monopod

Pros

  • Portability and weight
  • Stabilization of long, telephoto lenses
  • Speed, a monopod is much quicker and easier to set up

Cons

  • Not a substitute for a tripod in very dark conditions
  • You need to practice techniques for stabilizing a monopod

A monopod can be a useful, but not necessarily vital addition to a photographer's kit. It can certainly provide extra stabilization in a good many types of situation but equally it cannot be seen as a replacement to a tripod, only as a complimentary tool.

You will need to decide on whether you need a monopod based on your own shooting style, but as is the case with tripods, you get what you pay for, buying a cheap monopod will probably not benefit your photography, spend a little money on a good one and it will last many many years, and almost certainly get you out of a hole on more than one occasion.

About Author

Jason has more than 35 years of experience as a professional photographer, videographer and stock shooter. You can get to know him better here.

I use one a lot especially when birding and shooting motor sport. They make using long heavy lenses a lot easier especially on very long shoots.

I use my monopod when I shoot video in crowed situations with my handycam. I can turn the view screen down and raise the camera above the crowd in front of me and get the shot.

I’ve never used a monopod (aside from something like that improvised umbrella monopod) but I might add a third way to turn it into a “tripod”, based on other techniques I use:

Using a small tree or vertical post, lean the monopod in toward it so the tree notches into the right angle between the camera body and the lens (being careful not to obscure the light meter). Alternatively, lean yourself onto the tree, and bring the monopod up until the camera strap is taut (if that makes sense?)

Interesting article learned quite a bit.
I mostly use, my monopad, always but thank you for the tips.

They will become useful on my next
shoot.

I “don’t leave home without it,” my monopod rides on the back seat of my car no matter what and it’s typical for my camera to be right next to it.
We have a few birding areas nearby (San Elijo Lagoon, e.g.) It (keeping it close) allows for casual, last-minute strolling and shooting using bigger lenses (such as Canon’s 100-400 4.5-5.6)
Plus… I spent ten days at Katmai using that lens and monopod combo and nothing else.https://500px.com/photo/12310503 and the lagoon: https://500px.com/photo/12284765

Another useful “feature” of a monopod is that it doubles as your walking stick on difficult terrain. It helped me immeasurably during our trip to Machu Picchu last year – where tripods are forbidden anyway !

I travel everywhere with my monopod as I usually am not able to set up and use a tripod while on the go with groups. It does serve as a walking stick especially on uneven, unpaved terrain.

But one of the best features is that it holds the weight of the camera especially with a tele lens mounted when shooting in stable situations with waiting like sports and wildlife.

I saw a clever way of using a monopod at a mountain bike race recently. The videographer had attached his camera and put a small weight at the foot end of the monopod. He showed me how it improved tracking when filming the cyclists.

With the monopod partly extended and carried almost horisontally, it is a perfect counterweight to my Olympus omd em1. With the LCD screen turned out, i can use this as a stabilizer both for photography and video for close to the ground work.. Easy to carry and stabile motion. I carry it all by holding the monopod next to the camera, and use the touch screen for taking the pictures.Works perfect. Just try. A SLR may be too heavy? Unfortunately I can not post a picture to show this, but I hope you will understand just by trying. No need to by an extra stabilizer for video work unless you do very much of this.

I have brought my Benro monopod to France and in transit via Dubai via Emirates Airlines 2 weeks ago . I had it “checked in” in my luggage .To our dismay when we saw our bags in the baggage carousel … Our TSA locks have been destroyed and my wife got really mad and was wondering why. The airlines have not even left a letter that they have opened and destroyed our lock to inspect the insides of our bags…Then Alas … I remembered my monopd inside the bag which might have showed up in the xray and looks like a rifle . It also has a stainless steel adaptor ( for the universal tripod adaptor ) that goes along with it and might also have looked like a silencer… It was then again a double jeopardy when I checked in my monopd going back to my country … the Philippines … the second set of new locks ( we have bought in France ) has been destroyed too and they even destroyed the tab of the zipper where the lock has been placed. Well , we just have to accept that in this high tension times on anti-terrorism policies and everybody is paranoid, we photographers and our things are collateral damage . The Emirates Airlines did not even have the courtesy of giving an apology letter for opening and destroying our locks and luggages . Well … just charge it to experience and just a reminder to all . I guess the tripod might not be sinister looking in the xray but my purpose of bringing tripod was to lessen the weight I will be carrying around when I travel. Any thoughts / reactions ? BTW , my wife got mad at me because I did not use it during the tours 🙁 So the motto is don’t bring monopod in your check-in … A lot of airlines don’t also allow hand carry of the monopod .Anotherthe motto is be resourceful and leave your monopd ( and even tripod ) when you travel by airplane … Happy creative shooting guys !

Arthur, what does Emirates Airlines have to do with destroying your locks ? It is transport authorities that check your bags, not the airline.

would it be easier to use a monopod for wedding photography. Not in the actual studio style photos but when the couple are walking down the aisle/when the bride walks down the aisle?

I only use a monopod for very long heavy lenses – like a 600 when I’m shooting football or wildlife.

I NEVER put my hand on top of the lens with long focal lenses as there is already a strain on the thread mounts from the weight of the lens. Instead, these longer lenses always come with a bracket to screw the monopod into, and that bracket is a nice grip to slide your fingers through to press down against the ground without putting more stress on those threads.

When I have to buy a monopod again, I will once more get the same as I have now: I can unscrew the bottom and a small folding tripod of legs pop out. My monopd can now stand by itself, be steadier when I hold it, or can be used as a traveling light stand for a remote flash etc. Manfrotto makes a great one.

Forgot to mention, most monopod manufacturers do NOT recommend any ball head for it. They suggest a tilt swivel head only as it provides more security but gives you all the motion anyway. As I only use it for very long lenses, I don’t put anything on it. The bracket that holds the lens allows you to swing it from vertical to horizontal anyway.

Say your money on a ball head. Even cheap ones aren’t cheap, and the cheap ones are a waste of money. You don’t need one for a monopod.

I found it interesting how you mentioned how monopods can give you the traditional stability that comes with a tripod but is more mobile and lightweight than one. My son wants to celebrate his bar mitzvah as he turns thirteen and my wife and I want to make sure we can keep up with the party and take good pictures. Because we don’t have the proper equipment, I will keep this in mind as we search for a bar mitzvah photographer that utilizes monopods to keep up with the movement!

I angle the ball head on the monopod, hold the bottom of it with one hand up high, then use a remote to trigger my phone’s camera from 15′ up. That different perspective is great! I also invert it and rest the camera at ground level.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *