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Monopod head for Canon 70-200L IS?

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M Walker

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Suggestions please for Monopod and head that works well with this lens + - the 1.4 converter. Thanks MWW
 
 
Very simple, compact and well engineered. Makes setup a breeze. Around $100, and, IIRC, around $20 for extra QR disks.
M Walker said:
Suggestions please for Monopod and head that works well with this
lens + - the 1.4 converter. Thanks MWW
Click to expand...
 
Hyperfish said:
M Walker said:
Suggestions please for Monopod and head that works well with this
lens + - the 1.4 converter. Thanks MWW
Click to expand...
http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/tutorials/monopods/index.html
Click to expand...
I'm going to have to disagree with RRS article, based upon personal experience.

I highly recommend the Bogen 3055 with QR plate, included.

Take the monopod/ballhead combo out into the field on three or four shoots and you'll train yourself how to dance with this combo. Once you're comfortable, you'll not go back and you too will question the valid ness of some of the comments.

Also, by disagreeing with the article, RRS won't get any sales:-) You don't think their article was biased towards their products do you:-)
 
Thomas Gardner said:
I'm going to have to disagree with RRS article, based upon personal
experience.

I highly recommend the Bogen 3055 with QR plate, included.

Take the monopod/ballhead combo out into the field on three or four
shoots and you'll train yourself how to dance with this combo.
Once you're comfortable, you'll not go back and you too will
question the valid ness of some of the comments.

Also, by disagreeing with the article, RRS won't get any sales:-)
You don't think their article was biased towards their products do
you:-)
Click to expand...
Hi Thomas-

I guess the point I was trying to make was NOT brand specific (RRS) but the K.I.S.S. principle.

To each their own, but it's been my experience, whether shooting the 28-70mm, 70-200mm, 300mm or 400mm I want/need THREE things-

1. Movement on the vertical axis. (Tilt) By leaning the pod forward/backward that's accomplished WITHOUT adding the bulk/complexity of another head & set of controls/releases.

2. Movement on the horizontal axis. (panning) I've yet to find a shooting situation where a head/pan base would have offered any major advatange vs. the K.I.S.S. setup.

3. 90' flop - On the 70-200mm he's using, the quickest, fastest, easiest way to change from landscape to portrait is loosening the tripod ring & rotating the lens/body.

On a short lens, if you're using a body plate mounted to the monopod it's a 1-2 second deal to flop 90'.

Dunno, YMMV, but after mounting various ballheads on my monopod & shootng under various conditions I had to laugh at how complex it was to re-orient vs. the simple tilt head...
 
Hyperfish said:
Hi Thomas-

I guess the point I was trying to make was NOT brand specific (RRS)
but the K.I.S.S. principle.
Click to expand...
I missed the K.I.S.S. part although I find that idea to be a breath of fresh air:-) As to the RRS comment, I was teasing as to the article having a Swiss-Arca plate bias:-) Money in the pocket of RRS:-)
Hyperfish said:
To each their own, but it's been my experience, whether shooting
the 28-70mm, 70-200mm, 300mm or 400mm I want/need THREE things-

1. Movement on the vertical axis. (Tilt) By leaning the pod
forward/backward that's accomplished WITHOUT adding the
bulk/complexity of another head & set of controls/releases.
Click to expand...
I guess I'd have to come out and show you how I use the monopod/ballhead combo. I kick the leg out to the side, not straight up and down as is traditional. I then have the ballhead slightly loose so it has free swivel action in all directions. I keep the flop over slot and my index finger in constant contact so I have comunication, tactilly with the monopod.

So now the leg is out of my way but continues to give me support, the head is supporting the lens omnidirectionally and my brain, through my index finger is tactilly connected with the orientation of the ballhead.

I now have full use/control of the monopod/ballhead combo.
Hyperfish said:
2. Movement on the horizontal axis. (panning) I've yet to find a
shooting situation where a head/pan base would have offered any
major advatange vs. the K.I.S.S. setup.
Click to expand...
In my above example, the major advantage is full support and total/complete movement and support without any restriction or interference:-) That's a good thing:-)
Hyperfish said:
3. 90' flop - On the 70-200mm he's using, the quickest, fastest,
easiest way to change from landscape to portrait is loosening the
tripod ring & rotating the lens/body.
Click to expand...
By having the ballhead lightly loosened and the index finger on the flop slot of the head, you know right where it's at, you flop the head and go on about shooting with the sensor body:-) You don't have to losen or tighten anything. Boom! And you're photographing. This is a good thing:-)
Hyperfish said:
On a short lens, if you're using a body plate mounted to the
monopod it's a 1-2 second deal to flop 90'.
Click to expand...
Short lens or long lens, positioned in the manner described, there's no interference and you don't need to do any QR plate changes.
Hyperfish said:
Dunno, YMMV, but after mounting various ballheads on my monopod &
shootng under various conditions I had to laugh at how complex it
was to re-orient vs. the simple tilt head...
Click to expand...
I agree, once I became comfortable with this manner/form/style of dancing with this combination, I have to laugh at how simple it is and can't believe anybody wouldn't want to do it the way described above.

As you like to post YMMV and what ever efficiently works for a person is what they should be doing:-)
 
Thomas Gardner said:
What ever efficiently works for a person is what they should be doing:-)
Click to expand...
I agree, people can shoot with their undies on their head for all I care.... if it works for them that's fine.

Personally, I haven't found the need for a head and simply work with a loose lens ring and have full movement.

What DOES tick me off though, is the articles that often get referred to in these threads that start with the heading... "The correct way to use a monopod" and then go on to describe how to make the monopod work like a tripod, by leaning this way... pushing against this leg.... feet apart but one forward of the other etc!

Like I said, they can put their undies on their head for all I care, but don't tell me that their way is the only "correct" way.... there is no correct way, there is simply everybody's "own" way.

Russell
 
Russell Stewart said:
Russell Stewart said:
What ever efficiently works for a person is what they should be doing:-)
Click to expand...
I agree, people can shoot with their undies on their head for all I
care.... if it works for them that's fine.
Click to expand...
I'd prefer they keep their "undies" on. Why? I don't know if upon seeing this sight, even with a high shutter speed, I would be able to keep camera shake from entering the equation from my laughter.

I can just see the sight of a serious photographer running around with his shorts on his head:-) But then again, was always "Benny Hill" :-)
 
I agree ... I use the Bogen/Manifrotto midi ball head/QR with my monopod and it work GREAT!!
Thomas Gardner said:
Hyperfish said:
M Walker said:
Suggestions please for Monopod and head that works well with this
lens + - the 1.4 converter. Thanks MWW
Click to expand...
http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/tutorials/monopods/index.html
Click to expand...
I'm going to have to disagree with RRS article, based upon personal
experience.

I highly recommend the Bogen 3055 with QR plate, included.

Take the monopod/ballhead combo out into the field on three or four
shoots and you'll train yourself how to dance with this combo.
Once you're comfortable, you'll not go back and you too will
question the valid ness of some of the comments.

Also, by disagreeing with the article, RRS won't get any sales:-)
You don't think their article was biased towards their products do
you:-)
Click to expand...
--
Barry in Frederick, Md.
 
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