Monopod or table top tripod or selfie stick for DSLR?

I have a medium sized mirrorless camera that weighs about 19 oz. with the biggest lens (or maybe 15 oz.) that I want to use for occasional selfies or pictures of small groups. If I don't want to buy a tripod now, what are alternatives and pros and cons?

a. Is there such thing as a selfie stick that is fairly short? It would be like a monopod except the mount rotates so the camera faces me.

b. table top tripod. I realize it can have limitations, such as pointing slightly upwards or finding a ledge or picnic table to put it on.

I don't have a DSLR but the camera is almost that weight and size.

Lighthouse2 said:

I have a medium sized mirrorless camera that weighs about 19 oz. with the biggest lens (or maybe 15 oz.) that I want to use for occasional selfies or pictures of small groups. If I don't want to buy a tripod now, what are alternatives and pros and cons?

a. Is there such thing as a selfie stick that is fairly short? It would be like a monopod except the mount rotates so the camera faces me.

b. table top tripod. I realize it can have limitations, such as pointing slightly upwards or finding a ledge or picnic table to put it on.

I don't have a DSLR but the camera is almost that weight and size.

Click to expand...

Lighthouse2 said:

I have a medium sized mirrorless camera that weighs about 19 oz. with the biggest lens (or maybe 15 oz.) that I want to use for occasional selfies or pictures of small groups. If I don't want to buy a tripod now, what are alternatives and pros and cons?

a. Is there such thing as a selfie stick that is fairly short? It would be like a monopod except the mount rotates so the camera faces me.

Click to expand...

Why not just rotate a monopod and use a small simple ball head or this simple tilt head from Manfrotto? https://www.manfrotto.us/monopod-tilt-top-swivel-tilt-head-90

Lighthouse2 said:

b. table top tripod. I realize it can have limitations, such as pointing slightly upwards or finding a ledge or picnic table to put it on.

Click to expand...

I have owned several table top tripods and the largest "Gorillapod" But my favorite table top head does not have legs and is far easier to carry and use , and it is far more versatile and stable than either the G-pod or or a conventional tabletop tripod. It is the Platypod. The Platypods come in two sizes the smaller Ultra and the full size Max. I have both but honestly I use the Max far more often . I use it as a tabletop tripod, a ground pod, and on posts, fences and walls. I use it for off camera lights (LED and flash (from hot shoe mount to large monolights) as well as cameras. I sometimes use it as a mounting platform between my tripod and tripod head.

Speaking of tripod heads you'll have to supply that but I have used it with small tripod heads and others all the way up to a large Benro S8 fluid damped video head.
For supporting cameras and lighting equipment, the Platypod Max is the most versatile piece of equipment I own.

I picked up a table top tripod (link below) that can also be strapped to a pole, tree, etc... I use it with a Fuji X-T20 and 18-55 and it's rock steady. I was comfortable enough with the tripod to put my camera on it and set the tripod on a big rock in the middle of a stream for a long exposure.

Pedco Ultrapod II tripod




Taken with Fuji X-T20 and 18-55 on a Pedco Ultrapod II tripod.

I recommend table top tripod like Gorillapod. You can take selfie with it too.

I have Gorillapod SLR zoom for travelling. Use it for my D750 and, now, also for my XT20. I find it's really versatile.

I also have the tripod head for this Gorillapod, I bought the tripod head much later thinking that it would be useful, but after a while I don't use the tripod head much. It adds weight, size and more thing to work with. To me, attaching the camera directly to the tripod is a better way to do it.

This is the first time I hear about this Platypod, thanks for the info. It looks interesting, I will definitely check it out.