Is a Wimberly monopod head overkill for m43?

I am considering a monopod, and read all the good reasons for a monopid head. And then all the glowing recommendations for the Wimberly.

My heaviest lens is the 40-150pro, which is very light, but none-the-less, I think I would see benefit using a monopod.

But would this be overkill? Does that head preclude using a lighter weight monopod like a Gitzo Traveler?

Jan

Hi Jan,

Is this the one you're considering?

I question the concept of having the weight placed alongside the monopod rather than centered over it.

I once used the monopod by itself, screwed directly into the camera socket or lens tripod socket, but have recently added a tilt head to get around the bother of angling up or down with the pod attached. The tilt head simplifies that, keeping the pod essentially vertical. Lenses like the 40150 with collars allow the camera to rotate to portrait orientation as needed. Attached at the camera, one needs a ballhead to flop to portrait.

I have not used the Wimberly but question whether that design is the best path. Tilt heads can be had for roughly half the price, as well.

Good luck!

Rick

I think it would be overkill. I have shot FF for the last 15 years and have a couple of different gimbals, including the Wimberley - great head for heavy lenses. I am new to MFT and have the 40-150. It is my opinion that a quality ballhead on a monopod would be the better investment - and what I will be exploring. I am very used to using tripods, but it is clear most MFT people shooting birds or wildlife shoot hand held. To be honest, though, from many of the images I have seen - they shouldn't be - their images reflect the lack of stability - OR - they crank the ISO so they can crank the shutter speed to make up for the lack of stability.

I think you are on the right track considering support for 80-300mm FOV. Can shoot hand held doesn't mean should - but the weight of the Wimberley will be close to, or greater than the camera/lens you want to use it for.

I think the key element will be a solid monopod and the ability to lean it on something solid, making it that much more stabile. The IBIS is great in the two cameras I have invested in, but shooting from a still and stable camera always yields the best images.

My comments were in regard to this Wimberley:





The monopod head puts the weight to the side - which misses the point of a monopod - to support the weight - not give you a balancing act to manage.

--
Please harshly criticize my images - it helps me better at this photography thingy.

On both of my monopods (that are actually hiking staffs) I've mounted tilt heads (one a Manfroto, the other a generic Chinese-made clone with can-style ARCA-Swiss connectors) and they work well with my Olympus 75-300mm. Since you have to hold onto the monopod (if you don't want to have the camera and lens do a face plant), you can't benefit from many of a gimbal's benefits. A tilt head is much lighter than a gimbal and much less expensive -- that's the way to go.

I use a monopod with a floating base and feet


You cannot use it in portrait but the floating base eliminates the need for a head totally as usually I dont have the time for setting up I need it to be ready immediately which I can do just going back and forth

A head with a ball is what i use on a tripod and I dont use fluid heads at all as you need to have the base levelled for panning video so at the end I find better to master my mechanical skills with the monopod and keep it light

janeenadamsmartin said:

I am considering a monopod, and read all the good reasons for a monopid head. And then all the glowing recommendations for the Wimberly.

My heaviest lens is the 40-150pro, which is very light, but none-the-less, I think I would see benefit using a monopod.

But would this be overkill? Does that head preclude using a lighter weight monopod like a Gitzo Traveler?

Jan

Click to expand...

You just want a simple tilt-head for primarily stills. You'd consider a gimbal if your main interest was sports, action, wildlife or bifs. The gear would be big and heavy and need balance and support.

You'll get far more use from a tilt-head. It acts a lot like a gimbal.

Danielvr said:

Recommendation: Monopod head w/ Landscape-Portrait and Tilt action

Click to expand...

I think the problem with this design is the handle is going to make it hard to use the camera's EVF, which is key to camera stability, especially at longer focal lengths.

I am thinking of this Wimberly, the MH-100, not the full-sized gimbal.



Steve Perry Youtube is compelling as to why this is better than a tilt-head.



And folks say you get use







d to it being on the side, vs on top.

janeenadamsmartin said:

I am considering a monopod, and read all the good reasons for a monopid head. And then all the glowing recommendations for the Wimberly.

My heaviest lens is the 40-150pro, which is very light, but none-the-less, I think I would see benefit using a monopod.

But would this be overkill? Does that head preclude using a lighter weight monopod like a Gitzo Traveler?

Jan

Click to expand...

Can you be more specific why you need a monopod?

This may gets the answer you're looking for. We don't know what your motivations are for needing one. We don't know if you're suffering from an injury or you're sitting on a folding stool with camouflage netting over you while you wait for wildlife.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/184579125@N06/albums

janeenadamsmartin said:

I am thinking of this Wimberly, the MH-100, not the full-sized gimbal.

Steve Perry Youtube is compelling as to why this is better than a tilt-head.

And folks say you get use

d to it being on the side, vs on top.

Click to expand...

My use of a ballhead on a monopod has worked well for me, for that lens and heavier - and allows for portrait, pan, etc.

I have a ballhead for my tripod, but I read that it would flop around on a monopod, that a tilthead would be better, and then I found the Wimberly Monopod head...

I don't have a monopod yet, or I would try it...

This works well for me. https://www.lensmaster.co.uk/m1.htm

This is the tilt head I chose.




Oben VH-A30

Couldn't make up my mind among many choices and it came on sale - so far so good. Including the QR plate is a welcome touch, and the 300 Pro locks in directly because it has the AS groove already in the tripod foot. (The 40-150 Pro will need a plate.)

Cheers,

Rick

--
Equivalence and diffraction-free since 2009.
You can be too; ask about our 12-step program.

janeenadamsmartin said:

I have a ballhead for my tripod, but I read that it would flop around on a monopod, that a tilthead would be better, and then I found the Wimberly Monopod head...

I don't have a monopod yet, or I would try it...

Click to expand...

I suppose if you left it loose that would be true. Good ball heads can be adjusted for tension, so it is only as loose, yet moveable as the photog chooses it to be. I leave mine just loose enough to be moveable, but not loose - and for really long focal length I may even tighten it down a bit for the shot(s). YMMV.

I expect that head would be a decent buy....

First things first. - Buy your monopod and see how the plate at top looks and consider carbon fiber which is not all that costly and as strong as the heavier ones. If you have not.

Then it is time to shop for the head.

I followed that sequence. Having already got my cameras and lenses with Arca Swiss plates obviously I went first to the Arca Swiss dovetail specialty place in California at time, the Really Right Stuff. Not inexpensive, but I do not skimp on support systems nor do you

So with a Manfrotto carbon monopod I bought one of these:


It has been 15 years or so, and prices and specs have changed, but I love the quick tighten knob. And it packs without grabbing in a bag for travel....yeah, support systems should not be like packing skiing gear...

With monopod and head, --and i have ball heads tried and they will work, sort of, but you do not need 3-D articulation in a head.

So, yeah, lots of stuff will work. Above was my choice. No regrets.

" Be happy in your work"---General Bogey

Skeeterbytes said:

This is the tilt head I chose.

Oben VH-A30

Couldn't make up my mind among many choices and it came on sale - so far so good. Including the QR plate is a welcome touch, and the 300 Pro locks in directly because it has the AS groove already in the tripod foot. (The 40-150 Pro will need a plate.)

Cheers,

Rick

Click to expand...

This was my first choice for use on my monopod (one similar from RRS) - until I spent time using it. It is really solid, but no good way to shoot portrait quickly - and on mine the top plate is designed to rotate, but not quickly - so this went to another piece of support and once I tried a small ball head on the monopod, I was hooked. The other issue I had with mine (from RRS) is that I couldn't find a happy medium between loose enough to move while providing support verses too loose which meant I had to tighten it, at least some, before shooting - don't always have those extra seconds with wildlife, which is what I shoot. YMMV.

--
Please harshly criticize my images - it helps me better at this photography thingy.

I don't see where a gimbal head on a monopod would be a great idea. I've used a ball head but have found that a Manfrotto monopod head works well. One quick adjustment for adjusting vertical height/angle is all you need along with a quick release plate for when you want to take a handheld shot.

WileEC_ID said:

WileEC_ID said:

Recommendation: Monopod head w/ Landscape-Portrait and Tilt action

Click to expand...

I think the problem with this design is the handle is going to make it hard to use the camera's EVF, which is key to camera stability, especially at longer focal lengths.

Click to expand...

No, the handle doesn't get in the way (but I'm left-eyed which helps). If it did, I could just take it off and the camera would still tilt in a damped manner.

Back in the days when I used a monopod (IBIS killed that) I settled on a really simple head Manfrotto 234 that did all I needed on an old heavy Bogen/Manfrotto monopod, the head probably an obsolete part now.

That old 3 section monopod was too long for my usual suitcase so had to disassemble it and use my big metal lathe to slightly shorten the sections to make it fit. It still is nose height extended.

I liked the simple tilt idea so much that I also bought the Manfrotto 234RC (quick release version, also obsolete now I guess) and that head attached to a modified ball head on my Benbo Trekker tripod that gets used (rarely now) for macro. A marvelously adaptable tripod that can have legs and bar arranged in any which way, but the absolute caution is the single lever release to tighten the legs, loosen that and the thing flops dead to the ground.