DrHook59
Veteran Member
Well, they say nothing is ever really 'new', but I recently developed an idea into something I'm finding really rather useful. It started with a desire to make my macro "stick" (à la Mark Berkery) more portable. It's difficult to appear 'normal' at the best of times nowadays, but someone wandering around with a 5-6' tomato cane or wooden pole does tend to stand out. And where I live one automatically appears to be a pilgrim, which can lead to other problems, lol.
But I find it difficult to think of something more beneficial and easy to use in the field for macro than a 'stick', so I really wanted to come up with something I could throw in the car, or on the bike, or in a bag. Traditional monopods can be expensive, and typically are not strong enough to support the weight of a photographer as they 'lean' into the shot. I also wanted to do something without spending a small fortune - and I wanted it to be really easy to use - the solution became an obsession, really. Sigh.
So, here's the result - and I've come to call it the Insta-Pod. You know, 'tripod'... 'monopod'... 'instapod'...right?
data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I bought two of these...for a total of 17€ - they're elasticated "instant" walking-sticks (the sections are joined together with shock-cord). You just hold the handle and let go of the rest and half a second later you have walking-stick...
...which are also available in the UK and USA for the same sort of price.
Half an hour's work with a pair of scissors and a pair of pliers, and the end result was this...
...an eight-section walking stick that's about 1.5m (nearly five feet) in height, and with a head section that's also adjustable over about another 20cm (eight inches) or so. It weighs just 314 gms. For convenience, I've only been using it in four sections, but you can make it much smaller if you fold up all eight sections. And yes, you have a spare handle and rubber foot to put in the store-box after you have done your transformation. The two elastic cords from each stick are the perfect length for your eight-section wonder when joined together - you don't have to buy anything extra.
The four-sectioned model fits really nicely under my new Besnfoto bag (a birthday gift, I hasten to add), and using it is as easy as pie, as you can imagine. Slacken off the strap, pull it out and a second later you have a monopod or 'stick'. Of course, once you have set it up it always returns to the exact same height - no fumbling about with knobs and paddles and hoping you're at the right height.
My initial thoughts were to change the head of this stick into something with a 1/8th mount when I wanted to use it as a monopod, but after playing with it for a while I realised that the handle (with a bit of built-up tape on each side) provided a much more versatile arrangement - I can simply raise my camera in one hand, put the lens 'in the gap', and then take the camera on and off at will, using the stick to beat off errant waiters, goats and the odd snake. I shall actually probably work on the other unused handle and put a threaded mount on it for when I might need one, but there seems to be no pressing rush to do so.
For those of a macro mind, yes - the Insta-Pod works perfectly as a 'Berkery stick', too, just wonderfully. And if it can support the weight of me leaning on it, then I would imagine it would support the weight of any combination of lens and camera in our m4/3 world. And if you are out in the field, and want to shorten the height of the Insta-pod for lower positions, simply pull it apart at the right height and let the unused portion lie on the ground. For speed of use it simply can't be beaten.
Anyway, it works for me, and might work for someone else who's either a macro-stick user, or does not have a monopod. And it only costs the almighty amount of 17€, which is a triumph for a professional skinflint like me. Unless you're a giant, and have to buy a third stick to make your's higher!
data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
But I find it difficult to think of something more beneficial and easy to use in the field for macro than a 'stick', so I really wanted to come up with something I could throw in the car, or on the bike, or in a bag. Traditional monopods can be expensive, and typically are not strong enough to support the weight of a photographer as they 'lean' into the shot. I also wanted to do something without spending a small fortune - and I wanted it to be really easy to use - the solution became an obsession, really. Sigh.
So, here's the result - and I've come to call it the Insta-Pod. You know, 'tripod'... 'monopod'... 'instapod'...right?
data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I bought two of these...for a total of 17€ - they're elasticated "instant" walking-sticks (the sections are joined together with shock-cord). You just hold the handle and let go of the rest and half a second later you have walking-stick...
...which are also available in the UK and USA for the same sort of price.
Half an hour's work with a pair of scissors and a pair of pliers, and the end result was this...
...an eight-section walking stick that's about 1.5m (nearly five feet) in height, and with a head section that's also adjustable over about another 20cm (eight inches) or so. It weighs just 314 gms. For convenience, I've only been using it in four sections, but you can make it much smaller if you fold up all eight sections. And yes, you have a spare handle and rubber foot to put in the store-box after you have done your transformation. The two elastic cords from each stick are the perfect length for your eight-section wonder when joined together - you don't have to buy anything extra.
The four-sectioned model fits really nicely under my new Besnfoto bag (a birthday gift, I hasten to add), and using it is as easy as pie, as you can imagine. Slacken off the strap, pull it out and a second later you have a monopod or 'stick'. Of course, once you have set it up it always returns to the exact same height - no fumbling about with knobs and paddles and hoping you're at the right height.
My initial thoughts were to change the head of this stick into something with a 1/8th mount when I wanted to use it as a monopod, but after playing with it for a while I realised that the handle (with a bit of built-up tape on each side) provided a much more versatile arrangement - I can simply raise my camera in one hand, put the lens 'in the gap', and then take the camera on and off at will, using the stick to beat off errant waiters, goats and the odd snake. I shall actually probably work on the other unused handle and put a threaded mount on it for when I might need one, but there seems to be no pressing rush to do so.
For those of a macro mind, yes - the Insta-Pod works perfectly as a 'Berkery stick', too, just wonderfully. And if it can support the weight of me leaning on it, then I would imagine it would support the weight of any combination of lens and camera in our m4/3 world. And if you are out in the field, and want to shorten the height of the Insta-pod for lower positions, simply pull it apart at the right height and let the unused portion lie on the ground. For speed of use it simply can't be beaten.
Anyway, it works for me, and might work for someone else who's either a macro-stick user, or does not have a monopod. And it only costs the almighty amount of 17€, which is a triumph for a professional skinflint like me
. Unless you're a giant, and have to buy a third stick to make your's higher!data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
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