Budget Monopod for long lens use

tonybassplayer

tonybassplayer

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Tony
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Quite frankly I have spent a small fortune recently on an 80D, used 70-200 f4 and a Sigma 150-600 Contemporary plus some filters etc but I want to purchase a monopod to see if it will help give me some support. I am going to Martin Mere next week and thought a little extra support would help plus I am going to New York in summer and thought it could be handy as I don't think I will be taking my Tripod.

I will put the budget at say £30 which I know is not a lot but my wife is beginning to wonder when it will all end (yes, I know the answer is never but I can't tell her that lol)

Any thoughts or should I say up the budget to £50 ish for something better ?

One question. Am I right to assume that the camera can be attached direct to the Monopod ?

Many thanks

Tony
 
Hi Tony

For years I used a £20 monopod I got from Jessops one day screwed straight onto my 70-200 f2.8's tripod collar, as the lens & camera can rotate within the collar that's attached to the monopod I never saw any need for a tilt-head of any kind

So if I was you, I'd just buy a sturdy one up to £30 and job done :)

Dave
 
Yes you can usually attach them directly to the lens foot on your 70-200 and 150-600. However check that the mono pod that you choose is suitable for both 1/4 and 3/8 threads - I can't remember which size the Sigma uses! Personally I prefer to attach an Arca type quick release plate to the top of the mono pod and a suitable quick release plate to the lens foot - it is just more convenient.

As to mono pods I would suggest the Gitzo GM2541 - but they are a wee bit pricey, unless you are lucky like I was:)

More realistically I would look at the Sirui P224 and P324 (not the versions with the spreadable feet). These are well outside your price range but cheaper in the long run as you won't be trying to get rid of them in a few months. I guarantee you will get peeved fairly quickly with a cheapie!

If you really want a cheap mono pod then I have a Manfrotto 679 with a Manfrotto 234 tilt head and a 210 QR plate that I am trying to get rid of - £25 (inc postage) will cover it but I really would get something better if you can.

Just my thoughts.
 
I would have a look at the used prices on mpb, ffordes, lce, etc and then do a quick check on amazon/ google for cost new along with a check of classifieds on here.

For longer lenses i find it better for stability to fix to lens foot which you can usually do direct to monopod- can get a bit unwieldly if youre chasing a pan up or down. I use optech straps and also tend to have both a wrist strap and neck strap on the camera as a bit of insurance against the monopod slipping
 
Have a look at the Vanguard range. I use mine mainly as a walking aid here in the Dales and if it can stand up to me putting my weight on it going downhill ...
 
I'd definitely go second hand, personally - I got a slightly scruffy carbon fibre Manfrotto for £40 with a bit of hunting around, I was quite surprised at just how much better and more stable it is than my previous budget monopod with a big weighty zoom on it, despite the cheap one having a higher quoted maximum load.
 
Have a look on 7day shop, I have a total cheapie from them that I find utterly superb it doubles as a walking stick and even has a small but accurate compass built in.
 
A few posters have mentioned going for a used mono pod is good advice! Buying used will allow you to get a better quality mono pod for the price of a cheap new one..

As I said, in my previous post, I was lucky (persistent?), I waited until I could get what I wanted at a price that I was willing to pay. I ended up with two mono pods (+ the one I ma trying to get rid of:mad:) - Namely a Gitzo GM2541 (weighs nothing and very rigid) for £90 and a Sirui P424 (just overkill for your needs) for £74.

My mistake was getting the cheap Manfrotto mono pod (I did the same with tripods!) and I don't want to see you or others wasting money like I did! Buy quality = buy once. Cheaper and better in the long run so buy quality in the first place!
 
cheap monopod could result in broken gear
save your pennies and buy a decent one
 
Box Brownie said:
That one has a max load of 1.5kg and the OP's sigma alone weights 1.9kg, so with that monopod having so many sections and clip locks I would not trust it long term to hold the load reliably!
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Not sure about that spec, used mine as an emergency shooting stick so make that a LOT more than 1.5kg, more like over 50.
 
tonybassplayer said:
Quite frankly I have spent a small fortune recently on an 80D, used 70-200 f4 and a Sigma 150-600 Contemporary plus some filters etc but I want to purchase a monopod to see if it will help give me some support. I am going to Martin Mere next week and thought a little extra support would help plus I am going to New York in summer and thought it could be handy as I don't think I will be taking my Tripod.

I will put the budget at say £30 which I know is not a lot but my wife is beginning to wonder when it will all end (yes, I know the answer is never but I can't tell her that lol)

Any thoughts or should I say up the budget to £50 ish for something better ?

One question. Am I right to assume that the camera can be attached direct to the Monopod ?

Many thanks

Tony
Click to expand...
As a felllow Canon 80D user, in the unlikley event that the OP hasn't yet sorted out a monopod then i do have a little used Giottos ML 3270B that is sitting around doing nothing & would be happy to put up a for sale ad in the classifieds if it's of any interest to him.
 
I would be checking weight capacity for any but as mentioned second hand could be the best option for the budget you have set
 
KathG said:
Hi, has anyone purchased a Sirui monopod from Ebay
I have seen the Sirui P-424S for £129.99 on eBay, this is the one with the at Amazon it is around double that price. It does look like a genuine model,

Here is the link
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIRUI-P-4...212549?hash=item4b02e69305:g:rCQAAOSwo4pYZi0K

TIA
Cheers
Kath
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I bought mine from E Bay - no issues.

I see that the one that you link to has the extra support feet - do you really want these? I know someone who has the 3 series equivalent (P324S) and loves it, I tried it but was very nervous about his gear (I wouldn't put mine on it) surviving. As I said he loves it - I hate it so I would suggest that you try before you buy. Another thing to think about is the weight - it is heavier than my Gitzo 2 series tripod and only a few ounces lighter than the 3 series Gitzo that I used to use!

Don't get me wrong, I love my P424 (mine is not the "S" model) but this is a big mono pod and more than is needed for anything less than a 500mm F4.. Depending on what gear you are using I would suggest that you have a look at the P224 and P324.. However if, like me, you use silly big lenses then the P424 is an excellent choice! Though if you do use lenses of any significant weight I, personally, would avoid the "S" models with the fold out feet - just my opinion.

I had a quick look on E Bay and the cheapest place (in the EU) to get the model that I bought is a nice bricks and mortar camera shop in Carmarthen - it is more or less my local camera shop.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SIRUI-P-424-Monopod-/222262009511?hash=item33bfd91ea7:g:8S8AAOSwYIxX6QW7

Happy deciding!
 
I've had a Manfrotto 679B for a number of years now and it's very solid. At £30 inexpensive too.
 
You can easily 'waste' a lot of money on a monopod. They're not like tripods, you obviously don't use them in the same way and they're not stressed in the same way either. Plus you always have hold of the camera, and that's the limiting factor in terms of stability. Carbon fibre could double the cost, but the weight saving with a monopod is tiny. My own monopod is an alloy Benro I bought a few years ago for £30, it's tall enough for birding and planes overhead etc, and has lever locks that I prefer for quick height adjustment. I've had some very big lenses on it, eg Sigma 150-600 S and Canon 400/2.8.

Save some cash and spend a bit more on the head - that's important! Gimbals are pointless on a monopod IMHO, and I don't like monopod heads either that lock you out of movement in one dimension. The ball head I have, and monopod use is one of the several reasons I chose it, is an Arca-Swiss P0. Not cheap, but money well spent :)
 
The 679 is the one I am trying to get rid of! I think we may have different ideas of "Solid"...............
 
Many thanks for all the replies.

Didn't sort anything before going to Martin Mere and really impressed with the camera/lens combinations ability to get great shots hand held but think I will have a punt on something at the cheaper end to see if I get on with it.

If you are selling yours goinggreynow please send me the link so I can have a look
 
johnf3f said:
The 679 is the one I am trying to get rid of! I think we may have different ideas of "Solid"...............
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I guess so. I've never had a problem with my 679b or considered it to be weak or wobbly. It's just a telescopic aluminium tube that performs as expected.
 
GeeJay57 said:
I guess so. I've never had a problem with my 679b or considered it to be weak or wobbly. It's just a telescopic aluminium tube that performs as expected.
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The 679 is certainly not wobbly! It is a big heavy and fairly rigid mono pod. Unfortunately it collapses (shortens) too easily so I can't trust it with heavy lenses or use it as a walking cane when crossing obstacles. My (ex) Manfrotto 190 and 055 tripods also suffered from these poor leg locks as well and no amount of adjustment has been able to cure this whilst still allowing the leg locks to be practical.

My flyweight Gitzo GM2541 is fully up to my needs and the leg locks are almost impossible to defeat - well unless you get really silly!

We are all different and perhaps I ask a lot of my gear? However my tripods + mono pods fully meet my requirements and weren't silly money.
 
johnf3f said:
The 679 is certainly not wobbly! It is a big heavy and fairly rigid mono pod. Unfortunately it collapses (shortens) too easily
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I never yet had the problem with any of the manfrotto stuff I got, but I thought the tension of the locks was adjustable by tightening one nut per lock.
 
TLR-330 said:
I never yet had the problem with any of the manfrotto stuff I got, but I thought the tension of the locks was adjustable by tightening one nut per lock.
Click to expand...


It certainly is, but even so I have not, yet, been able to get the sort of lockup that I want and still have the "Flip Locks" at a usable tension. This precludes using heavy lenses (my normal fare). This is over my 679 mono pod, 190 tripod and 055 tripod - so that is 14 leg locks that I was not happy with.

I have dodgy knees so, if I am shooting at low level, I may use the tripod/mono pod to help me up = just a little extra balance. All of the Manfrottos squashed down with just one hand - even my tiny Gitzo traveller is far better and a 3 series Gitzo (still lighter than an 055) will take my full (and very substantial) body weight without any signs of stress. My Gitzo and Sirui mono pods take anything I can throw at them without complaint and have done for some years now -. hence my recommendations.
 
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johnf3f said:
The 679 is certainly not wobbly! It is a big heavy and fairly rigid mono pod. Unfortunately it collapses (shortens) too easily so I can't trust it with heavy lenses or use it as a walking cane when crossing obstacles. My (ex) Manfrotto 190 and 055 tripods also suffered from these poor leg locks as well and no amount of adjustment has been able to cure this whilst still allowing the leg locks to be practical.

My flyweight Gitzo GM2541 is fully up to my needs and the leg locks are almost impossible to defeat - well unless you get really silly!

We are all different and perhaps I ask a lot of my gear? However my tripods + mono pods fully meet my requirements and weren't silly money.
Click to expand...

Is yours a 679 or a 679B (though truly I don't know if a 679 exists or is actually any different from the B version)?

Anyway mine is the latter and it really doesn't collapse as you suggest at all. I've used it for additional walking support when for example descending from CAD West in the mud and it doesn't move when I lean on it. No way does the one I have shorten under camera gear load, though the heaviest set up I've had on it has probably been 50D+grip with Sigma 300f/2.8 + 1.4 or 2.0 TC, so 4 or 5 kg tops. Currently use it with 7Dii with Canon 100-400 mkii without any issues at all. Hence why I described it as solid.

I've also used 055 series tripods in the past and had no problems with the legs shortening under load.

Interesting how different our individual experiences are of what should be similar products.
 
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My 679 is the same as your 679B just shiny aluminium.

Perhaps I am harder on/expect more from gear? For example I use mono pods to help me balance on slippery rocks, hacking down brush and sometimes I even put cameras on them!

With my Manfrotto 055 XB pro I did load it heavily, but within it's 8 Kilo spec, and I found it wanting, yet with a Gitzo G1329 Mk2, rated at 12 kilos (only 4 more than the 055), even my 100 kilo + body weight was not enough to stress it. My 055 could actually be pushed down partially with one hand - yes it took a little effort but I am not trusting that with a heavy lens!
 
johnf3f said:
My 679 is the same as your 679B just shiny aluminium.

Perhaps I am harder on/expect more from gear? For example I use mono pods to help me balance on slippery rocks, hacking down brush and sometimes I even put cameras on them!

With my Manfrotto 055 XB pro I did load it heavily, but within it's 8 Kilo spec, and I found it wanting, yet with a Gitzo G1329 Mk2, rated at 12 kilos (only 4 more than the 055), even my 100 kilo + body weight was not enough to stress it. My 055 could actually be pushed down partially with one hand - yes it took a little effort but I am not trusting that with a heavy lens!
Click to expand...

Well, I just did a bathroom scales test on my 679B. Three-quarters extended (camera at eye level, with ballhead attached). I could press down at 32kg and it holds fine. Just starts to slip at 33kg +

So for me, that's more than secure enough for any lens/camera combination I'm ever likely to use and is plenty for me to lean on as support when out walking up and down hills. Your experience is clearly different.
 
GeeJay57 said:
Well, I just did a bathroom scales test on my 679B. Three-quarters extended (camera at eye level, with ballhead attached). I could press down at 32kg and it holds fine. Just starts to slip at 33kg +

So for me, that's more than secure enough for any lens/camera combination I'm ever likely to use and is plenty for me to lean on as support when out walking up and down hills. Your experience is clearly different.
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That is a LOT better than mine! Better than my tripods were too - I can see why you are happy.

Perhaps yours is better than average, or mine is worse than average? Either way that sounds pretty good for an inexpensive mono pod.

I will only speak for items that I have tried extensively/owned - hence my concerns about the 679. Yours will support well over double the load that mine will so I fully understand you recommending it - as would I if it were mine. Wish mine was that good!:(
 
johnf3f said:
That is a LOT better than mine! Better than my tripods were too - I can see why you are happy.

Perhaps yours is better than average, or mine is worse than average? Either way that sounds pretty good for an inexpensive mono pod.

I will only speak for items that I have tried extensively/owned - hence my concerns about the 679. Yours will support well over double the load that mine will so I fully understand you recommending it - as would I if it were mine. Wish mine was that good!:(
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I think your experience is not the norm John. I had a 679B and though I never actually tested it for slippage, there were never any problems.

I'm wondering though, if your 679 with brushed alloy finish (B just means Black in Manfrotto speak) is quite a few years old? I have a hunch that Manfrotto has not offered anything except black for a long time now. It could be that the black finish just offers more friction, or maybe Manfrotto has lowered the cam profile on the lever locks of later models and that would give a tighter grip. You can actually do this yourself if you take them apart and use a fine file. It's actually very easy - not that I'm recommending this, but I have done it!
 
HoppyUK said:
I think your experience is not the norm John. I had a 679B and though I never actually tested it for slippage, there were never any problems.

I'm wondering though, if your 679 with brushed alloy finish (B just means Black in Manfrotto speak) is quite a few years old? I have a hunch that Manfrotto has not offered anything except black for a long time now. It could be that the black finish just offers more friction, or maybe Manfrotto has lowered the cam profile on the lever locks of later models and that would give a tighter grip. You can actually do this yourself if you take them apart and use a fine file. It's actually very easy - not that I'm recommending this, but I have done it!
Click to expand...

I think you could well be right!

Mine was bought quite some time ago and was fine until I started going silly places and later started using silly lenses:)

Anyway I picked up a Gitzo GM2541 which is vastly superior and a fraction of the weight - though it did cost £90! This silly little stick takes anything I can throw at it and is quite happy with the longest/heaviest lenses Canon/Nikon make. My only criticism is that it is so thin that it doesn't give one much to get hold of with 500mm + lenses (though it supports them just fine). To give me a better/wider grip I found a Sirui P424 going at sensible money (£74) and that does for my 800mm - but for everything else the Gitzo is my first choice.

A mono pod is just an adjustable stick - but there are sticks and then there are STICKS;)
 
Bought one on the forum for £30 this week and wow what a difference.

Makes shots like this in the garden so much easier than having to fully hold the camera and long lens.

Starling in the garden by Tony Keogh, on Flickr
 
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