Monopod suggestions for video/still camera? at DVinfo.net

Tyge Floyd · June 2nd, 2005, 07:29 PM

Do any of you use a monopod for run and gun shooting with your video rigs? If so, what brand/model. I've been looking at some Bogen/Manfrotto sticks on B&H and think I would use one quite a bit in the field. Of coarse, this would also be used for my still camera at times.

Wayne Starick · June 2nd, 2005, 08:43 PM

I use a Manfrotto monopod - it has exactly the same base-plate as my Manfrotto tripod, so switching from one to the other is very easy and very quick.

Marco Leavitt · June 2nd, 2005, 08:44 PM

We've got a Bogen 679B that I like pretty good. We've also got a Manfrotto 3229 head. Definitely get a head that you can tilt up and down. We're not pros or anything, but we've shot a documentary, a couple of stage plays and weddings with it. I really like monopods. It's an underappreciated tool.

Dan Mumford · June 2nd, 2005, 09:28 PM

Tyge,

I too have a Bogen monopod, the 558B (B for black) It uses the same quick-release plate as the 501 and 503 heads. As stated above, it would be better with a tiltable head so you might want to add at least a 501. I took the 577 Quick Release Adapter Assembly off and put it on my Tiffen Steady Stick so I could quickly switch between it and my tripod. (The 577 uses the same QR plate.)

Between the monopod and the Steady Stick, I prefer the latter. It isn't any more stable, as both require your body as part of the system, but it takes a lot of the weight off your arms and transfers it to your waist. It isn't perfect. The upper connector is loose fitting (it works like a compressed air line connector) which allows the camcorder to rock side to side a little, but that can be a good thing when leveling your shot.

Bogen 558B at B&H
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=239048&is=REG

Information on the Steady Stick
http://www.dvcreators.net/shooting/

(scroll down to see the QT video) You can also purchase from here at a discount.

Dan

Robert Mann Z. · June 2nd, 2005, 11:09 PM

i have two of these best mono pod i have ever used...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=278565&is=REG

the carbon fiber is strong and supa light when you need to raise the monopod for an over the head shot

i also have a few of these heads

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ku=5491&is=REG

they are a very low cost solution, and the reality is i wa snot happy for run and gun shooting, i use a dvx100 and needed something with a bit more adjustments that also allowed me to move quick so i got this

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=303591&is=REG

is a ball action grip handle and so far after one year is has held up well to my abuse, much better then my orginal purchase, and the flexability is a life saver, the grip handle also alows me to move and pan with more control...

good luck...

Bob Costa · June 3rd, 2005, 04:34 AM

RObert,

Does that ball action head move in the vertical dimaension? It is hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like it might only pan, and not tilt. I have the 3229 now and am also less than excited about it with my DVX. I have been contemplating putting a regular 501 head on my monopod...

Tyge Floyd · June 3rd, 2005, 09:42 AM

The 558B is the B/M stick I was looking at on B&H last night. I have a 501 head so that would work well for me I think.

I find the Steady Stick very interesting. It will surely get another look before I make a decision.

Thanks for the input, guys. I appreciate it.

Robert Mann Z. · June 4th, 2005, 10:05 AM

Bob,

The ball movement is for lock down positioning only, you would never use it to pan with....you need a fluid head if you want to pan, and then again i would not recomend panning using a fluid head on any monopod...

but if you lock down your position using the pistol grip for release and lock you can set your dvx to almost any position as its a ball, once i lock in my position a pan using my body, not film quality pans but for run n gun stuff works very well, i have very steady hands...

let me also add one more important note when shooting an important shot with a monopod...sometimes it happens that you need to do a height adjustment during a shot, with one hand on the camera you can easily raise or lower the camera because the Slik Pro Pod 381 is so light (carbon fiber makes it 40% lighter),

you can also easily extend and contract the mono pod because its a twist lock and not a flip lever, a flip lever causes a jerk to lock and unlock and is very hard make adjustemnts and hold a steady shot...a twist lock is smooth and easily done with one hand with no jerk..

this is something you only come to understand in the field...

hope this helps..

Erik Bien · June 7th, 2005, 10:32 PM

I think monopods are the secret weapon if you want to travel light. I agree with what others have already said: for video, you really want a tilt head (leaning the pod back and forth doesn't really have the same effect as a tilt). Personally, I find I can pan pretty smoothly by pivoting on the ground-spike or letting the rubber foot turn on its threads.

I don't think twice about taking my monopod places I wouldn't dream of schlepping an eight-pound tripod. No, it can't compare to a full-blown fluid head tripod, but my monopod weighs next to nothing, fits easily in my backpack and even makes a decent walking stick in rough terrain. This is great for wildlife videography: stop when you've spotted your quarry, lock the cam onto the quick release and zoom in for that killer shot which would have been over five minutes ago if you had to dump your pack and unfold the sticks first! And nobody gets sea-sick watching it, as is invariably the case when using extreme telephoto hand-held.

Though it was a bit nerve-wracking, I once aimed my camera towards the pod's foot, twisted the LCD around to face the same direction as the lens, poked it over the bow of a long-tailed boat and got some terrific footage of all of us speeding down river that would have been impossible without another cameraperson on a chase boat.

You can also get some pretty nifty ground-level tracking shots by dangling a monopod upside-down (and flipping the footage right-side-up in post).

I've even jury-rigged mine as a very guerilla-style steadicam, using a crescent wrench gaffer's-taped to the bottom as a counterweight and the web of my thumb as a gimbal (it goes without saying this trick works much better with a SMALL, LIGHT camcorder!).

Don't leave home without it!

Dean Harrington · June 18th, 2005, 05:09 AM

is an excellent one. I use it in heavy crowd scenes where I can raise to to do overhead shots.

Danny Natovich · June 18th, 2005, 03:57 PM

Pls. Check the DvJunior rig

http://dvtec.tv/_wsn/page5.html

It has a fluid Tilt and Dutch head, Shock absorbing pod and more...

Danny
DvTec

Alex Khachatryan · October 8th, 2009, 06:39 PM

I use Benro MP-91M8 Aluminum 4-Section Monopod with Velbon PH-157 3-Way Pan/Tilt Head and Manfrotto 323 RC2 System Quick Release Adapter with 200PL-14 Plate for my SONY Z5. The leg sits in my Manfrotto 080 Monopod Belt Pouch and gives me amazing flexibility especially in crowded places (like dance-pole). Sometimes I use it as crane, opening monopod and taking wide footage over people's heads. Very cool. Quick release helps to transfer camera to my flexible tripod at any time.

Pluses are: flexibility, ability to shoot long lasting handheld footage, sliding up and down, can fix at any position with the help of tilt head control.

I shoot 70% of action with monopod switching to tripod sometimes when getting really tired or need super steady image.

But this is very individual thing.

June 2nd, 2005, 07:29 PM	#1
Tyge Floyd Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Ft. Worth, Texas Posts: 287	Monopod suggestions for video/still camera? Do any of you use a monopod for run and gun shooting with your video rigs? If so, what brand/model. I've been looking at some Bogen/Manfrotto sticks on B&H and think I would use one quite a bit in the field. Of coarse, this would also be used for my still camera at times. __________________ At full draw, Tyge Floyd

June 2nd, 2005, 08:43 PM	#2
Wayne Starick Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Australia Posts: 66	I use a Manfrotto monopod - it has exactly the same base-plate as my Manfrotto tripod, so switching from one to the other is very easy and very quick. __________________ Wayne If there's no Internet in Heaven, I'm not going!

June 2nd, 2005, 08:44 PM	#3
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	We've got a Bogen 679B that I like pretty good. We've also got a Manfrotto 3229 head. Definitely get a head that you can tilt up and down. We're not pros or anything, but we've shot a documentary, a couple of stage plays and weddings with it. I really like monopods. It's an underappreciated tool. Last edited by Marco Leavitt; June 3rd, 2005 at 08:08 AM.

June 2nd, 2005, 09:28 PM	#4
Dan Mumford Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Daytona Beach, Florida Posts: 99	Tyge, I too have a Bogen monopod, the 558B (B for black) It uses the same quick-release plate as the 501 and 503 heads. As stated above, it would be better with a tiltable head so you might want to add at least a 501. I took the 577 Quick Release Adapter Assembly off and put it on my Tiffen Steady Stick so I could quickly switch between it and my tripod. (The 577 uses the same QR plate.) Between the monopod and the Steady Stick, I prefer the latter. It isn't any more stable, as both require your body as part of the system, but it takes a lot of the weight off your arms and transfers it to your waist. It isn't perfect. The upper connector is loose fitting (it works like a compressed air line connector) which allows the camcorder to rock side to side a little, but that can be a good thing when leveling your shot. Bogen 558B at B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=239048&is=REG Information on the Steady Stick http://www.dvcreators.net/shooting/ (scroll down to see the QT video) You can also purchase from here at a discount. Dan __________________ Wow! That thing must have cost an arm and a leg! - - - It did! I used to have three of each.

June 3rd, 2005, 04:34 AM	#6
Bob Costa Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Venice, FL Posts: 850	RObert, Does that ball action head move in the vertical dimaension? It is hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like it might only pan, and not tilt. I have the 3229 now and am also less than excited about it with my DVX. I have been contemplating putting a regular 501 head on my monopod... __________________ You are either growing or dying.

June 2nd, 2005, 11:09 PM	#5
Robert Mann Z. Skyonic New York Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NYC Posts: 614	i have two of these best mono pod i have ever used... http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=278565&is=REG the carbon fiber is strong and supa light when you need to raise the monopod for an over the head shot i also have a few of these heads http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ku=5491&is=REG they are a very low cost solution, and the reality is i wa snot happy for run and gun shooting, i use a dvx100 and needed something with a bit more adjustments that also allowed me to move quick so i got this http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=303591&is=REG is a ball action grip handle and so far after one year is has held up well to my abuse, much better then my orginal purchase, and the flexability is a life saver, the grip handle also alows me to move and pan with more control... good luck...

June 3rd, 2005, 09:42 AM	#7
Tyge Floyd Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Ft. Worth, Texas Posts: 287	The 558B is the B/M stick I was looking at on B&H last night. I have a 501 head so that would work well for me I think. I find the Steady Stick very interesting. It will surely get another look before I make a decision. Thanks for the input, guys. I appreciate it. __________________ At full draw, Tyge Floyd

June 4th, 2005, 10:05 AM	#8
Robert Mann Z. Skyonic New York Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NYC Posts: 614	Bob, The ball movement is for lock down positioning only, you would never use it to pan with....you need a fluid head if you want to pan, and then again i would not recomend panning using a fluid head on any monopod... but if you lock down your position using the pistol grip for release and lock you can set your dvx to almost any position as its a ball, once i lock in my position a pan using my body, not film quality pans but for run n gun stuff works very well, i have very steady hands... let me also add one more important note when shooting an important shot with a monopod...sometimes it happens that you need to do a height adjustment during a shot, with one hand on the camera you can easily raise or lower the camera because the Slik Pro Pod 381 is so light (carbon fiber makes it 40% lighter), you can also easily extend and contract the mono pod because its a twist lock and not a flip lever, a flip lever causes a jerk to lock and unlock and is very hard make adjustemnts and hold a steady shot...a twist lock is smooth and easily done with one hand with no jerk.. this is something you only come to understand in the field... hope this helps..

June 7th, 2005, 10:32 PM	#9
Erik Bien New Boot Join Date: May 2005 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 10	Love One-Leggers! I think monopods are the secret weapon if you want to travel light. I agree with what others have already said: for video, you really want a tilt head (leaning the pod back and forth doesn't really have the same effect as a tilt). Personally, I find I can pan pretty smoothly by pivoting on the ground-spike or letting the rubber foot turn on its threads. I don't think twice about taking my monopod places I wouldn't dream of schlepping an eight-pound tripod. No, it can't compare to a full-blown fluid head tripod, but my monopod weighs next to nothing, fits easily in my backpack and even makes a decent walking stick in rough terrain. This is great for wildlife videography: stop when you've spotted your quarry, lock the cam onto the quick release and zoom in for that killer shot which would have been over five minutes ago if you had to dump your pack and unfold the sticks first! And nobody gets sea-sick watching it, as is invariably the case when using extreme telephoto hand-held. Though it was a bit nerve-wracking, I once aimed my camera towards the pod's foot, twisted the LCD around to face the same direction as the lens, poked it over the bow of a long-tailed boat and got some terrific footage of all of us speeding down river that would have been impossible without another cameraperson on a chase boat. You can also get some pretty nifty ground-level tracking shots by dangling a monopod upside-down (and flipping the footage right-side-up in post). I've even jury-rigged mine as a very guerilla-style steadicam, using a crescent wrench gaffer's-taped to the bottom as a counterweight and the web of my thumb as a gimbal (it goes without saying this trick works much better with a SMALL, LIGHT camcorder!). Don't leave home without it!

June 18th, 2005, 05:09 AM	#10
Dean Harrington Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tokyo Posts: 898	silk carbon fiber..... is an excellent one. I use it in heavy crowd scenes where I can raise to to do overhead shots.

June 18th, 2005, 03:57 PM	#11
Danny Natovich DV Rig Pro Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Tel Aviv Israel Posts: 233	Pls. Check the DvJunior rig http://dvtec.tv/_wsn/page5.html It has a fluid Tilt and Dutch head, Shock absorbing pod and more... Danny DvTec

October 8th, 2009, 06:39 PM	#12
Alex Khachatryan Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 134	I use Benro MP-91M8 Aluminum 4-Section Monopod with Velbon PH-157 3-Way Pan/Tilt Head and Manfrotto 323 RC2 System Quick Release Adapter with 200PL-14 Plate for my SONY Z5. The leg sits in my Manfrotto 080 Monopod Belt Pouch and gives me amazing flexibility especially in crowded places (like dance-pole). Sometimes I use it as crane, opening monopod and taking wide footage over people's heads. Very cool. Quick release helps to transfer camera to my flexible tripod at any time. Pluses are: flexibility, ability to shoot long lasting handheld footage, sliding up and down, can fix at any position with the help of tilt head control. I shoot 70% of action with monopod switching to tripod sometimes when getting really tired or need super steady image. But this is very individual thing.