TimHarrison said:
Chuck Norris can

While defending against a handful of Cannon wielding Ninja warriors too!

;-)

Segura said:
Why use a tri or mono pod???

Because you can't hand hold a 15 second exposure!

Chuck Norris can

Rx4Photo said:
"Drop it like it's hot"

Too modern for me!

I like to use my monopod where there isn't space for a tripod - like sitting in a grandstand with the camera in shooting position all day waiting for the action.

Having said that I have got perfect results using my tripod in a crowd with the feet hardly spread to do long (bulb) fireworks shots.

I never feel emasculated whenever I use my tripod for the things I use it for. I think it symbolizes a desire for perfection or something close to it. In fact, IMO it seems to make people hold you in a higher regard, i.e. you look more professional.

And regarding "Get on down an boogie," they can either:
"Get their groove on",
"Back that thang up", or
"Drop it like it's hot"

: )

Lol I usually feel dumb enough walking around with my camera and backpack with all my gear in it anyway, so why not add a tripod :) Actually I had mine attached to my bag last summer when I went on a hiking/camping trip and I didn't feel any "less manly" or different with it. It was nice to have if I need, but for sake of saving weight and convenience I am not sure I will bring it much now instead of my monopod. Like I said above if anything I think it makes you seem more professional. If you have a big lens and a tripod/monopod then people know you mean business right? At least those that know nothing about photography...you can at least make them think you do.

Was at a wedding this weekend ... wish I was able to use a 'pod for shots at the dance floor and other very low light scenes, but then I don't want to trip up half a dozen people each time they "Get on down and boogie"... am I showing my age with that remark? ;-)

Most of my photographic work (for work - that I get paid for that is), doesn't get done in situations where I need a support. There are a few times each year I *do* need to use a tripod (indoor/arena based events shooting at a stage from a long way away) and although I *could* do just fine without one, I have in mind one in particular event (a commencement) where a 300mm lens is just too much to hold onto in "the position" for four hours at a time for two sessions a day over three consecutive days. Maybe this is a project for someone with more powerful biceps than me... ;-)

Almost none of my personal projects *require* use of one, but I do carry a monopod with my gear 100% of the time "just in case". Also see my original question at the top of the thread ... does anyone feel at all emasculated by using a tripod?

Magic hour landscape.

Why use it? Because you need it. No reason to use something you don't need. So when do you need it? Depends upon the person and the situation. Low light, static object generally can be photographed better with a tripod because you can choose lower ISO, smaller aperture and slower shutter speed. When you cannot reasonably use a tripod, such as shooting football where you are allowed to move along the sidelines, the monopod is more convenient to move quickly than the tripod.

If you use these when you need them, the question becomes when do you not need them? Asked another way, what is your ability to hand hold a certain camera/lens combination sufficiently still for sharp images? This will vary by the person and by the equipment. For example a "big" lens with VRII should be able to be hand held at lower shutter speed than the same lens without VRII. But we are the tripod when we don't use one so the determining factor is us. Here is were Ken Rockwell has something to contribute. He is the only person I have seen publish tables as to what percentage of shots he can get sharp at various shutter speeds when hand holding a certain lens. Of course, these tables are specific to Ken. Tables for me would be different. But the point is that each of us should "know our own table." When can you hand hold and obtain acceptable sharpness and when can you not do so? Something else interesting in Ken's tables is the fact that there is no clear cut-off line above which 100% of the shots are sharp and below which 100% of the shots are blurry. Rather, the sharp shot to blurry shot ratio drops off in a linear progression below the point where 100% of the shots are sharp. It becomes a matter of luck. If what you are shooting is so important that you simply must guarantee 100% chance of sharpness you must either use a high enough shutter speed or a camera support. But if your subject is not that important and you can take many shots of it you can accept a 50% success ratio and simply make twice as many shots of the subject knowing that about half of them will be blurry. I have also read some people shoot 3 or 4 shots bursts in such a situation thinking that the second or third shot in the burst may be the sharpest shot. Sometimes I have had success with that technique. Nothing beats a tripod, cable release (or timer) and mirror up for getting all the sharpness a camera/lens combination is capable of producing. But ultimate sharpness is not the goal, the image is the goal and many images require responsiveness which negates the use of ultimate sharpness techniques. I would like to use a tripod or monopod more than I do but I don't like to deal with its inconvenience so I hand hold almost all shots these days and look for ways to stabilize my body: such as leaning against a wall or resting my elbows on my knees when sitting, etc. I also look for ways to use fences, posts, railings, doorways, etc to stabilize my camera by resting my hands against them while holding the camera.

One final thought on when to take a monopod with you: anytime you are going somewhere which places you at risk of being attacked or robbed. A monopod after all can be a defensive "police baton" type weapon keeping your attacker at a distance.

I have a cheap tripod and no monopod, but I don't shoot with long lenses and if the wind is not blowing much I can get perfectly sharp results with the tripod.

I used my monopod at the fair on Saturday. It was nice to be able to steady the camera and hold it at an angle and stuff without having to worry so much about dropping the camera. For wide angle shots I was able to tip the camera back on the monopod to help support it. Since my shutter speeds weren't as fast it helped to keep the shake away at an awkward angle.

It does make you look a bit more professional as well...might actually help getting into places or areas where they don't let people that are just hand holding their camera go.

Obviously always use a tripod for long exposures. I fire with remote. I like to use one or the other with landscapes. When using a tripod I feel like I can change settings around without losing my composition when I have it setup on a tripod. I don't have any huge lenses, but I can see either being helpful to help support the weight.

I use a monopod when I shoot HS football. I like that I dont have to hold that weight up and ready the entire game. I also like that I can get my camera up ~6' above my 6'2" frame when needed. Set delay or have a friend fire my remote and hope.

For basketball where I sit the entire game I dont use a pod.

HDR

Old thread, but interesting..... In searching for another topic, I found this one. And, for me, at age.....mmmm born way before TV was around..... I find the large carbon fiber tripods weighing about 4 pounds yet able to hold nearly 40 pounds, are very nice to have especially when shooting the cars, etc., with a lens of 400mm or more. While others are lugging the lens around, placing the camera/lens upside down on the ground during breaks, I simply allow the lens to point downward and relax. And the extra four pounds, considering the head/camera/lens weighs about 20+ pounds already is not that much. And easy to carry.

On the monopod side of things, one of my favorite shoots is an auto show, my last being the NAIAS in Detroit, where the monopod gets the camera way up overhead for very nice shots of the cars. And folks get out of your way when you are carrying one of those with a large camera/wide lens at three to four feet above others.

If any one wants to point out other uses for the tri/monopods here is the chance.

I've been recently loath to drag around my carbon fiber tripod anywhere. With VR and fast lenses, I've needed a tripod less and less. But of course for long time-exposures, you gotta have one. But even then, a good support (building, news kiosk, etc., beanbag, or a sandbag) can also many times suffice. Plus, tripods attract a lot of attention. And, you're not even allowed to use them in many "public" areas (for both commercial and liability reasons). But, I do really like long-exposure photography--it's just that my old "speed-grip" style head is too bulky and heavy, and I've been meaning to buy a new ball head, but haven't decided which one yet.

That said, I never leave the house without my monopod.

I have the Manfrotto with the "speed-grip" extension-lock--I love it! I attached a bright red Op-Tech strap to it (red, so I won't leave it somewhere, unnoticed), and just wear it over my shoulder, leaving both hands free. I sometimes even carry it on a belt-mounted flashlight holder instead (like a police baton).

Point is, I always have at least the monopod--it's quickly accessible, fast, and unobtrusive. Any lens I have with a tripod foot (80-400mm, 70-200mm), is usually mounted on my monopod, even in broad daylight--I just love the improved CG when mounted to the tripod foot.

So, my trusty monopod is with me 100% of the time (also, because with either the strap or the holster, it's near-effortless to carry). The tripod, I only pack when I plan to shoot some night exteriors.

Why use a tri or mono pod???

Because you can't hand hold a 15 second exposure!

Hi JorPet,

Your quite right, any port in a storm or any wall, tree, or car for that matter, as long as it's sturdy.

Thank you for your most kind remarks.

You might look at a carbon fiber. I have one and use it a lot. There's a thread here. Really Right Stuff has a great head (I hear, I don't have one, yet). The head is the weak link; it's a little funky to use.

My best,

Mike

Mike, excellent posts (as always). I'm now just skimming down to your remarks on these threads and reading yours. Very insightful and excellent information.

Currently I just have a mono-pod that I use almost exclusively with my 80-400. Other than that I try to hand hold most of the time if the light is good. I am a big believer in the 1/<focal length> rule and pay very close attention to it. If I am going below that shutter speed I look for a wall or post to lean against or a railing to brace against to get greater stabilization.

I'm planning on picking up a tripod in a couple months, but hate to carry them around much.

Yes, the crop is actually 1.5 in each lateral dimension, Mike. So the rule of thumb should be 1/(1.5*focal length) for DX. I think the math is easier with just double it, though, so that's what I remember. ;-)

TaoTeJared said:
I use basic math - If my shutter speed at F/5.6 runs 1/200+ tripod or monopod stays in the car.

Hi TTJ,

I have question on that.

There's an old forumula (that I'm sure you know every bit as well - if not better - than I do) for FX lenses that says 1/over the focal of the lens for ISO100 film. So you'd use, _I'm assuming_ on a DX, for a 300mm lens for example something like 1/300 or 1/500. Keep in mind, I'm still analog at shutter speeds, I still bump it up. ;-)

Does anyone know if DX is just 1.5 or something else more? I don't know.

Don't forget environmental concerns. I've shot out of helicopters which need very, very high shutters for still cameras and from a C-141 jet aircraft with a motion picture camera that needed a gyroscope stabilizer.

Supports can be very important things.

My best,

Mike

aetas said:
Look at rockwell, guy hates tripods.

Ken is a great polarizing influence!!!

(sorry about the pun).

A great (out of context) quote from him is: "Don't use a tripod if you can help it. Having to carry one is a pain and thus cripples creativity."

In the same article (next paragraph actually) he then goes onto say he uses a tripod just as a number of us - and me - here say we do too. Like we all haul a 30 pound monster round with us to take candid street shots with. ;-)

I use basic math - If my shutter speed at F/5.6 runs 1/200+ tripod or monopod stays in the car. If I'm planning on Macro work - tripod comes with me. If I want to trip unsuspecting small children and moms at the zoo, the monopod is in hand.

Most of the time I use allot of various beanbags, bag, coat, hat, cigarette box to prop my camera up.

I use my tripod for most my landscape shots. The weight of it is not so much that I feel as though I need to leave it home. Plus, I may just get "that shot" because of the little more support. I use a monopod for portraits when needed if Im not using enough light to get a solid shot. I think this is a great post to bring up because many people have very different ideas about what should be used and when. Look at rockwell, guy hates tripods.

Hi all,

My first job, sort of, was working at a studio that was 'generalist' that largely did children's pictures and weddings. This was with old 5"x7" view cameras on wooden tripods. It was a long time ago. My second job was covering the Vietnam War with the Army - we didn't carry tripods much, but we sure could have use them.

I don't think anyone argue that a camera that is perfectly still would be worse for making less blur in imaging (forgetting to turn off VR aside), the whole idea that there are so many techniques to reduce camera shake is due to inherent movement caused by 'slowness' of some shutters. But even fast shutters are somewhat affected. (What those techniques are is yet another forum thread ;-), and there are a slew of creative possibilities and decisions that come from movement itself 1. Primary movement - from the subject moving, 2. Secondary movement, from the camera moving, and 3. and last, both subject and camera moving, but that is also another thread ;-) ).

Flash helps in that the duration of the light of modern flash is so short, if the ambient light is low, the effective 'shutter' is reduced significantly. Of course, slow rear shutters have long become a creative decision for a lot of event folks. Nikon's CLS with Auto FP flash which allows for higher flash synchronization a big plus.

Finally, for older people, tremors and some weakness from arthritis are sometimes a part of life. One way to work with that is use a support. I find it, as kyoshinikon says, much easier to handle my big @$$ lenses with either a monopod or a tripod, and I have a few - some like me are vintage.

Clumsy and awkwardness aside, I do use a tripod or monopod for as many shots as I can, and wish I could for nearly all of them.

My best to all,

Mike

I use my tripod for macro photo (focus stack), flowers, long exposures landscapes, remotely triggered birding, night shots. When I need a monopod, I use my tripod with either only one leg extended or the 3 packed together. Most of the time, I carry my tripod for nothing but there are a few occasions where I couldn't do without it.