Monopods: The next best thing to a tripod
by Chris Nicholson

Over half of my business has been in sports photography, so for me a monopod is basic equipment. I always use a monopod when I'm shooting sports, whether I'm shooting with a 300mm or a 600mm lens, and I've even occasionally used it with an 80-200mm. However, monopods also have a place in travel, landscape and wildlife photography. (You can even use them in street photography, though they will limit your mobility.)

Imagine that you're walking through an Australian forest and suddenly see a kangaroo mother and joey peacefully playing in the shade. You know the minute they see you they may hop away — you may not have time to unstrap your tripod from your backpack, set it up, adjust the camera and start shooting. That is exactly what happened to me in 2001 in Grampians National Park in Australia. I couldn't hand-hold the camera because the light was too subdued, and if I'd set up a tripod, I likely would have missed capturing the moment below.

Another example: As much as I deride hand-holding a camera, the lazy side of me is always tempted to do just that. If the light is strong, and I don't need much depth-of-field, I may not (and usually don't) feel like lifting a ten-pound tripod from its bag and taking the time to set it up properly. Still, I usually do it. But even when I'm confident that I don't really need the tripod, I still know I shouldn't hand-hold the camera. At those moments, I use the monopod. It's quick to set up, it's easy to use and it still gives me good stability.

Specifics

If you're trying to avoid camera-shake, a monopod will save you between two and four stops versus hand-holding, depending on how you use it and how still you can hold the pod. You can get extra stability by leaning the monopod against a nearby tree or wall.

I use a Bogen 3218 monopod. I don't use a ball-head, as some photographers do, because 99 percent of the time I use the monopod, it's with a long lens that has a built-in tripod collar, which mostly serves the same purpose. I do, however, use a quick-release head that takes the same plates as my tripod head. This way I can keep the plates attached to my camera bodies and lenses, and easily switch between the tripod and monopod.

One Last Note

However good I'm making monopods sound, I'll also say this: A monopod is no substitute for a good tripod. A monopod will buy you leeway with stops, and it will allow for quick setup in time-sensitive situations, but in the most crucial instances of strong image-making — in great magic-hour light, or with deep-horizon scenes — it cannot compare with a tripod's ability to keep your camera absolutely still.

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