What is a monopod?

A little note about a monopod.

It looks like a monopod

Monopod Is a simple tripod with only one leg. When shooting, a monopod can partially reduce camera shake ('shake'). Usually the leg of the monopod has a telescopic structure of three parts. The monopod leg can have either a plastic tip to avoid damaging the floor, or a sharp tip.

The monopod itself is usually very small and easy to transport. My monopod fits easily into a small backpack. Monopods are also distinguished by their head - there are monopods without a head and with a head. The head rotates and allows you to get more degrees of freedom when working with the camera, it can be level and can be easily removed from the very 'leg' of the monopod. In general, it is for the head you pay when buying an expensive monopod. There are any heads, I rarely work with them, therefore I cannot describe them in detail. Whoever has a desire, unsubscribe about this in the comments.

Monopod is very, very convenient to use.. Unlike a tripod, monopod camera is easy to move from place to place, changing the location of the shooting. When I get tired of a heavy ligament camera + lens + flash for a day, it’s very nice to ease the pressure on my hands with a monopod. I really like to work with a monopod in a variety of situations, with it you can completely compensate for the vertical displacement of the camera and shoot at slow shutter speeds. And if you get a hold of yourself and choose right stance with a monopod, you can shoot no worse than with a tripod at sufficiently long shutter speeds. The only thing I don’t like is that monopods without a head do not allow you to use the camera in portrait mode. I lost my first monopod without a head at some wedding. The monopod gives a good level of freedom when working with the camera, which can not be said about a tripod (tripod).

Very often, a monopod is used as an assistant when working with heavy lenses. In such a bundle, the lens is mounted on a monopod. This method of using the monopod is commonplace for photo hunters and sports photographers with hefty and heavy lenses.

I often use monopod instead of special flare crane. Thus, the monopod can work both as a monopod and as a mobile stand. My assistant usually rushes with a monopod on which a flash is mounted with an umbrella for clearance, as shown in the photo below:

Monopod as a mobile stand for lighting

In most cases, I use a monopod specifically for these purposes. By adjusting the height of the monopod, my assistant can do incredibly useful things with him.

Monopods are used not only by photographers, but also videographers (videographers). Usually a camcorder is much heavier than a camera. Videographers use monopods for such purposes. The choice of a monopod in the general case depends only on the depth of the owner’s wallet and on the planned load weight.

Conclusions:

Monopod is a very simple and very useful device for reducing the shaking effect when shooting handheld. A small monopod is very light and compact and allows you to stabilize the camera well. The monopod can also be used as a holder for external flash.

Arkady Shapoval.