Monopod For Sports

[polomum]

Hi guys.....my hubby's off to Singapore on business tomorrow and may have time to grab a monopod for me.......I have the Nikon D80 with the hope of having a D300 some day and hope to use a heavy old 80-200 2:8 lens for shooting moving dog n galloping horses - maybe a teleconverter..........and maybe..maybe a hunky dorey 400 lens one day but no time soon.....Oh...I'm pretty short as well.....about 5'2 and shrinking!!!!!

Does anyone know if prices are better over in Singapore n Malaysia at the moment or is everything majorly expensive everywhere in the world as we sink slowly into a recession......was going to ask OH about the 50mm 1.4 as well but probably he would balk at that hey!!!!! But I do have a birthday coming up in January!!!! Oh the wish list goes on and on and on!!!!

Do I need a 'ballhead to go on top of the monopod as well ?? the questions are endless?????

[rubiton]

Yes the quick release thingy is very good to have on the monopod and attach it to the lens if possible (the lens is usually heavier these days and if it has the ring you can switch between portrait and horizontal). The quick release thingy and 'ball head' is the same thing whatever its actual name is.

[polomum]

I call lots of things 'thingy'.........my OH says dementia is creeping up on me!!!!!!

Any idea on brands etc that are any good???

[PossumCorner]

Any idea on brands etc that are any good???

Two good brands are Manfrotto and Velbon. You need a head on the monopod or tripod: the heads come with a little screw-on plate that attaches to the camera (or to the lens if it is a heavy/longer lens which gives better balance). Then that plate can clip quickly on or off the tripod head. You can buy the tripod or monopod and the head separately: the best heads are the three-way ball, and they cost around $200. But the two-way lever heads are good too, they do everything the same, tilting or swinging to portrait mode, it's just more fiddly with the two controls than a three-way.

There is a nice lightweight Manfrotto tripod which comes with a fused-on ball head, all-in-one. I think Ripley took this one to Scotland recently. They are cheap for a Manfrotto, about $100-150 depends where you buy it. But the head is light, not really intended for a DSLR with a heavy lens attached. I love mine, use it with the D80 as a monopod (since my monopod was stolen at Melbourne Royal when I put it down for a minute to change lenses).

The heads are inter-changeable. The one that comes with the Velbon Sherpa tripod goes well on the Manfrotto monopod (or did til they were stolen, I'm not bitter about the loss, may they rot in hell). I don't do much without a tripod, they feel clumsy and a pest to start with, but are worth persevering til it's second nature.

Don't buy a cheap cheap one, they have them on special in variety stores for under $50, and are too weak and flimsy to risk a good camera on.

[polomum]

Thanks for the info PC i'll stroll around the net 2day n see what I can find.......So good to hear from people who know what they're talking about!!!!

[rubiton]

This is the head thing & monopod I got

http://www.qualitycamera.com.au/product_in...roducts_id=1340

http://www.qualitycamera.com.au/product_in...roducts_id=1211

It holds the 100-400mm plus camera plus leaning pole for me when my feet start to hurt

NOt mega expensive and does the job.