Monopods are an essential photography gear these days. It is simply a rod that can fold or slide into itself, with a camera holder on top and supporters on its base. It is used to stabilize pictures when shooting with professional-level cameras.
Why do you need a monopod?
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Professional photography involves lifting heavy cameras in unnatural postures at a perfect angle and absolute steadiness for hours. It’s like using a sniper rifle: keep your focus, find the right moment, steady your aim, and shoot between breaths. Even the snipers need s support for their rifles. The best monopods in 2021 will shoulder the responsibility of stabilizing the camera and lifting its weight, literally and figuratively. You can focus on finding the perfect moment to capture and use your reflexes impeccably when everything else is taken care of by a monopod.
According to conventional beliefs, you can also use a tripod for the same purpose, a more prevalent and efficient option. However, monopods are taking the photography world by storm because they provide almost the same results as tripods while being lighter and needing much less space, both folded in your bag and also when completely set up in action.
What to look for in search of the best monopod
It mainly depends on how professional a solution do you need. There are monopods available in a wide price range, quality, and features. Of course, there are differentiated products for the niche needs of photographers as well.
The material used in making the supporters
Monopods are usually made of either of two materials based on target selling price and professional level:
Entry-level aluminum supports
This is the cheapest option but very efficient in reducing the vibrations to a bare minimum. In addition, it is corrosion-free and has a long functional life.
Carbon Fiber Monopod
It is more premium and a lot lighter and sturdy option. Carbon fiber has low density but way more hardness than steel and aluminum. However, carbon fiber is much costlier than aluminum, so this option is reserved for enthusiasts and professionals. The strongest monopods come in 6-ply carbon fibers.
Weight of the monopod
The lightest monopods weigh around one pound. The lighter monopods can bear mounting of less weight of camera and lens than the heavier options. So your camera setup will define how light you can go. The leg of the monopod can slip if a heavier camera is mounted on top. Convenience can go down the priority bucket, if not in the dustbin, for professionals in every stream and the same is the case for professional camera operators. The weight of the DSLR camera, the rig added on it, and other accessories will make demands on the monopod and the photographers. There should be a medal for photographers capturing the Olympics as well.
The locking mechanism of the monopod
The locking system built into the monopod is an essential feature that determines its ease of use. Following are the two locking mechanisms most commonly found on the monopods:
The twist-lock assembly
is the gold standard of the locking mechanism. You just have to twist a leg about a quarter turn to make a stable lock in the best monopods, while others may require a few more twists.
Flip locks
are a bit bulkier than their counterpart resulting in more weight. They may also require more maintenance as they age. Nonetheless, they are very efficient in stabilizing the lock quickly.
Determinants of Monopod Quality
The overall quality of the best monopods depends on the features it offers to make it more efficient. Monopods stabilize leg locks using only gravity. Photographers love bigger calipers because they are easy to use and clean. The expanded size of a monopod is usually 5 feet which can shrink down to around one and a half feet. The foam grip is very helpful to have a good grip without costing the stabilization. The rubber-based grip is more common among the costlier options.
No feet or tripod base
To feet, or not to feet, that is the question. Monopods come in both variants and even the convertible option. For some photographers, the tripod base is a must and achieves the best of both worlds, while others decide to save space.
Best monopod buying tips
- Assess your personal proficiency level before exploring the options. Beginner-level monopods are easier to carry because they focus on convenience to help the newbies with their journey to the top. Professional-level monopods are designed for best results while comfort takes the back seat. In addition, they are heavier because they have to support bigger and bulkier cameras.
- Calculate the weight of your camera, accessories, lens, and camera rig beforehand. This calculated figure will help you rule out all the options not rated for that much weight.
- The terrain where you will primarily use the monopod will also count while selecting the monopod.
FAQs
Q: Best monopod for wildlife photography?
One-legged, lightweight, and having a sufficient weight rating for your camera setup will do the job. Wildlife photography usually demands a lot of rotation, and a tripod base will just not help. If you still need a tripod base, then make sure that a suitable pivot system is available. Nonetheless, your monopod should be very lightweight and easy to pack because wildlife photography needs a lot of travel on foot and the vehicle.
Q: Best monopod for vlogging?
Monopods with removable legs are more common among vloggers because their needs are constantly changing. Sometimes they need to handhold the monopod and use it as a selfie stick. Sometimes they need to set it up for longer without supervision, so a tripod legs setup is necessary for that situation.
Q: Best monopod for sports?
Sports photographers look hungry for the best shot, come hell or high water (hot weather or heavy rain). You will need maximum portability and agile pivoting on top of everything else (matching weight rating, locking system, and adjustable length) to capture all the magical moments, say on Boxing Day, right after Christmas.