Tripod, Monopod, Or Handheld? Which Is Better?
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- Опубліковано 21 лип 2024
- Have you ever found yourself wondering if you should use a tripod, monopod, or just go handheld? In this video, we'll look at a quick, easy way to determine the best support solution for any given wildlife scenario. We'll talk about the four major considerations and how to weigh them against each other in the field. In just a few minutes, you'll know how to always grab the right support gear for your shoot.
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I’m a monopod or handheld only guy nowadays, I sold my tripod as I just never used it enough. However I own a $900 monopod setup, since it’s being used with my 400mm f2.8E VR FL and D5. It’s by far the best monopod I’ve ever owned and I’ve owned many of the better ones. It’s called the ProPhotoSupply TR42ML and it’s 42mm diameter and 81in height. It’s the most heavy duty monopod you can buy and I like it better than the RRS equivalent! It too is made in the USA and it has a built in Arca-Swiss top, which I attach my RRS MH-02 monohead to. It’s seriously like a tree trunk of a setup and I can easily get sharp images down to 1/60th second. I rarely ever need to go below that and with the incredible VR in my 400FL the monopod I have is all I need. However I do not do landscapes, just sports, photojournalism and wildlife. Over the years I tried some of the RRS tripods and spent a fortune on those plus gimbal heads, but never got much of any use out of them. So I decided to finally just buy the best monopod setup I could and it’s so much nicer to carry than a huge tripod. Plus with the extreme height my monopod goes to its easy to adjust lower or higher in any scenario. With just two of the three leg sections the monopod is perfect for my height (6ft), so I start with the bottom two in use and use the top leg section to easily raise the monopod. If you have a super-tele than I highly recommend the TR42ML from ProPhotoSupply, you might also find that you can use it 90% of the time like I do. Obviously solid tripods do offer better support, but this monopod is surprisingly stable and for me it works almost as well as a tripod.
You are a great teacher sir.
Great breakdown. I love tripods for most scenarios but it definitely kills on long hikes
Excellent video as always Steve, thank you👍
Thank you for this info!!
Finally a new video, I've been missing you
Thank you for your tips and experiences!
As so often it depends. Your tutorial makes the right decision so much easier!
Just subscribed to your mailing list and social media accounts. Thank you for most useful advice!
always so instructive. Thanks Steve
Hi Steve,
Very useful tip. I liked the histogram of your shoots and understand the effort taken to get the data.
Thanks 🙏
Great video as always Steve. In my experience, the size of the subject is also a factor when deciding to shoot handheld. I find that with very small birds, the tripod allows a level of precision to target the head/eye that I personally cannot get consistently throughout a burst of images when hand holding.
Yours may be the very best channel on bird photography out there. The tutorials are always extremely clear, savvy, and practical. Please keep it up!
Steve, Excellent practical comparison ! thanks !
Thank you for this informative video. I handhold way to much, after watching your video I’ll start using mono and tripod a lot more.
great tips. Your last one using the wimberley monogimbel was a great success for me on an Antarctica cruise last January - just before lockdown! Many thanks again for that!
I love that little monogimbal! I never really used monopods that much before getting it, now I use them all the time :)
Love the graphs man!
Great video Steve!
Yes great video Steve, just about nailed this issue thanks for the video👍
Steve, so true, love that part when you lower the lens the animal decides to do something cool (I think they like to mess with us). I try to use the tripod all the time, but recently got my setup like yours (one of your videos) so I can start trying out the Monopod and switch back with ease. Maybe you should link that video here as it was a big help, so was the other video showing the gimbal quick release you use. DIdn't know that was out there till I saw you use it and talked about it in the video. Really makes it quicker to pop the lens on and off. Thanks for all the good tips.
Great advice, thanks
Thanks for the video, I have always just used a large tripod for every shoot, as I find hand holding the camera with 600mm lens not really possible. However, now I'm thinking about all the shots I missed and am considering a monopod. Thank you.
Try the Wimberly mono gimbal head I use - it really makes using the monopod nicer IMO.
Great information and wonderful photos
I love my monopod (with a tilt head.) Use it for wildlife and macro, and it helps a lot.
I'll be sure to check out the forum, excellent to have a dedicated wildlife one👍
this information is gold
Great video!
Makes a lot of sense, thanks for the video. P.S. I enjoy your ebooks....
Hi, Steve. I really appreciate the theme you proposed with your video and I congratulate you. I have recently interested in nature photography and that's why I want to ask you a few questions. How do you think the shutter speed is set based on the speed of the subject? And then, if, using the monopod, the VR of the lens must be kept activated. Many thanks and best regards.
Great video, clear audio and very informative. I am just wondering who the heck are those 5 people who disliked your video lol.
Thank you Steve.
I like the pedagogic toilet-swirl ;) I agree with you on the cases for all three uses, monopod seems to be the best to always have handy, as it weighs next to nothing, also if you suddenly need to pick up the lens with the pod... if a surprising scene pops up
Thanks - I had fun with the toilet scene :)
You are brilliant idea sir thanku so much
Excellent points to consider when you should at least bring a tripod or monopod with you. Thanks
Hey Steve, always excellent content. but a question here. Do you think camera body should be added to the list when considering hand-holding, monopod or tripod for your shoot? Several reasons for that thought. Here's just a few. I would imagine if you need low light capability and you are not likely to be cropping significantly, you'd take the D6 and that would up your keeper rate with bigger pixels, faster frames per second, lower pixel count. You might take the D850 if you want higher resolution images or have to crop. You might select mirrorless if you want "light" weight (Sony a9 + 600 f/4) or use IBIS on stationary subjects in low light. Of course, you might select the D500 if you need the reach combined with the 600mm f/4. These are just some of the ways I can imagine thinking about which body I am going to need to shoot with before I head out. Thought you probably entertain the same thoughts but I didn't see it on the list. Yea or Nay? Thanks as always! You Rock.
Steve , very nice videos of ur.
Thank You Steve. Just set up forum too.
Jim K
Steve...another great and informative video. However, I do have to ask; being that I am 6'-3" I've been searching for a tripod the has the height I need somewhere around 72" fully extended if not more, and SOLID. Just don't want flimsy legs. Thanks
You are so genuine and passionate, I love your videos, I wish you would release more! I would love to own a solid wildlife setup, but I only have a Z6 for now with a 50mm lens, good for portraits but no bueno for wildlife. Which first lens for wildlife should I get Steve? Thanks!
Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 or the Sigma 150-600mm sport, which is better than the Nikon and has a longer focal length.
www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/cas/product/sports/s_150_600_5_63/
A really good match for the Z6 is the 500PF, but there are so many variables, it's tough to make a recommendation without more info.
I almost always use a monopod and a ball head with my Nikon D5600 and 80-400 lens, as I'm usually on the move, and the tripod is just too heavy to carry around, and hard to set up. It's also easier to carry the monopod with camera attached than with the camera hanging around my neck. OTOH, I will use my tripod if I'm going to set up in a specific place (a blind, for instance), or if I'm "hunting" in low light conditions which require a low shutter speed. I also usually run with continuous-mode shutter. With a 2-3 shot burst, I generally see less camera movement in that 2nd or 3rd shot. With the monopod, I can usually get decent photos even with shutter speeds as low as 1/20th of a second.
Very good Advice.
But I gave up trying to handhold with any lenses over 500mm years ago.
A pad on a fence/wall is good or brace against a tree works well...
Good video, subscribed
I really like my Benfro monopod. I put a pan tilt head on it to match my tripod so it’s quick release. A monopod lets me do almost everything needed and it is very easy to strap to my belt to carry it. Tripods are good but a complete pain to carry.
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that e-mails from UA-cam alerting us to new tutorials have not been coming through of late. I am subscribed, and the "bell" is set to all.
Handheld for me always, it gives me the flexibility to react really fast when it comes to Bird photography.
Also, ground level shots, we don’t need tripods and it blocks me to take that shot.
If you are in the field and you can’t anticipate what’s coming and from which direction, whether you need to shoot diagonally up or down, ground level or body height level - Using tripod you would miss numerous shots critical action shots, I trained myself to stabilise my hands as much as possible even while shooting videos with 600mm.
Note: This is my personal preference, priority may differ for individuals.
Best wildlife channel ever. Steve, that non Nikon Arca-Swiss tripod support on your long lens in this video, what is it for a brand? You mentioned this in another of your videos, but can’t remember which one...
That one is from Wimberley, works really well. RRS and Kirk are also good.
I have heard various answers to this question so I will ask you as well. With a loose gimbal on a tripod, do you turn stabilization off or leave it on? On just a tripod, I used to turn it off but the gimbal head has thrown an additional factor in there. Thx!
This is just what I was looking for, thank you very much Steve. Could you or your viewers kindly advise whether optical stabilisation should be switched on of off when using a monopod? I'm thinking it should when using a tripod with Nikon VR lenses, but a monopod moves in all axes - at least I thinks that's the case. Many thanks.
For monopod work, you can leave it on Normal or Sport. I do all the time. I do shut it off once I no longer need it (fast enough shutter speed, obviously varies by lens).
I shoot the D850 and the D500, I shoot ninety percent of the time hand held, which includes shooting with the Sigma 500mm f4 sport prime.
I own a gimbal and mono-pod, the ten percent I do use support I use the gimbal or ball head.
Since wildlife photography sees to be a lot like action sports photography do you have any specific tips, tricks or advice for sports photography shooters? (Not just about shooting platforms) Thanks!
Steve, I always enjoy your videos and appreciate what i learn from you. I've really struggled finding a tripod setup, and have watched much of what you have on the topic recently. As a result of what you have shared, I bought a Gitzo series 3 mountaineer, a Really Right Stuff BH-55, a Wimberley half-gimbal, and then also a Wimberley Monogimbal for my Gitzo monopod. Before your advice i was using the little backpacking tripods and although they are great for packing they do not support larger gear well at all. I've spent a crazy amount of time studying tripods but your information was easily the most helpful. I run a D7500 with a 200-500.
I am grateful for your help. Thank you for sharing what you have learned with me.
depends on your iso , i use a nikon d850 monopod and shoot about 400 iso in the north uk the lighting can be terrible . even with a 70-200 2.8 can be 100th f2.8 iso 100 . 150 -180 at 400 as mornin breaks .. by then the deer move on iso 800 absolute tops . when i can notice grain
I didnt get the notification! But I am glad i saw the Teachings..
Thanks again Steve.
It's funny, I didn't get any either - I don't know if YT was having an issue or what.
@@backcountrygallery Could be! It won't be the first time..
Nice video given sir
Hi Steve. You are great as usual, thank you for your video. I have a Nikon D810 and D500 and for wildlife I usually use D500(is faster) + Nikkor AF-S 80-400 -not so heavy. When handheld I use the vibration reduction. If on tripod, I think no VR, but what about monopod ? What you recommend ? You didn't mention about lenses vibration reductions at all in this video. What do you think about VR in wildlife photography ?
I tend to use VR on anything if I'm under 1/500th, from there is depends on the lens (keep in mind on a tripod I'm still on a loose gimbal). Some lenses are fine at speeds faster than 1/500th, some aren't. If I recall from when I owned the 80-400, I think I liked to shut it off when speeds where faster than 1/500th - I saw better acuity that way (most of the time).
Thank you very much for your kind answer. I wasn't sure about the gimbal and monopod - thanks for your advice. I have the second edition of the Nikon AF-S 80-400 and as you know it is not the top of the Nikon lenses, but it is not so bad. I like the results and it is not so heavy. Thanks a lot.
I’m shooting w new OM-1 body and 150-400 f4.5 lens, so my IBIS is up to 7 stops. However, even though this combo is much lighter than FF options, I find that I have a much higher rate of keepers if I use monopod or tripod w gimbal heads. So I can’t agree with you more. It’s all about the keeper rate.
Thank you for cleaning the toilet before filming that b-role😆 Always love your content, Steve!
Ahh- someone finally commented on it! I was a little too proud of that clip :)
Hi group I have a couple of questions. I shot live MLR Rugby at the LA Colisuem (human animals) with some good results last year using my D850 with a Nikon 2.8 300mm on a monopod with the VR off at shutter speedS of 1/1250 and up my hand held D500 with a Tamron 70-200 for the closer stuff and crowd shots. My question to the group is would pairing the D500 and the 300mm will give me 450mm on the crop sensor but should I have the VR off or on when the D500 or the D850 is being hand held? I have no problem hand holding the heavy 300mm lens.
Hi Steve
I have a canon 400mm f5.6 my photos are sharp like 50% of time so what can do? Do i need a monopod for it?
Thanks Steve great informative video.
After an accident tripods have become my best friend yet I am struggling to find what brand, type & quality of head that would best suit. Just so many out there.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Depends how much you want to spend :) I use a 3 series Really Right Stuff tripod and Wimberley WH-200 gimbal head. There's a thread at my forum that's talking about cheaper alternatives though. Check it out:
bcgforums.com/index.php?threads/tall-tripods-and-trees.274/
@@backcountrygallery thank you. Think quality is more important them price.
@@leto_len In that case, I highly recombined the Really Right Stuff 34L MK2 (I like the Versa Apex version) and the Wimberley Wh-200 gimbal. Of course, I'm also shooting larger gear, so a smaller tripod / head setup might work if you're not shooting a 600 F/4 or similar.
@@backcountrygallery thank you will look into them.
My biggest is the 200-500 Nikon. I did find an easy lens to hand hold & was my favourite.
Great information. Question: When using a gimbal on tripod or monopod and shooting stills, do you use Image stabilization? 1/1000 and slower?
Yes, usually at 1/000th and slower. Since the head is loose and not locked down, I haven't seen any issues with it.
@@backcountrygallery Thank you.
Zet je de lensstabilisatie uit bij gebruik van de monopod?
I am looking at a monopod setup with the potential to add a tripod later. Where do you land on ball head w/ friction vs gimbal?
I'm not a fan of ball heads for wildlife work - gimbals just work better with lenses that have a built-in foot. I've used a full gimbal on a monopod before and liked it. If it were me, that's the way I'd go.
@@backcountrygallery Thanks for getting back to me! I shoot wildlife but macro, so maybe that changes things. Hard to find content about macro, do you have any experience?
@@gregorybupp That makes it tricker. For macros, I wound't use a gimbal - I'd use a ballhead for sure. Gimbals rely on the lens for rotation (leveling) and won't work well with most macro setups since most macro lenses don't have a foot. However, if the one you use does, it can come back into play. Ideally if your macro lens doesn't have a foot, you may want two heads - a ballhead for macro and a gimbal for wildlife. However, the first head is the tricky one - I'd probably pick the head you think you'll use most.
Oh, and mounting a camera to a gimbal isn't easy either. If you have a lens without a foot, you'll need to get an adapter since you can't really mount the camera directly to the gimbal (it's turned the wrong way).
Steve! Isn’t There a 5th Consideration? Whether a location allows Tripods? Museum would be an example. Some will not allow a tripod but will allow a monopod.
Where a tripod isn't allowed, it's not part of the "which is better?" decision process.
What monopod and Gimbal do you recommend?
I would look at a Gitzo 3 or 4 series (get a tall one). The gimbal I like is the Wimberly monogimbal head. I have a review on it here: ua-cam.com/video/Fgj8bMviZOw/v-deo.html
You forgot one essential factor: weight of the camera-lens combo. It makes a huge difference if you have to handle a 70-200 vs a 200-400.
Jaap van Ekris He shoots a D5/D6 with a 600mm f/4 attached. Weight isn’t a factor for him. Just the duration. But for lesser mortals like us, you make a good point.
I do mention about the size difference, - to quote: "Also, keep in mind that the chart I showed you was based on my 600mm F/4. It would look a lot different with my 300PF or my 180-400. You need to learn your personal shutter speed ranges for your gear before you'll really get this down."
I kind of figured the same kind of thinking was implied across the board with the other considerations.
weight doesn't matter - look at those popeye arms! LOL
My 200-500 cries out for tripod.
Martha Retallick it’s what I got the wimberley monogimbel for. That lens on a D7500 worked a charm
I need to get over the comfort or discomfort factor.
LOL - when I go out shooting, I just start by assuming I'm going to be uncomfortable!
Mr steve perry God protect you from all calamities
I actually take better pics handheld than on a tripod. I tried all kinds of things, VC on and off, high shutter speeds. My tripod shots are always consistently worse.
These images are simply sensational" All super-long (and costly) Nikkors presumably, and with a D850?
Thanks - It's a mix of cameras and lenses :)
Bean bag?
I use papaws shovel
Edit: i thought these were for rifles
I haven’t watched yet, but let me guess: It Depends 😜
You know me so well :D
Not really. I would say a tripod is always best, followed by a monopod and lastly handheld for sharpness. The depends part is if you have the time and room to use the tripod.
Second.
First
I know we are a small group with our type of visual disability, but your use of the colors you chose in the bars is of no use to me, as a red-green color "blind man". Instead of think of yellow, red and blue. Those are easy for us to see.