Monopod

[frank]

Hello All,
i have a nikon fieldscope 111 angled and am looking to buy a monopod but am not sure which type to get.eg fixed,pan and tilt or ball and socket etc.
Which types are better for an angled scope. All advice welcome.

[Charles Harper]

Do you really need a monopod, Frank? I don't recommend them-- I've tried them on several occasions, lured by the lightness and compactness; but the wobbliness and the necessity for constant support makes them extremely frustrating, and I don't think head type is going to help the problem. With a scope you often must keep your hands off the support so that you can see clearly. There are plenty of light tripods out there, and with an an angled eyepiece you're not going to need such a tall one.

[normjackson]

Not disagreeing with Charles but thought you might be interested in this link to someone with I guess you'd call it "special needs" who did find a use for a monopod. Anyway, his site's so brill it's always worth a mention :

www.fatbirder.com/reviews/index.html?article=84

[Swift]

If you can get a tripod they win in all classes versus monopods hands down.

[mcdowella]

I have been trying to find a setup that gives me a better view than I get with binoculars before the bird has flown off, and without distracting me when I walk around with it. I have tried a monopod, and noticed that I got almost as good results using it as a grip as with extending it. At the moment I am using a pistol-grip sold for photography on a Bushnell Spacemaster fitted with a 22X WA. (This is a table-top tripod, about 6 inches high, that screws into the tripod mount. When you use it as a grip the legs fold up into the grip so they don't bother you). These things are pretty cheap, so it might be worth a try. The one I have seems to be out of production now, but http://www.camerastore.com/dl_cat_D/-D01B_tablepods.html might give you a very rough idea if you haven't seen these things before.

It is an improvement over hand-holding the telescope, and the result is better than binoculars alone (8.5 X 44 Swift Audobon). I've just started a series of birdwatching walks designed to work out which of a variety of strategies allow me to see and identify the most birds, which should tell me just how useful the slightly better view is in practice. So far the main thing I've noticed is that stopping to scan for birds cuts down your rate of progress surprisingly - so you cover a lot less ground - but with my eyesight I can identify House Martins flying overhead through binoculars that I can't even see with the native eye, so if I rely on 'eye contact' to direct binoculars I will only notice them if there happen to be other birds in the same direction.

[Charles Harper]

I now recall that many years ago it was in fashion to gun-mount your scope. I bought an old shotgun, dismounted the barrel, trigger and other mechanisms, and strapped the scope in place of the barrel at a distance such that, with the gun butt to my shoulder, my eye was properly positioned vis a vis the eyepiece. It was excellent for quick spotting before the bird flew away, quite steady in the short term, and looked cool hung by a gunstrap from your shoulder. In the end, though, it was too heavy. Might be worth trying though, anyone who finds the idea interesting.

[frank]

Thanks for all your advice,I do have a lightweight tripod and think i will stick with it.

Frank

[cspratt]

Sport journalists usually use a monopd even when they use very long telephoto lenses. I think it is question of bracing the monopod behind one leg that gives it stability. For hints on using a monopod see:

http://www.outdooreyes.com/photo5.php3

[Highway Man]

I use a Manfrotto Mono Pod with my Leica APO 77. I get on with it very well but normally use it on longer walks and not when I'm likely to use my camera. I used to own a Nikon Fieldscope and used a Cullman Shoulder Pod with it, which was very good though my scope was the straight version.

Mark

[cspratt]

Hi Mark:

What head do you use (if any) on your monopod?

Chris. Spratt

[Highway Man]

Hi Chris

It has a 294RC quick release head on it. The head was bought seperately.

Mark

[cspratt]

Hi Mark:

Unable to find 294RC in my Manfrotto catalogue. What kind of head is it exactly?

Thanks,

Chris. Spratt

[Highway Man]

Chris

It's now a 234RC. Try looking at www.manfrotto.com. It's a tilt head that screws to the monopod head.

Mark

[cspratt]

Hi Mark:

Got it! Thanks.

Chris. Spratt

[frank]

I tried a friends monopod for a couple of hours on sunday and found it awkward at first to keep it steady and find the bird but i can see it gets easier after a lot of practice and can see the plus side for a long walk.But i'll keep with my tripod for now .
Thanks
Frank