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Monopod with stand (1 Viewer)

squidge

Wha Whassssat
In my never ending quest for lightweight gear solutions I was thinking about a monopod with a stand for my angled ed 50.

Does anybody use this type of set up (i know manfrotto do one) or is there a compact lightweight tripod that is more or less the same weight and length as the monopod.

I'm heading to Italy in July so I'm downsizing all my gear for ease of use.

Regards Gerard.
 
In any tripod configuration, as soon as the centre column is extended, wobbliness is introduced - it's better by far to have a tripod with no centre column at all. The gadget you're describing seems to be like a tiny tripod with a HUGE centre column! Monopods have their uses, but I don't think that a monopod with big feet is a practical replacement for a tripod...
 
You're right Al. I decided a while back to go for a lightweight travel tripod. I have been trying to get information on the slik pro cfII tripod but there doesnt seem to be any users of this tripod.

Regards Gerard.
 
I have the monopod with stand and used it in Peru w/ angled ED 50. It worked well w/ 16 & 20x EPs, especially well when seated. Not much good when trying to share a sighting w/ other people. Not recommended for straight scope.

I have a Slik CF Pro634 that I highly recommend. I suggest using it w/ a ball head that has separate pan and tilt controls. Gitzo makes a couple of different models that are very stable and silky smooth. First I tried a Manfrotto ball head, but entirely unsatisfactory. Combined w/ED 50 the Slik tripod and Gitzo ball head makes a very light and compact travel scope. I do still use the monopod when birding by bicycle.
 
Hi bcskr,
Can I ask what you found unsatisfactory about the Manfrotto head? I've just blown £180 on one which hasn't been delivered yet...
 
I had the Manfrotto 494 Mini Ball Head, as did a friend at my suggestion. I did not like one control for both tilt and pan. In order to pan I had to loosen the grip on the ball, so then it was trying to tilt when all I wanted was to pan. Also compared with the Gitzo the ball and neck were smaller, consequently more vibration. I did not want to spend so much more for the Gitzo, but I am glad I did, it was well worth the extra cost. After trying my new set up, my friend also upgraded to the Gitzo.
 
So, basically you're saying that there exists a ballhead with separate controls for pan and tilt?? I'd love to know the model number!

//L
 
I had the Manfrotto 494 Mini Ball Head, as did a friend at my suggestion. I did not like one control for both tilt and pan. In order to pan I had to loosen the grip on the ball, so then it was trying to tilt when all I wanted was to pan. Also compared with the Gitzo the ball and neck were smaller, consequently more vibration. I did not want to spend so much more for the Gitzo, but I am glad I did, it was well worth the extra cost. After trying my new set up, my friend also upgraded to the Gitzo.

Ah, that's reassuring - thanks for that. My current Manfrotto head has only the universal 'floppy' lock (turn one knob and everything goes floppy), but I thought it was great because my previous support structure was a beanbag! Now I've ordered one with a pan lock as well as a floppy lock (to go with a new Gitzo tripod) so I think I should be ok. I did wonder about the Gitzo head too, but couldn't figure out how it could be so much better to be worth twice the price. However, I might eat my words if it doesn't provide the rigidity I'm looking for...
 
So, basically you're saying that there exists a ballhead with separate controls for pan and tilt?? I'd love to know the model number!

//L

Not separate for pan and tilt, but some do have a lever which only unlocks the pan rotation, which I can see the advantage of now.
 
So, basically you're saying that there exists a ballhead with separate controls for pan and tilt?? I'd love to know the model number!

The FT series of ballheads from FLM have a function which allows one to lock out the lateral tilt, so the ballhead effectively becomes a 2-way head.

John
 
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