I want to buy a monopod because I started to take photographs of ice hockey and ice rinks are really dark places :s where people or space don't allow fiddling with tripods. I want something light and strong (carbon vs Al?) and also I want something small when packed. This should ultimately be able to carry D700 with battery pack and 70-200mm lens. Suggestions for heads most welcomed as well...(ball head? pan head?) Budget for the whole thing between £100-200 Thanks :)

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From leren/Luc (32,466) on June 28, 2010 5:42:49 AM CDT Hi Ondrei, monopods don't weigh that much, so probably that is not your greatest concern and alu will do fine. Also you want the thing to come high enough so you can shoot standing full length and not bent over. Means you will have to go for a longer one, more parts, longer when slided in. D700 with a pack and a wow lens require sturdiness all over, from the gear but especially from the shooter/yourself. If you plan shooting only the goal area I goes tripod is still the way to go. If action and all the rest is of interest... a flexible, full rubber head has helped me some in the past. It is then a matter of learning how toe press the camera down on the head to find stability there. I guess you could find all at Manfrotto or such. Happy shooting. Luc Reply

From maxart/Max (81,757) on June 28, 2010 5:44:56 AM CDT The Alu Manfrotto (pro) with 4 sections is the one to get. The 4 section folds small enough you can operate it sitting down or sticking it in your belt and walk around. You don't really need a head. The Manfrotto pistol head the Manfrotto gimbal head for longer lenses. Borgen is the north American name for the same brand. ;o)-max- Reply

From del/Administrator (0) on June 28, 2010 8:37:41 AM CDT Luc has given you good advice, in particular the idea that you need to practice making it stable. The most common use for a monopod is to support the camera and lens so you won't have to. They are not inherently stable, as a tripod is. So, don't expect to mount the camera on it and all will be fine. With practice, you can take slower shots with a tripod. But what are you going to do about all the blur due to moving hockey players? If the light is low enough to give you camera shake blur, it is low enough to give you motion blur. Investment in a faster lens might be in order. Del Reply

From robertwallis/Robert (12,907) on June 28, 2010 12:59:52 PM CDT I've seen some monopod/tripod combinations that might be worth checking out. The tripod legs are short, and are kept folded up leaving you with a monopod. When time and circumstances permit, the legs will unfold to make a more stable base. The leg spread is not as much as a conventional tripod, but more stable than a conventional monopod. I have several tripods and a monopod, and didn't want to invest in yet one more gadget to schlepp around. The concept seems like a good one, although I wouldn't leave a heavy camera on one unattended as I don't think the design is for that practice. Reply

From mattsh/Matt (22,163) on June 28, 2010 4:38:44 PM CDT I have a Amvona (Chinese knock off brand) carbon fiber monopod, 2 sections, screw clamps to secure it. I don't know the overall height, but it isn't a super tall unit, and it works just fine for me at 6'. You don't stand straight erect when shooting, because the spread in your legs and angle of your body away from the monopod creates the stability. I have a ball head on the unit, and would not use a pan head. I don't like Amvona's heads, but the monopod (and tripod) I have from them are great. I also bought a junk monopod I keep in the trunk just in case I need it in a pinch. I wouldn't want to use it full time, it just isn't sturdy enough. You don't need the same bombproof platform as a tripod, but the legs should lock securely so the tripod does not shrink over the shooting day and it should be fairly rigid so you don't introduce any extra shake while you are trying to create a stable platform. Reply

From mattsh/Matt (22,163) on June 28, 2010 7:55:30 PM CDT One last thing, make sure you have a tripod ring for the 70-200. It is an awful lot of weight to hang on a ball joint if you are using the tripod screw on the camera itself, plus you will get more vibration. Using the mount on the lens lets you put the monopod near the center of gravity. Reply

From rmullns/Robert (3,078) on June 28, 2010 5:38:28 PM CDT why don't you just hang a strobe and fire it with a radio transmitter? Reply

From swanda/John (1,023) on June 28, 2010 6:11:48 PM CDT Wouldn't it take more than one strobe, and a lot of power to shoot hockey? I saw a TV show about a photographer who shot hockey with strobes, and he had multiple large strobes above the ice, and positioned them until he could get a consistent f-stop, I think 5.6, everywhere on the ice. Reply

From alllfff/Ondrej (1,977) on June 30, 2010 3:17:28 AM CDT Players/refs with visors don't like strobes. It blinds them. I am a player too. Plus I cannot afford 10 strobes which would probably not even be enough to light that place. Reply

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