Dennis Dietz
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 p.2 #2 · Cheap monopod suggestion? | |
While I agree that a long pod and a ball head are not necessary, they an be really useful. One trick I often use is to extend the pod pretty long, then either place is several feet in front of me and lean into it a little, I or place the foot between my legs and brace it against my knee. Both of these techniques for a pseudo 3-point setup and offer lots more stability. Obviously, since the pod is angled, you'll need some sort of head. I also find having the head adjustment cinched but not tight allows me to pan or tilt the camera/lens with enough resistance to still add stability.
Another thing I often do is use a very short monopod on a ball head. The head is attached to the lens foot, and the bod is adjustable from about 10" to about 15". This combination allows me to use the pod as a shoulder rest, like using a rifle. This adds a surprising mount of stability and is super portable. There is not as much support as a mono or tripod, but still way better than hand holding. The short pod I made from an old aluminum art tripod with the twist lock legs. Cuts down real easy and allows for adjustability with different lenses, addition of extenders and packability.
See below for an image of the setup used with my macro setup. I have a shorter one of these that I use for macro, since it attaches to the camera body, and a slightly longer (more adjustable) one that I use with telephotos for nature and wildlife photography. I apologize that it is not a super image. BTW, to attach the rest to the head, I half pressed then finished by screwing a pipe end-plug into the end. It was a very tight fit. I then drilled and tapped the fitting for a 3/8" bolt, added some teflon tape to the bolt and screwed it in, then cut off the head.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisdietz/3649269444/sizes/o/
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