Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda

New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site

New Feature: SMS Notification alert

New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist

FM Forums | General Gear-talk | Join Upload & Sell

Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

Bruce n Philly
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

Thanx for any tips...

I am considering a monopod with my Canon R5 and classic 600mm EF f/4 lens.. a monster. I can not hand hold this thing. I have a big Gitzo with a Wimberly head and love it... used it for years... but lugging it around for long walks can be difficult especially if carrying it on those wooden walkways in nature reserves. Other people etc...

So what do you think about a monopod with this lens? Not to replace but use on special walks and situations. What about a ball head? Do I really need a ball head? I was thinking some of the monopods have quick release tops so I can assemble it very quickly... adding a ball head starts making this thing complex no?

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Apr 27, 2024 at 04:06 PM

Norm Shapiro
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

Wimberly makes a head for monopods

Apr 27, 2024 at 04:36 PM

Bruce n Philly
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

Norm Shapiro wrote:
Wimberly makes a head for monopods

Wow, thanx for that... didn't know. That would work great with the lens colar providing the other axis. Hmm, there are a few knockoffs out there... not many though...

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Apr 27, 2024 at 04:51 PM

jcolwell
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

Yes, monopod. No, ball head. Yes, heavy-duty tilt head.

I use my EF 500/4L IS with a RRS MH-01 monopod head (A-S clamps & rails), on one of two monopods; (1) Manfrotto Neo-Tec, or (2) Feisol CM-1471 Rapid. I use the Feisol for travel, as the Manfrotto is long and heavy, but its one-handed action can't be beat in close quarters, like on the sidelines or in a theater.

My MH-01 monopod tilt head has an A-S QR lever-clamp on top (for the lens), and an A-S plate on the bottom (to clamp on the monopod). Both of my monopods have an A-S QR clamp on top, and so it's easy to share the head. When shooting fast action, I can go from shooting on the monopod, to shooting handheld, in a matter of seconds.

MH-01 on Feisol

(bkgd) MH-01 on Neo-Tec, (foregnd) A-S clamp at top of Feisol

300mm f/2.8 on MH-01 + Feisol, head tilted to carry position

Apr 27, 2024 at 06:04 PM

kwilliam8
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

Nikon shooter here, so I am not familiar with your particular lens and camera. However, I shoot my Nikon Z9 and Nikon 600mm f/4 TC lens several ways. I use a Wimberley gimbal head on either a regular tripod or a ground level tripod. But I also sometimes use a monopod for this camera and lens. For that setup, I use the Wimberley MH-100 MonoGimbal Head:
https://www.tripodhead.com/products/monopodhead-main.cfm
This head takes a little getting used to, but after several outings, it becomes natural and easy to use. For a great review of this particular monopod head, see Steve Perry's video:

I use the monopod (vs. tripod) when either (1) I will be covering more ground than normal, or (2) I will be using the camera and lens in a more space-limited area. I hope this information helps!
Keith W.

Apr 28, 2024 at 12:35 AM

justashooter
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

I've used a straight up monopod for years with long glass (300/2.8, 500/4 + extenders). Never found the need for a ball head, gimbal, etc.

Apr 28, 2024 at 01:11 AM

Choderboy
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

I love the Wimberley MH-100. For me, it is the ultimate.

There don't seem to be any fence sitters though.
Many agree with my opinion.
Others strongly disagree.

Love it or hate it. Only you can decide.

Apr 28, 2024 at 01:48 AM

neilvan
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

Also have a look at the Acratech Long Lens head...

Apr 28, 2024 at 02:48 AM

PAFL-rev
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

jcolwell wrote:
Yes, monopod. No, ball head. Yes, heavy-duty tilt head.

I use my EF 500/4L IS with a RRS MH-01 monopod head (A-S clamps & rails), on one of two monopods; (1) Manfrotto Neo-Tec, or (2) Feisol CM-1471 Rapid. I use the Feisol for travel, as the Manfrotto is long and heavy, but its one-handed action can't be beat in close quarters, like on the sidelines or in a theater.

My MH-01 monopod tilt head has an A-S QR lever-clamp on top (for the lens), and an A-S plate on the bottom (to clamp on the monopod). Both of my monopods have...Show more →

That's cool that you rigged a carabiner to clip in with, on the hand strap and hand made cord, and not have to worry about dropping the monopod when going handheld.

Apr 28, 2024 at 04:06 AM

jcolwell
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

PAFL-rev wrote:
That's cool that you rigged a carabiner to clip in with, on the hand strap and hand made cord, and not have to worry about dropping the monopod when going handheld.

Good catch. Were you in the draft yesterday?

I wear a sling loop diagonally across my upper body, that I can clip into. The hookup is sized so I can use the big lens, on the monopod, while clipped in, and then let it go to use one of the other two cameras that are probably on each shoulder. You have to control the foot of the monopod, 'cause you definitely don't want the big rig flipping upside down (which it wants to do). It works extremely well, if you're mindful of the filp, and everything else going on around you.

Apr 28, 2024 at 06:06 AM

Phil Seu
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

Z9/600 TC, Gitzo monopod with Wimberley Monogimbal. Very happy with it. The main benefits are being able to keep on a subject you know is going to fly and stabilization for videos.

Phil

https://www.instagram.com/phil_seu_photography/

Apr 28, 2024 at 01:52 PM

jeffbuzz
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

The "monogimbal" heads are nice but can be challenging with really big lenses like 500 and 600mm. Because the center of gravity is not centered over the foot of the monopod, you have to tilt your stick to balance it. With 100-400 and 200-600 size zooms, this works fine. I use the monogimbal all the time with my mid-size lenses. For very heavy setups like the 600mm, it can be awkward. The one advantage classic monopod tilt heads have is that they keep the weight centered over the stick. But you have to deal with lens flopping.

Strange as it seems, using a full gimbal on a monopod is actually easier. Everything is balanced and no lens flop.

Apr 28, 2024 at 02:26 PM

Choderboy
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

jeffbuzz wrote:
The "monogimbal" heads are nice but can be challenging with really big lenses like 500 and 600mm. Because the center of gravity is not centered over the foot of the monopod, you have to tilt your stick to balance it. With 100-400 and 200-600 size zooms, this works fine. I use the monogimbal all the time with my mid-size lenses. For very heavy setups like the 600mm, it can be awkward. The one advantage classic monopod tilt heads have is that they keep the weight centered over the stick. But you have to deal with lens flopping.

Strange as it seems,...Show more →

I definitely don't have to do any balancing.
I lower the whole kit. Once the rubber foot hits the ground, I am ready to shoot.
I use it with Sigma 500 which is a little heavier than Canon EF 500 f4 V2. ie heavier than Canon or Sony recent 600s.

Maybe that's what is so polarising about the MH-100.
Some think about balancing. Some don't.

Apr 29, 2024 at 07:06 AM

jeffbuzz
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

Choderboy wrote:
I definitely don't have to do any balancing.
I lower the whole kit. Once the rubber foot hits the ground, I am ready to shoot.
I use it with Sigma 500 which is a little heavier than Canon EF 500 f4 V2. ie heavier than Canon or Sony recent 600s.

Maybe that's what is so polarising about the MH-100.
Some think about balancing. Some don't.

You're definitely doing some balancing while you're using a monopod. You may not be thinking about balancing, but you are. Just as you are balancing continuously while you are standing still with nothing in your hands. You are constantly applying tiny opposing forces or else you'd fall over.

The purpose of a monopod is to transfer most of the burden from you to it. The better the camera is balanced, more of its weight is on the support and less is on you. A tripod and full gimbal can support 100% of the camera's weight.

I did a simple experiment with my 4.20kg OM-1 + Oly 300 f2.8 using a luggage scale looped around the monopod grip to measure how much force was needed to keep it upright. The old 300 is nearly identical in weight to the 3.3kg Sigma 500 f4. Monopod was extended to my standing height with the grip at 150cm. Mounted on the MH-100, 90% of the mass is balanced on the monopod leaving 10% for me to laterally resist. Yes, this is waaaay better than hand holding. It leaves me gently pushing and pulling 0.45kg side to side to maintain balance. That's like holding a 16oz cup of coffee. Not a terrible burden, but not nothing.

Putting the same camera+lens on a full gimbal completely centered over the monopod, the pull scale measured 0.30kg of lateral force to keep the stick vertical. So ~93% on the stick and 7% Now we're down to holding a double scoop ice cream cone (with extra sprinkles).

So (0.45kg - 0.30kg) / 0.30kg = 0.5. Therefore, a gimbal is 50% more effective than a monogimbal. (I'm really good at manipulating statistics in my favor)

Nothing is polarizing about the MH-100. For simplicity I still think it's the best solution. But there are measurable differences versus using a gimbal or tilt head.

Apr 29, 2024 at 01:20 PM

CanadaMark
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

For the big lenses I prefer a different style of monopod head to the "mono gimbal" options.

I use this one and IMO is the best style for larger lenses on a monopod:

https://leofoto.com/products_detail.php?id=436

That particular head is also inexpensive and extremely well made.

Wimberley and Leofoto both make a monopod gimbal (as mentioned above) but I find they are better suited to smaller telephotos because all of the weight is supported from the side rather than top-down. With a big heavy setup, I prefer the feel of the weight sitting on top rather than hanging off the side.

For example, with my 800PF I would much rather (and do) use a Leofoto VH-10S, for something like a 180-600 or 100-400 I could go either way and sometimes use the Wimberley MH-100.

I'm not a fan of ball heads with long lenses and especially not on monopods - they are more suited for landscape/macro work.

Apr 29, 2024 at 05:06 PM

Choderboy
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

Wow, the art of discussion is not completely lost!

I suppose I could have made my point better: I make no conscious effort to balance when using the MH-100.

For me, as a previous long term user of a tilt head on monopod, the ability to, as long as the tilt is adjusted with enough friction, lift the whole kit and shoot is lost with the MH-100. When in a hurry, I did that often. Better results likely by removing from pod or head first, but if the time taken doing that means missing the shot, moot point.
With the MH-100, it's possible, but in a hurry you now have the pod swinging, or if tightening the friction, you do now have a side load. Either situation bad enough that I don't call it viable.

I call it a polarising device due to user opinions. While there are some neutral opinions, so many are "best ever" or "too hard to balance". As there are Wimberley and knock versions, brand bias is removed so opinions more likely to be genuine.

Apr 29, 2024 at 07:54 PM

Max_Pain
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

The Wimberley MH-100 is the best solution in the world. I say that because I just ordered it for my 500mm so it better damn well be

Apr 30, 2024 at 10:22 PM

Daniel Smith
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

Many years experience with a Gitzo monopod and 400 f/2.8 and 600 f/4 lenses with both Nikon and Canon. F1 racing, NASCAR, NFL down to Pop Warner games.

For me it is a great combination. Really takes the load off the back and allows for more concentration on images - once you get the hang of balancing the rig. Takes practice. With todays AutoFocus lenses and bodies it is much easier to manage than in decades ago with Manual Focus big, fast glass.

Have seldom used a head on the monopod but have friends who have & they like them. Does appear a bit easier to shoot higher elevation subjects from ground level without screwing up the balance.

When coupled with a gunstock it is even easier to works with and gives the option of photographing free like trap shooting. Nice to have options.

May 07, 2024 at 12:23 PM

JBPhotog
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Monopod & 600mm Lens - Yes/No? Ball head?

FWIW, if you already own the RRS MH-01and the Wimberley SK-100 Sidekick you can achieve a similar setup as the Wimberley MH-100.

May 07, 2024 at 01:11 PM


FM Forums \| General Gear-talk \| Join Upload & Sell

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.