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WHICH HEAD TO USE IF ANY?
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May 23, 2017 11:03:17   #
brooklyn-camera I Loc: Brooklyn, NY
 
What type head to use when shooting football from the side lines using a mono-pod? I shoot with a Canon 7D MKII with battery grip and the lenses range from Canon 100-400 which gets heavy after a while. Have a Canon 70-200 f/4 which needs no mono-pod. Also shoot with a Canon 70-200 f/2.8. I enjoy shooting without the use of a mono-pod but my 71 years old arthritic hands are starting to tell me something.

Now I am using a Manftotto 679B mono-pod which has been replaced a few times when the players run into it. The head I now have is a BENRO BH2 which at times is a pain because I need to lock the head in place after every play. The hands start to lock up a bit by the 3rd. quarter.

I tried shooting without the head but I just start picking up the entire camera and mono-pod, now I have the added extra weight of the mono-pod.

Any ideas would be appreciated, thanking you all in advance for your time and effort.

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May 23, 2017 11:22:45   #
ken hubert Loc: Missouri
 
brooklyn-camera I wrote:
What type head to use when shooting football from the side lines using a mono-pod? I shoot with a Canon 7D MKII with battery grip and the lenses range from Canon 100-400 which gets heavy after a while. Have a Canon 70-200 f/4 which needs no mono-pod. Also shoot with a Canon 70-200 f/2.8. I enjoy shooting without the use of a mono-pod but my 71 years old arthritic hands are starting to tell me something.

Now I am using a Manftotto 679B mono-pod which has been replaced a few times when the players run into it. The head I now have is a BENRO BH2 which at times is a pain because I need to lock the head in place after every play. The hands start to lock up a bit by the 3rd. quarter.

I tried shooting without the head but I just start picking up the entire camera and mono-pod, now I have the added extra weight of the mono-pod.

Any ideas would be appreciated, thanking you all in advance for your time and effort.
What type head to use when shooting football from ... (show quote)


The big one!

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May 23, 2017 11:29:45   #
SS319
 
The monopod should put the camera at eye level. If it were I, I would use a straight mount - with out a motion head. Tilt and pan the pod. the tilt will be minimal from this side to other side of the field, and the pan will give good up and down field control. If you typically include space around your action, you may be able to drop the viewfinder level to chin height and area point by aiming over the top of the camera - this will allow you to see big tackles flying your way - you and I are too old to get out of the way, but at least we will know they're coming.

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May 23, 2017 12:46:26   #
PaulR01 Loc: West Texas
 
You need a tilting head. Here is an example of one. When the player is moving toward you this type head is valuable when the play goes below your field of view and you can't lean that big lens down fast enough when on a mono pole only.
https://www.adorama.com/sisul20s.html

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May 23, 2017 13:09:52   #
Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.
 
brooklyn-camera I wrote:
What type head to use when shooting football from the side lines using a mono-pod? I shoot with a Canon 7D MKII with battery grip and the lenses range from Canon 100-400 which gets heavy after a while. Have a Canon 70-200 f/4 which needs no mono-pod. Also shoot with a Canon 70-200 f/2.8. I enjoy shooting without the use of a mono-pod but my 71 years old arthritic hands are starting to tell me something.

Now I am using a Manftotto 679B mono-pod which has been replaced a few times when the players run into it. The head I now have is a BENRO BH2 which at times is a pain because I need to lock the head in place after every play. The hands start to lock up a bit by the 3rd. quarter.

I tried shooting without the head but I just start picking up the entire camera and mono-pod, now I have the added extra weight of the mono-pod.

Any ideas would be appreciated, thanking you all in advance for your time and effort.
What type head to use when shooting football from ... (show quote)


I put a small but good quality ball head on my monopod, it allows for good adjustment and some tension control.

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May 24, 2017 06:25:56   #
easy8
 
Try using a tripod with gimbal mount takes all the work out of it

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May 24, 2017 07:55:52   #
dck22
 
PaulR01 wrote:
You need a tilting head. Here is an example of one. When the player is moving toward you this type head is valuable when the play goes below your field of view and you can't lean that big lens down fast enough when on a mono pole only.
https://www.adorama.com/sisul20s.html

The Sirui from the link above is what I used with my D750 and 150-600 and now what I use with my X-T2 and 100-400. Excellent quality and reliability.

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May 24, 2017 07:57:24   #
dck22
 
Duplicate. Sorry.

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May 24, 2017 08:06:39   #
Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC
 
I use a mono pad often. When shooting on a horiizontal plain heads just add extra weight, mono pods will pan very easly without a head.

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May 24, 2017 09:37:38   #
WorldTraveler Loc: San Antonio, TX, now in Greenfield IN
 
I've been using a Targus monopod without any additional mount. Seems to work w/o the additional weight.

Clint

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May 24, 2017 12:07:49   #
cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA
 
My recommendation for all of this type of gear is Really Right Stuff -- it's the best stuff made, IMHO. Check out their website and do some reading. Both my monopod and head are made by them. Expensive, but worth every penny. Best of luck.

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May 24, 2017 13:11:52   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
brooklyn-camera I wrote:
What type head to use when shooting football from the side lines using a mono-pod? I shoot with a Canon 7D MKII with battery grip and the lenses range from Canon 100-400 which gets heavy after a while. Have a Canon 70-200 f/4 which needs no mono-pod. Also shoot with a Canon 70-200 f/2.8. I enjoy shooting without the use of a mono-pod but my 71 years old arthritic hands are starting to tell me something.

Now I am using a Manftotto 679B mono-pod which has been replaced a few times when the players run into it. The head I now have is a BENRO BH2 which at times is a pain because I need to lock the head in place after every play. The hands start to lock up a bit by the 3rd. quarter.
.
What type head to use when shooting football from ... (show quote)


IMO, all you really need is a single-axis, tilt movement head... simple and light. A panning axis isn't needed with the head because that can be handled simply by rotating the entire monopod, lens and camera as a unit.

Something like this (around 10 lb. capacity): https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/822708-REG/Oben_VH_R2_VH_R2_Swivel_Tilt_Head.html

Or, a heavier duty (26 lb. capacity): https://www.adorama.com/sundt01.html

Or lighter duty (5.5 lb. capacity): https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1157933-REG/benro_dj90_monopod_head_with.html

I just think monopods should be kept pretty simple. Anything I use would need to be Arca-Swiss QR compatible. And I'd prefer a screw knob on the QR platform, instead of a lever like one or two of those use.

That said... while I've used them in the past, I don't have one on a monopod right now. I've been using an old ballhead instead. It's a small Manfrotto head that I had laying around and decided to modify and put back to work on one of my monopods... I replaced the ballhead's proprietary QR platform with one that's compatible with Arca-style releases that I use on everything. Nice thing about this particular ballhead is that all its movements are locked or released with a single knob. It also makes the monopod into a pretty serious weapon that a gladiator or Spartan would have appreciated!

I've read posts by one or two people using gimbals on a monopod.... And I thought that was a bit of overkill. But I recently came across this http://www.lensmaster.co.uk/m1.htm simple, lighter weight, side-mount gimbal made specifically for monopod use. That might work well shooting sports, with any lens that has a tripod mounting ring.

Yeah, I know all-too-well what you mean about the "hands locking up". I get some cramping in mine too, late in the day during those really long shoots.... especially when it's a bit cool or hot. I find it helps to take a low dosage of ibuprofin before and every so often during a shoot. Also, eat bananas before and during shoots. Tonic water with quinine can help quickly in emergencies, giving lot faster relief from cramping than bananas. It comes in six packs of 8 oz. single serving bottles.... but tastes terrible "straight" (I use several squirts of water flavorings per bottle to keep from gagging on plain tonic water).

Finally, yeah, RRS is great stuff (why else would they name it that!). But I'd feel pretty dumb spending $250 to almost $400 for a monopod head!

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May 24, 2017 13:54:21   #
Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.
 
amfoto1 wrote:
Nice thing about this particular ballhead is that all its movements are locked or released with a single knob. It also makes the monopod into a pretty serious weapon that a gladiator or Spartan would have appreciated!


I've noticed that also, the photographer's mace or morningstar! A good swing to the temple and probably game over, except for the legal consequences!

amfoto1 wrote:
Tonic water with quinine can help quickly in emergencies, giving lot faster relief from cramping than bananas. It comes in six packs of 8 oz. single serving bottles.... but tastes terrible "straight" (I use several squirts of water flavorings per bottle to keep from gagging on plain tonic water).


Isn't that what gin is for, along with a slice of lime or lemon?


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May 24, 2017 14:26:24   #
cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA
 
amfoto1 wrote:
IMO, all you really need is a single-axis, tilt movement head... simple and light. A panning axis isn't needed with the head because that can be handled simply by rotating the entire monopod, lens and camera as a unit.

Something like this (around 10 lb. capacity): https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/822708-REG/Oben_VH_R2_VH_R2_Swivel_Tilt_Head.html

Or, a heavier duty (26 lb. capacity): https://www.adorama.com/sundt01.html

Or lighter duty (5.5 lb. capacity): https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1157933-REG/benro_dj90_monopod_head_with.html

I just think monopods should be kept pretty simple. Anything I use would need to be Arca-Swiss QR compatible. And I'd prefer a screw knob on the QR platform, instead of a lever like one or two of those use.

That said... while I've used them in the past, I don't have one on a monopod right now. I've been using an old ballhead instead. It's a small Manfrotto head that I had laying around and decided to modify and put back to work on one of my monopods... I replaced the ballhead's proprietary QR platform with one that's compatible with Arca-style releases that I use on everything. Nice thing about this particular ballhead is that all its movements are locked or released with a single knob. It also makes the monopod into a pretty serious weapon that a gladiator or Spartan would have appreciated!

I've read posts by one or two people using gimbals on a monopod.... And I thought that was a bit of overkill. But I recently came across this http://www.lensmaster.co.uk/m1.htm simple, lighter weight, side-mount gimbal made specifically for monopod use. That might work well shooting sports, with any lens that has a tripod mounting ring.

Yeah, I know all-too-well what you mean about the "hands locking up". I get some cramping in mine too, late in the day during those really long shoots.... especially when it's a bit cool or hot. I find it helps to take a low dosage of ibuprofin before and every so often during a shoot. Also, eat bananas before and during shoots. Tonic water with quinine can help quickly in emergencies, giving lot faster relief from cramping than bananas. It comes in six packs of 8 oz. single serving bottles.... but tastes terrible "straight" (I use several squirts of water flavorings per bottle to keep from gagging on plain tonic water).

Finally, yeah, RRS is great stuff (why else would they name it that!). But I'd feel pretty dumb spending $250 to almost $400 for a monopod head!
IMO, all you really need is a single-axis, tilt mo... (show quote)


Well, I'm a really really dumb guy I guess!

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May 24, 2017 14:52:17   #
delkeener Loc: SW Rhode Island, USA
 
I have used a monopod for many years of action sports photography and never ever found the need for any movable head. Screwing around with a moving head is a good way to get decked by one of the athletes accidentally.

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