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Zoom Lens and Travel
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Jul 10, 2018 22:31:25   #
CO
 
I had a monopod and ended up returning it. It will steady your shots in the vertical direction but you can still get motion blur horizontally. I did a lot of testing. Even at 1/250 second I could see side to side motion blur.

You could make a stringpod. You get a piece of rope and a 1/4"-20 eyelet bolt. You tie the rope to the eyelet bolt and screw the bolt into the tripod socket on the bottom of the camera. You then stand on the rope and pull up a little to put tension in the rope. It really does make the camera more steady.




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Jul 10, 2018 23:48:38   #
bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA
 
CO wrote:
I had a monopod and ended up returning it. It will steady your shots in the vertical direction but you can still get motion blur horizontally. I did a lot of testing. Even at 1/250 second I could see side to side motion blur.

You could make a stringpod. You get a piece of rope and a 1/4"-20 eyelet bolt. You tie the rope to the eyelet bolt and screw the bolt into the tripod socket on the bottom of the camera. You then stand on the rope and pull up a little to put tension in the rope. It really does make the camera more steady.
I had a monopod and ended up returning it. It will... (show quote)


It might work well for a young person, but for an older person string stabilization could be problematic. Also, if you have a situation where you can shoot at 1/250th, you can probably shoot at 1/500th or 1/1000th where horizontal motion blur will not be an issue. In the days of film that might have been an issue, but with the addition of adjustable ISO that digital photography brought to the equation, trading higher ISO for shutter speed is not an issue most of the time. True, using higher ISO is also a tradeoff with art effects, but that is only noticeable in under exposure or with much higher ISO's. Also, with today's VR lenses like those made by Nikon, the effects of camera vibration are reduced by about 200%. That means that you can shoot at a lower shutter speed and still stop motion. Note that with VR, you should turn that function off when the camera is on a tripod, but you should keep it on when using a monopod if you see blur.

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Jul 11, 2018 00:46:06   #
IDguy Loc: Idaho
 
bpulv wrote:
It might work well for a young person, but for an older person string stabilization could be problematic. Also, if you have a situation where you can shoot at 1/250th, you can probably shoot at 1/500th or 1/1000th where horizontal motion blur will not be an issue. In the days of film that might have been an issue, but with the addition of adjustable ISO that digital photography brought to the equation, trading higher ISO for shutter speed is not an issue most of the time. True, using higher ISO is also a tradeoff with art effects, but that is only noticeable in under exposure or with much higher ISO's. Also, with today's VR lenses like those made by Nikon, the effects of camera vibration are reduced by about 200%. That means that you can shoot at a lower shutter speed and still stop motion. Note that with VR, you should turn that function off when the camera is on a tripod, but you should keep it on when using a monopod if you see blur.
It might work well for a young person, but for an ... (show quote)


Your last sentence is outdated and specifically conflicts with the OPs lens manual.

That’s one of the reasons they took the VR switch off that lens. You can turn it off through the camera menu, assuming the latest firmware, but it isn’t necessary.

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Jul 11, 2018 05:38:33   #
miked46 Loc: Winter Springs, Florida
 
When I travel I carry one lens, the Tamron 16-300mm and on my 70D, it is an awesome combo.

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Jul 11, 2018 05:53:11   #
slrimagery Loc: Virginia
 
I know we all would prefer to keep our ISO low, but sometimes we have to kick it up to help increase our shutter speed. It should be equal to or greater than the focal length of our lens if we're hand-holding. So you should be at 1/300 of a second at a minimum and faster still if possible. Monopods are also an alternative. They do take some practice to use effectively, remembering that in using one you effectively become two of the three legs.

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Jul 11, 2018 06:03:00   #
chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand
 
Monopods are great. With a arca-swiss plate you can also attach binoculars to it and this makes viewing much steadier as well. So a double use.

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Jul 11, 2018 06:12:27   #
hookedupin2005 Loc: Northwestern New Mexico
 
bpulv wrote:
Jeff,

I use and recommend the Sirui-326 carbon fiber monopod. It weighs less than one pound, telescopes to 61 inches and closes to 15.5 inches. It is rated for a 22 pound load and costs $99.99 at B&H. I carry mine when I travel over seas and typically use it to support my D800 and f2.8 24-70mm and 70-300mm lenses.

One thing you need to know if you have never used a monopod before, when any monopod is fully extended, it will flex at the joints. If instead of fully extending all the sections, you leave one inch of each section unextended, the monopod will be absolutely rigid. So the Sirui-326, which has four sections, can be extended to 57 inches and will be rigid. Look at the link below.

Sirui website -

http://www.sirui.eu/en/products/einbeinstative/p-serie/

B&H page -

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/822252-REG/Sirui_BSRP326_P_326_6_Section_Carbon_Fiber.html?ap=y&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0L34mfOV3AIVBQ5pCh1DoQEOEAQYASABEgKplfD_BwE&smp=y
Jeff, br br I use and recommend the Sirui-326 car... (show quote)


Another factor I have not seen mentioned, is some places do not allow tripods, but do allow monopods.

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Jul 11, 2018 06:17:22   #
John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK
 
g warden wrote:
A monopod is easier to travel with and may provide the support for the shots using the 300 mm. Sport mode is a good setting if you’re not the shutter mode with a with a shutter setting of 1/1000 or higher.


I'm getting acceptable results using a recently acquired 2nd hand monopod from a recent club auction. The draw back with the Gorillapod is that it is not very high so you may have occasions where you need to get down to it. An alternative might be a bean bag to rest on walls etc.

I would not use the monopod as a walking stick, but you can buy a walking stick (pole) that you can use as a monopod. The difference in the manufacture, the walking pole is designed to support YOU, the monopod is designed to support the CAMERA.

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Jul 11, 2018 06:18:30   #
CO
 
bpulv wrote:
It might work well for a young person, but for an older person string stabilization could be problematic. Also, if you have a situation where you can shoot at 1/250th, you can probably shoot at 1/500th or 1/1000th where horizontal motion blur will not be an issue. In the days of film that might have been an issue, but with the addition of adjustable ISO that digital photography brought to the equation, trading higher ISO for shutter speed is not an issue most of the time. True, using higher ISO is also a tradeoff with art effects, but that is only noticeable in under exposure or with much higher ISO's. Also, with today's VR lenses like those made by Nikon, the effects of camera vibration are reduced by about 200%. That means that you can shoot at a lower shutter speed and still stop motion. Note that with VR, you should turn that function off when the camera is on a tripod, but you should keep it on when using a monopod if you see blur.
It might work well for a young person, but for an ... (show quote)


Age is not a factor when using a stringpod. Someone in my camera club who is in his 80's showed us how to make one. He just rolls it up and puts it in his pocket after he's finished using it.

The problem with increasing shutter speed to 1/500 or 1/1000 second is that the photographer may have to boost the ISO high if the light is not adequate. That will introduce digital noise.

Yes, I know all about the adjustable ISO that digital cameras have. I have four Nikon DSLR cameras.

I know about Nikon's VR. I have four Nikon lenses that have VR.

Art effects? You mean artifacts.

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Jul 11, 2018 06:21:07   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
bpulv wrote:
I am 73 years old and have the same problem. I carry a Sirui P-326 carbon fiber monopod when I travel for my D800. It weighs less than one pound without the Acra Swiss QR plate. Do not add the weight of a ball or other head because they are unnecessary. It is over five feet high and folds to 15 1/2 inches long. It is very sturdy and allows me to easily use my 70-300mm lens.

As an alternative, you could consider buying a 70-300mm VR (Vibration Reduction) lens. It will possibly allow you to you to hand hold your camera. I have no problem hand holding my 70-200mm VR lens at 200mm. My 70-300 is not a VR lens. Since I am not into bird photography, I seldom use my telephotos when traveling. You will find your wide angle or super-wide angle lens to be more useful. When I went to Sydney a few years ago, most of my 3,000 exposures were in the super-wide angle to normal range.

Travel as lite as possible. Over the years I have cut allot of weight from my camera equipment. Over seas airlines have been placing more and more weight restrictions on carryons. I flew to London in May on Air New Zealand. They had a 7 Kg (16 lbs) limit on carryons. The ticket agent at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) weighed everything including my wife's purse. My camera roll-aboard was 26 pounds. After I opened the case and the supervisor saw its contents, she had me redistribute about three pounds of accessories to checked luggage and then placed a special tag on the roll-aboard that allowed me to take it in the cabin. I was lucky she was in a good mood. Things are likely to get worse, not better. A month later, I flew to Spain for two weeks. I took only my D800, a few accessories, my 24-70mm and dispensed with my monopod. There were only a couple of shots I missed because of the lack of lenses.
I am 73 years old and have the same problem. I car... (show quote)


He has a 70-300 VR.

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Jul 11, 2018 06:29:22   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
CO wrote:
I had a monopod and ended up returning it. It will steady your shots in the vertical direction but you can still get motion blur horizontally. I did a lot of testing. Even at 1/250 second I could see side to side motion blur.

You could make a stringpod. You get a piece of rope and a 1/4"-20 eyelet bolt. You tie the rope to the eyelet bolt and screw the bolt into the tripod socket on the bottom of the camera. You then stand on the rope and pull up a little to put tension in the rope. It really does make the camera more steady.
I had a monopod and ended up returning it. It will... (show quote)


I am not a fan of monopods for stability, but boy are they amazing when you are on an assignment covering an all-day event. It is a mandatory piece of gear when I do horse competitions, which often are 12 hours long. A full frame body and a 100-300 F4 lens may not be all that heavy, but at the end of the day, if you are hand-holding only, they will feel like a 100 lb barbell, and your arms, shoulders, neck will feel like you went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson.

Haven't used a stringpod in a while. My VR lenses all me to shoot at impossibly slow speeds. Like my 150-600 Sigma Sport - 1/25 at 600mm.

Proper breathing and timing is the key. Breathe normally, and press the shutter by rolling your finger over it rather than pushing it down. Whenever possible, take the shot at the end of an exhale.

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D800, Sigma Sport 150-600, ISO 400, F8, 1/25 sec
D800, Sigma Sport 150-600, ISO 400, F8, 1/25 sec...
(Download)

crop from above
crop from above...
(Download)

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Jul 11, 2018 08:26:56   #
mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma
 
Keep the zoom and switch to a monopod if you feel the need. I have a MeFoto one that’s light weight, yet sturdy! And, it fits easily into a carry on.

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Jul 11, 2018 08:37:56   #
camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.
 
I never travel without my tripod. For my travels I use a cheap aluminum Dolica tripod that has served me well even when I have been using with it my dSLR camera using proper tripod techniques.
For that 70-300 you need the tripod unless you are willing to raise the ISO speed of your camera, not always advisable. For your 18-55, which I know will be your most used lens, you need no tripod nor you need a tripod for the 35mm f1.8 shooting at an ISO speed of 200 or more.
If the tripod is not very heavy make a habit to take it with you when traveling.

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Jul 11, 2018 08:49:48   #
fetzler Loc: North West PA
 
1. light weight tripod is an option. (Monopod)
2. using objects like table, car, etc. is another option.
3. crank up the ISO. Most cameras will do fine up to at least ISO 3200. This will allow for higher shutter speed. This what many wild life photographers do.
4. I do like my 16 -80mm lens as it covers most general photography situations. (it is expensive, however)

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Jul 11, 2018 09:02:43   #
anotherview Loc: California
 
Travel light. Carry one camera with one lens mounted to it. Include accessories like a spare battery, a spare memory card, a card reader, and a simple lens cleaning kit. Everything should fit in one bag.

A general purpose lens of 24-105mm with image stabilization will enable you to do about 95 percent of your photography. It may take a tele-extender that can double the reach of the lens.

With good hand-holding technique, you do not need a tripod or a monopod.

Good luck.
frjeff wrote:
My Nikon D5300 kit includes the 18-55 kit, 35mm f/1.8 prime and a 70-300 VR zoom. Also, have tripod.

Upcoming trip to AUS and New Zealand (and a Spring Alaska trip causing me a couple of concerns:

I can easily travel with this bag, but did not want to carry the tripod (luggage constraints). I have also found that I am very bad at holding the zoom steady when out to the 300 FL especially (74 years old). A recent Loon shoot was not as sharp as it could have been, even when leaning on a tree for added support. However, without the tripod, I am afraid I will miss a lot of fine shooting opportunities.

So, do I leave the tripod home and purchase a lesser zoom for the trip? Or, might I buy a Gorilla Pod and use the 70-300 with it. Not very familiar with the Gorilla products, so not sure if that even makes any sense.
My Nikon D5300 kit includes the 18-55 kit, 35mm f/... (show quote)

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