mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Heavy long lens monopod, lighter lens hand holding

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

I try to hand hold everything up to 560mm (FF camera) depending on the light. I try not to shoot below 1/1000 if at all possible. Greater than 560mm I tend to seek support via a tripod and gimbal. Just a comment about monopods, remember, you can never let go of it unless you lay it down. Not so with a tripod.

DJD Loc: Seal Beach, CA

I use a 80-400 and 90% of shots are hand held. I use a tripod with a wireless remote trigger in my backyard when setting up on a known landing spot for various birds.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Big lens and a tripod with a gimbal. Unless I am walking around, then a 100-400 handheld.

sergiohm

It depends on the lens, if it’s too heavy I use a tripod but otherwise hand held.
99% of my shots is hand held, it has to be a very special lens to make me carry a tripod around.
Rarely use a monopod since I can rely on IS 99% of the time.

Olympus M1 Mark II, Canon 400m F5.6, hand held


Fujifilm. XT-2, Meyer-Optik Görlitz 4/300, tripod

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Some people do and some don't. I use a tripod, but my friends Bette and Linda use monopods. They don't like the weight of tripods, and I don't like the way monopods work. I would rather go hand held than monopod.

davyboy Loc: Anoka Mn.

Sorry to high jack this thread but my God that red wing black bird pic is something else WOW

williejoha

Tripod or handheld.
WJH

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Yes... sometimes.

I shoot hand held, on a monopod, on a tripod with gimbal, or with the camera and lens on a bean bag resting on a windowsill or whatever.

It depends upon the lens I'm using, how mobile I need to be, how far I'll be walking... It also depends upon the subject and how I'll be shooting them.

For example, when hiking and not wanting to haul 9 lb. of tripod and gimbal head, I'll often take a monopod. It doubles well as a "walking stick", too, when the camera isn't mounted on it. I use a monopod mostly with lenses that have tripod mounting rings (70-200, 300mm, 100-400mm, 500mm... also macro 100mm and 180mm).

For birds in flight, I mostly shoot hand held (2 to 3 lb. 70-200, 3 lb. 300mm f/4, 3.5 lb. 100-400mm).

When shooting from a blind and spending a lot of time sitting and waiting, I usually put the gear on a tripod (especially with 6 lb. 300mm f/2.8, 8 lb. 500mm f/4, possibly with 1.4X or 2X teleconverter... but also sometimes with 100-400, 300mm f/4 and 70-200).

Shooting from a car or while lying prone on the ground, I often use a bean bag (any lens/camera combo). In fact, I leave a beanbag in my car, along with one of my monopods.

Hand held (with 300mm f/2.8, 300mm f/4 & 100-400):




Bean bag/car window (300mm f/2.8):



Monopod (300mm & 500mm):



Tripod w/gimbal (500mm and 500mm w/1.4X):

JoAnneK01 Loc: Lahaina, Hawaii

Handheld. I use my Nikon D810 with a Tamron 150-600 for most of my birdshot. A tripod is too heavy when walking around looking for birds.

d2b2 Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA

Tripod, most of the time.

PierreD

I always shoot handheld. Then again, I use an Olympus EMD-1 Mii camera with 300 mm PRO lens. This comes with dual image stabilization (lens AND camera body), making it possible to get sharp pictures at much (6 stop equivalent) lower shutter speeds than without IS.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Thanks!

I think the weight of the lens is a stabilizing element. I can't really get reliable results using the Sony RX10M4 when zoomed out to 600mm field of view. It only weighs 2.5 lbs. The Sigma and D810 weigh almost 8.5 lbs or slightly less than a Vietnam era M16 rifle with a 30 round magazine. I hold my camera/lens like a rifle, with my left shoulder pointed at the subject, left elbow tucked against my ribs for additional stability, and the rest of my body following my shoulder. I breathe normally, and when I am shooting a stationary bird, I will squeeze the shutter at the end of an exhale. That works for me pretty well.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Thanks!

I shot for 6 yrs with a 600mm F4 on a tripod - with a D300S, D700 and a D800 - other than in really crappy light - I have to say the Sigma Sport doesn't give anything away to the 600mm, and I have the added flexibility of using it hand held, with nothing more than a Black Rapid strap to carry it. My new birding setup doesn't need the 7.5 lb Lens Trekker camera bag, a 6 lb carbon fiber tripod and head - and the lens which weighed 10.5 lbs - I really don't mind a little loss of flexibility with exposure - it's a fair trade off for not having to lug around 26 lbs of gear to get mostly the same results I get with the 8.5 lb alternative - and I get more birds in flght as an added bonus.

hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA

Have not done much bird photography. However, trying to use an interesting setup. Have the monopod down to as small as it can go and insert the bottom into a sportfishing belt with a pouch in the center front. Sort of halfway between handheld and tripod held.