Monopod head
May 18, 2019 09:41:42 #
gvarner wrote:
I’ve read that they make a head just for monopods that allows only vertical motion. It makes sense to me to have one of those.
Tilt head?
I use one. Aligned for camera landscape up/down. Left-right alignment is by rotating, leveling is by tilting the pod left-right. Portrait: re-align the mount on the camera.
May 18, 2019 09:47:36 #
I use a tilting only head with a long lens. Rotation is more of a problem with a ball head, since the weight of the camera and lens can pull it down in any direction.
Have fun,
Bob
Have fun,
Bob
May 18, 2019 09:58:08 #
I have a ball head on my monopod. It’s in my car so I don’t have the brand handy. It’s got a squeeze handle and works really well.
May 18, 2019 10:10:55 #
Indi wrote:
I have a ball head on my monopod. It’s in my car so I don’t have the brand handy. It’s got a squeeze handle and works really well.
I had a squeeze (trigger) ball head on my tripod. Got rid of it. Replaced it with a tilt-pan head.
I'd never put a ball head on a mono-pod.
May 18, 2019 10:25:00 #
DaveO wrote:
Large lenses and balls heads can be a recipe for trouble!
I use a 600mmF4 on an Arca-Swiss Z1 when I am too lazy to change the head on my tripod - no problems.
May 18, 2019 10:38:06 #
jzett wrote:
Greetings. Considering purchasing a monopod. I mostly shoot sports - soccer, surfing, lacrosse, etc. Just wondering if a ball head is necessary. My thought is to just mount to to top of monopod as I move about and would use the monopod basically for support. Your though and advice are appreciated. John
Ball Heads are fine. Tilt heads are cheaper at first glance, but all that I have seen are designed to mount a lens with a collar, and only tilt in the same axis as the lens - up and down. If you want to use it with a collarless lens, where you'd attach the camera to the clamp using an Arca-Swiss style plate or L bracket, it would only work to tilt the camera left and right.
One solution is to get a "panning clamp" or assemble one from components, like the one in the link:
https://enthusiastphotographer.com/tag/monopod/
May 18, 2019 10:43:33 #
I had the same question a couple of years ago. If using long lenses for sport etc and the monopod is mounted to the lens support bracket, there will be a fixing screw/knob that you can undo to allow you to rotate the camera from landscape to portrait. If you leave that undone, that’s almost all you need to allow a greater amount of control and movement, whilst still giving the support. I use that for rugby and motorsport and it works a treat.
May 18, 2019 10:49:43 #
Gene51 wrote:
Ball Heads are fine. Tilt heads are cheaper at fir... (show quote)
I'm lost. Why would a tilt head be insufficient?
I rotate the monopod left-right for panning,
angle it left-right for horizon leveling.
I could tilt forward-backward for vertical, but the tilt head is simpler, especially if I'm shooting down or up at a large angle. I re-align the tilt head on the body if I want portrait orientation (what, 15 seconds?).
Why would I need anything more complicated?
May 18, 2019 10:53:21 #
RRS has a two way tilt head... you can mount with camera bracket or lens foot...
Gene51 wrote:
Ball Heads are fine. Tilt heads are cheaper at fir... (show quote)
May 18, 2019 11:11:49 #
DaveO wrote:
Large lenses and balls heads can be a recipe for trouble!
Statements like this come up all the time. Ball heads work fine with all lenses. What to use is just personal choice.
...Cam
May 18, 2019 11:14:21 #
billnikon wrote:
I no longer use a monopod. But I can tell you from experience that any head added to a monopod tends to be awkward to use. You are better off leaving the top bare.
Don’t understand this. My ball heads are a must for me and not the least bit awkward.
...Cam.
May 18, 2019 11:17:05 #
gvarner wrote:
I’ve read that they make a head just for monopods that allows only vertical motion. It makes sense to me to have one of those.
This won’t work if the monopod is tilted. Get a full range head, ball or other.
...Cam
May 18, 2019 11:18:20 #
TreborLow wrote:
I use a tilting only head with a long lens. Rotation is more of a problem with a ball head, since the weight of the camera and lens can pull it down in any direction.
Have fun,
Bob
Have fun,
Bob
No. A ball head works fine.
...Cam
May 18, 2019 11:20:29 #
So you have tried a tilt head...
CamB wrote:
This won’t work if the monopod is tilted. Get a full range head, ball or other.
...Cam
...Cam
May 18, 2019 11:38:20 #
Notorious T.O.D. wrote:
So you have tried a tilt head...
A tilt only head is a problem but a ball or two axis tilt both work in all situations. It’s just what feels right for you. I used a two way tilt with big handles in the studio with an RB67 but I’m all ball head when out and about.
...Cam
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