Hi all! I'm looking for some opinions on a monopod head. I got the Gitzo 5561 Traveler and will mostly be using it with my 100-400, and occasionally with my 500 Canon lenses. They both have a collar w/tripod foot that I use on my Winberly head w/tripod.
I will be traveling and want to keep it as light as possible, but also as STURDY as possible.
Thanks for any help you can offer. Sharon
Posted by Paul DeCesare on December 27, 2011 at 12:31 AM
Sharon, nice monopod! That might land on my wish list, my $40 Manfrotto serves me well but aluminum gets COLD even through your gloves, and zero degrees when we travel up to Flagstaff isn't uncommon this time of year. Guess I could slide on pipe insulation...
ANYWAY, I use this swivel head on my pod, it's small but made of cast metal and the winged knobs tighten down really well. It holds my 70-200mm II and 5D Mark II nice and tight, and that lens is about a ½-pound heavier than your 100-400mm. But, your 500mm is about 5 pounds heavier, and I haven't tested a lens that heavy on it. I like the tilt/swivel heads because it's easier to manage on a stick. People do use ball heads on monopods, but I'm clumsy, I know that once I loosen that thing and still have to manage the monopod's fight with gravity, it'd get awkward. On a tripod a ball head is obviously easier to manage. I also like the quick-release plate on this swivel head, it's the same one on my 498 ball head on my tripod, so switching is easy. I like a swivel head because you can keep the forward and backward movement looser so it's moveable, allowing you to point down or up if you have to (if leaning the monopod isn't enough) yet not allowing left/right tilt. Same thing goes for left/right while keeping f/b tight, allowing vertical and horizontal compositions easily. If you loosen a ball head a touch you're kind of all over the place.
If you think managing a ball head on a monopod won't be too clumsy for you or the looser movement thing isn't what you need, Gitzo makes several excellent ones rated higher than the weight of your 500mm, I just saw a bunch on B&H with a quick search.
Rebates abound, great time to buy... happy shopping!
Posted by Paul DeCesare on December 27, 2011 at 12:35 AM
My wife is the dedicated monopod user in our business, and her pick of the litter is this head. It's only rated to 5.5 pounds, but she never uses anything larger than a 300 with it. She raves about how quick and easy it is to use, especially one-handed while the other hand works the camera. It would be interesting to try one such as this with greater capacity for your own needs.
Posted by Paul DeCesare on December 27, 2011 at 11:36 PM
Hey Hank, the joystick option sounds like a great idea! Hold the monopod in one hand and the trigger in the other, like flying an F/18 Hornet. Sharon, if you like that option, Manfrotto makes a heavier duty horizontal joystick that may be a better fit for your 500mm/f4. I like that joystick idea...
Posted by Paul DeCesare on December 27, 2011 at 11:38 PM
Hey Hank, both of your links shoot to the same joystick head. I think the Copy function went to sleep when you grabbed that 2nd URL.
Paul and Hank...thank you both for your responses. I seriously considered the RRS head, but decided on the Acratech Long Lens Head. My reason for this was purely that I had gift cards for 350.00 at B&H (thank you fabulous relatives!), and RRS stuff doesn't sell through them.
I think for my purposes it will serve me well. If any of you are interested in what I got, here is a link:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/736364REG/Acratech_1160_Long_Lens_Head.html Thanks again. Sharon
Discussion
7 repliesI will be traveling and want to keep it as light as possible, but also as STURDY as possible.
Thanks for any help you can offer. Sharon
ANYWAY, I use this swivel head on my pod, it's small but made of cast metal and the winged knobs tighten down really well. It holds my 70-200mm II and 5D Mark II nice and tight, and that lens is about a ½-pound heavier than your 100-400mm. But, your 500mm is about 5 pounds heavier, and I haven't tested a lens that heavy on it. I like the tilt/swivel heads because it's easier to manage on a stick. People do use ball heads on monopods, but I'm clumsy, I know that once I loosen that thing and still have to manage the monopod's fight with gravity, it'd get awkward. On a tripod a ball head is obviously easier to manage. I also like the quick-release plate on this swivel head, it's the same one on my 498 ball head on my tripod, so switching is easy. I like a swivel head because you can keep the forward and backward movement looser so it's moveable, allowing you to point down or up if you have to (if leaning the monopod isn't enough) yet not allowing left/right tilt. Same thing goes for left/right while keeping f/b tight, allowing vertical and horizontal compositions easily. If you loosen a ball head a touch you're kind of all over the place.
If you think managing a ball head on a monopod won't be too clumsy for you or the looser movement thing isn't what you need, Gitzo makes several excellent ones rated higher than the weight of your 500mm, I just saw a bunch on B&H with a quick search.
Rebates abound, great time to buy... happy shopping!
Thanks Paul!
I think for my purposes it will serve me well. If any of you are interested in what I got, here is a link:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/736364REG/Acratech_1160_Long_Lens_Head.html Thanks again. Sharon