Choosing a monopod looks like a straightforward job, right? After all, they’re just an extending pole with a camera mount on top. That much is true, but there are lots of features, design differences and add-ons that can make a big difference. Most tripod makers, such as 3 Legged Thing and Manfrotto also make monopods, to offer photographers an alternative, more portable support.
So whether you’re choosing your first monopod or upgrading a battered old friend, here are 10 tips for choosing a monopod.
01 Don’t spend too much
Not if this is your first monopod, anyway. Monopods are an acquired taste and not everyone finds them useful, so if this is your first time using one there’s a chance it’ll get used once and then get put at the back of the cupboard. A monopod can give extra support to older cameras without IBIS such as the Fujifilm X-T1, or heavier cameras like the Nikon D800, but they’re not for everyone. If you’re replacing an existing monopod, however, they obviously work for you and you’ll know what you’re looking for, so spend last much as you like!
02 Check for flex
With all the leg sections fully extended, check to see if they bend or flex you put some weight on them and move them around. Don’t put your whole weight on the thing or you’ll get thrown out of the store, but keep in mind that unlike tripods, monopods are taking some of your own weight too as you stabilise the camera (or use them as walking poles on uneven or rocky ground!).
03 Aluminium vs carbon fiber
This is the same choice you get with tripods. Aluminium is cheaper but heaver, carbon fibre is more expensive and lighter – and also warmer to the touch so you’re less likely to numb your fingers in cold weather. The weight difference is probably less important with monopods because there’s only one leg so they don’t weigh a lot anyway, and a cheap but sturdy aluminium monopod can still be a good buy.
04 Twist locks vs flip locks
Most monopods come with twist locks to secure the legs when they’re extended. These are just as quick to use and give the monopod a much neater slimmer profile – flip-lock catches tend to catch on bag straps and they’re also noise in operation. Worse, a badly-adjusted flip lock can break your nails or hurt your thumb. You may like flip locks, but twist locks are IMHO the way to go.
05 Head or no head?
Many monopods are sold without a head – you simply attach the camera directly to the mounting screw on the top. This certainly makes life simple, but it does mean you have to angle the whole monopod in the direction you want the camera to point. That’s fine for static landscape, sports or wildlife shots, but pretty hopeless for camera movements while filming or low-level macro work.
06 Ball head or pan and tilt head?
Most tripods are sold with a ball head that can move in any direction when you unlock the ball. That works fine on a tripod, but not so well on a monopod. When you have the multidirectional movement of a ball head combined with the random angles of a monopod, it’s all just a bit too much. A simple two-way pan and tilt or video head gives you much more control. Often, it’s only the tilt movement you want anyway.
07 How many leg sections?
Here’s a dilemma you get with tripods, too. It might look like a monopod with five leg sections is perfect because it folds really small and goes pretty high, but it will take longer to set up and it will tend to be wobblier than a monopod with fewer sections. Unless you definitely have to have a monopod that folds down really short, a 3-4 section monopod will be quicker to set up and more stable in use.
08 Spikes or rubber feet?
It’s actually useful to have both, and some monopods have both included, but if you have to decide between one or the other, then rubber feet are best. Spikes are an absolute no-no indoors and not always the best choice outdoors either. They dig into soft earth pretty well, but a rubber foot will be better on rocks and other hard surfaces.
09 Do tripod ‘feet’ add-ons work?
They do, but perhaps not in the way you might be expecting. They do give a more stable base for camera movements on flattish ground and will typically have a ball mechanism to allow the monopod to change angles while the feet stay still. But as a hands-off camera support they are NOT a tripod replacement. You can use them in an emergency, but use the monopod at its minimum height and stay nearby in case the whole thing tips over or the wind catches it.
10 When will you actually use a monopod?
It’s the last tip but perhaps the most important question. Monopods do two things: they add stability for shots with long lenses or slower exposures and they take the weight of heavy camera gear, which is important for long sports or wildlife shoots. Here’s a mini-list of situations where monopods can help:
- Dimly lit interiors where there’s no time for a tripod or they are not allowed
- Walkaround street photography at night
- Long days spent shooting with heavy lenses
- Panning shots for blurring backgrounds with slower shutter speeds
- Smoother camera movements when filming
- A combined walking pole and camera stabilizer for hiking
So that’s it. I hope you found this set of monopod buying tips useful. If you want to hear about new content on this site as it’s published, please subscribe using the form in the sidebar or at the bottom. You won’t get any spam or marketing junk, just notifications when new posts are published.