The Similarities
It’s oftentimes hard to figure out which you
should use in which situations. It’s obvious
from the names that
monopods have one leg,
and
tripods have three. But, before
discussing the differences between the two,
it may help to learn the similarities
between the two.
First of all, both are meant to provide
stability when you take photographs.
Anything is better than hand-holding a
camera when taking shots. This can really be
seen when you’re trying to zoom in on a
subject. The closer that you zoom when
hand-holding a camera the more obvious the
hand-shaking is. You’re pictures will come
out extremely blurry the closer that you
zoom in. Having any type of support is
better than nothing.
Both can be fitted with a quick-release
plate, which allows you to quickly remove
the camera from the
monopod or
tripod if you
need to take some hand-held shots. They can
also be bought or fitted with different
types of heads. The three most common types
of heads are
ball heads,
geared or
pan/tilt.
Ball heads allows movement around a ball,
using one main control. The geared heads
move in a variety of directions with the use
of gears. And, the pan/tilt heads allows you
to move you camera with just a few main
controls. Since you’re going to want to get
different angles of shots, these are very
useful.
You can buy
monopods and
tripods that come
in different heights. This is something that
you will have to consider when buying a
monopod or
tripod. You need to decide what
type of photographs that you will be taking
and how high you need your camera to be. You
should also look at the feet of your
monopod
or
tripod. Rubber feed will prevent
scratches from happening on floors while
spiked feed with give you stability in
rugged locations.
You should also figure out how much weight
your
monopod or
tripod can hold. You should
weigh your camera, batteries and lenses and
make sure that whichever you select can hold
the weight. You also need to consider your
environment. If you’re planning on taking
landscape pictures, you probably want to go
with something that’s a little heavier in
order to withstand the elements.
The Differences
Now, here are the differences between
monopods and
tripods. A monopod will never
have the stability of a
tripod. Tripods are
best used for portraits or other shots that
you have plenty of time to set up and shoot.
If you are in a situation where you do not
have time to set up, i.e. when shooting
animal pictures or sports events, you may do
best with a monopod. They are quick to set
up and take down. But, monopods will never
have the stability of a
tripod. So, if
you’re in a situation where you have time to
set up your
tripod and will be able to
remain in a location for a time, it’s best
to use a tripod.
Monopods, however, are great for when you go
hiking or on safari since they are
lightweight and can be quickly pulled out of
a backpack and set up. Plus, many
monopods
are being built to be used as hiking sticks
and vice versa. It’s also great when you’re
going to your destination to be able to
quickly pull out a
tripod for whatever stops
you may take or other situations where
you’re short on time. But, once you’re at
that sunset spot over the Grand Canyon, pull
out the tripod.
Tripods are the best for
capturing those magic moments and for
creating crisp images more often.
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