I’ve used monopods on occasion in the past. To be honest, not very often. I preferred to shoot hand held or use a tripod. One or the other. No in betweens. More often, I would bring my monopod with me to use as a light pole to attach an off camera flash to during shoots or at events when I was taking portraits.
Then, when I was ordering some equipment, I noticed a kit that included the 3Pod Monopod at no additional cost. So, I went for it.
Let me tell you, this monopod is the best “freebie” I have ever received. In the last 8 months, I’ve used it on countless occasions.
Why is it so great?
It’s a ‘footed’ monopod, meaning it has three small ‘feet’ that fold down to help stabilize it. You can adjust the tension on the monopod so that you can move it around (for example, if you were taking video and wanted some camera movement – or so you can recompose a shot while still be stabilized).
But where I use it most is with the tension all the way up.
With the tension cranked up, I use this monopod to hold my off camera flash units – both my standard speedlight flash or the larger eVOLV 200.
I also use it when I’m shooting video for this site and for my photography business. I can set up pretty much anywhere for a shot without having to lug a bunch of equipment around and I don’t need someone else around to operate/hold the camera.
That’s right. It’s stable enough to hold a full frame DSLR with a 70-200mm lens attached. That’s pretty damn impressive!
I use it to place an off camera flash around the room during the getting ready part of the day when I’m photographing weddings. That way I don’t have to depend on there being a flat surface and I can easily move it or adjust the height, etc.
It’s also so light that I can stick it in the tripod sleeve in my camera bag and I barely even notice it! Plus, the instruction manual includes tips for using the monopod for self defense. I am not kidding…
So, if you’re in the market for a monopod, or if you want to be more ‘hands free’ with your off camera flash or video set ups, I highly recommend the 3Pod Monopod!
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