My large tripod, stable and heavy, is just not something I want to lug about on holiday. I usually travel with a small tripod that fits inside my backpack. On group tours, however, the photo stops are often so brief that by the time it's assembled everyone is heading back to the minibus. Furthermore, being so light unfortunately means it's next to useless as a stable platform for longer exposures—unless there is no wind. Living as we do in the Peak District, we haven't missed the apparent popularity of trekking poles among walkers young and old. They look a bit like monopods. So what's the difference, and is there an "all-in-one" solution?
Trekking poles generally:
- Are lightweight
- Are optimized as an aid to walking
- Are ideally used as a pair
- Help balance your centre of gravity as a third leg (or fourth, if you have a pair)
- Redistribute weight, reducing the stress through your knees
- Require more energy to use as they exercise your arms as well as legs
- Can help prevent a tumble on uneven ground
- May include a wrist strap for a secure grip and permitting hands-free activities
For more info on choosing and using poles, see here.
Monopods generally:
- Are optimized as an aid to photography (including supporting heavy photo kit)
- Bring the camera to eye level; trekking poles are typically shorter
- May have a rubber or plastic foot rather than a metal point: kinder on floors!
- Are not as stable as a tripod/ still permit horizontal wobble
- Can be moved about easily and into places tripods can't get
- Are more portable than "real" tripods
- May be usable where tripods are banned (e.g. in some churches, museums)
For more info on using monopods, see here.
A number of companies market a range of still and video camera monopods e.g. Manfrotto. Although these can be compact length-wise they are often bulky, and fully-extended don't seem as solid as dedicated trekking poles. On the other hand, most trekking poles with camera attachments are pretty basic; typically just an attachment screw. However, you can modify a trekking pole (or monopod for that matter) using standard tripod accessories. I wanted to be able to shoot stabilized portrait and landscape mode stills (not long exposures; this needs a tripod) and, most importantly, get a professional look to digital video without the usual vertical shake.
I decided on a combination of the readily-available Leki Sierra AS FS trekking pole (£50)...
... and the Hama 5014 Ball-and-Socket Head (£15).
The Hama is a perfect fit for the Leki, adding a little height without appreciable bulk or weight. Mounting/ dismounting the camera or camcorder is a simple matter of twisting the pole beneath the camera body, negating the need for a bulky quick-release mecahnism. The locking nut provides a secure hold for the camera in portrait or landscape mode, as tested with the weight of the Sony DSC-F717 and DCR-TRV60e. In terms of height, the 145 cm fully-extended Leki and 5 cm Hama mean I need to hunch over only a little to see through the viewfinder, or not at all if I tilt up the back of the F717 or use the TRV60e's LDC/ elevated viewfinder.
Camcorder caveat: One disadvantage of this particular combination is that you cannot swivel the Hama on top of the pole to allow a horizontal pan without also allowing free movement at the ball-and-socket joint. It is probably best to tighten the nut and rotate the whole pole in order to achieve a pan. Furthermore, although vertical movements are diminished at wide-angle, there is still appreciable movement at magnification. If you need telephoto stability, you really need a tripod.
Tip: Putting your hand inside the Leki wrist strap and exerting a firm downward force seems more effective at reducing pole movements than merely holding onto the camera body or pole with your non-trigger hand. Keep your feet apart.
Where can i buy one?
Tks.
That depends on where you are Peter. For the pole, phone around your local outdoor shops and ask if they stock Leki poles. For the Hama (or similar) ball-and-socket head, try your local photography specialist.