Monopods Are Not a One-Trick Pony
A monopod may not be the first of your tripod choices, but it is likely to be a piece of gear that you’ll want to acquire, eventually (and they make a great Christmas or birthday gift suggestion).
Generally, the primary benefit of a monopod is when you can’t position your camera on a tripod because of shooting in a narrow or awkward space or when you want some kind of camera support, but still be highly mobile. Typically, if you want to move your camera on a tripod to another place or position, you must detach the camera from the tripod, fold it into a convenient carrying size, and then re-erect the whole system. This can be time consuming and a hassle, and will often result in missed shots.
Remember, also, that a monopod will allow you to shoot in low-light conditions and still generate sharp images, but only to a limit. Obviously, long exposures for lightning, astrophotography and other specific types of shooting require a tripod.
Mobility is the reason you see many photojournalists and sports/action photographers using a monopod. Because they must often shoot among a crowd of photographers trying to capture the same image at the same angle, a monopod is their only support choice. Sports/action photographers typically attach a monopod to the super telephoto lens or zoom lens they must use – 500mm to 1000mm – instead of the camera body. Monopods also provide you with unusual angles that aren’t possible with a tripod. Attach a wide-angle lens to your camera and hold the monopod above your head, extend to the right or left of your body or hold it low to the ground.
From a build-and-feature perspective, monopods are lighter than tripods and fold into a smaller unit for carrying and storage, but are manufactured with just as much precision. A few monopod models have capabilities that even tripods can’t duplicate.
Some of these are the Sirui P-S Series of Photo/Video Monopods. Argraph, the maker of Sirui tripods, have created something quite new in these monopods. At first glance, any of the 4 P-S Series monopods look like a standard unit; however, upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that it has 3 fold-down support feet and, even more amazing, is that Argraph has designed a ball head mechanism just above the feet, so you can tilt the monopod 20° throughout a 360-degree circle. You can also select the amount of drag with the tension control knob or lock it into a vertical position with the locking collar.
Just below the ball head, the feet can be detached with a quick turn of the threads for a standard monopod, or you can attach your camera to the top of the feet and you have a tripod for tabletop and low-angle photography.
For added convenience, the Sirui P-S Series of Monopods also has a patented 360-degree panning hand grip. With this little baby, you have much better control of panning, especially for video with your DSLR or a camcorder. Rest assured that Argraph designed all 4 P-S Series monopods for the heaviest DSLR and professional video camcorders, with load capacity ranging from 17.6 lbs. (8kg) to 26.5 lbs. (12kg).
Even with all these features, the P-S Series addresses an important quality in a monopod: weight. The largest, the P-424S weighs only 3.1 lbs. (1.4kg) and the lightest is the P-224S, at 2.4 lbs. (1.1kg). Weight is reduced because these monopods, as well as the P-324, are made with 8-layer carbon fiber. Even the P-204S, with its aluminum-alloy construction, weighs only 2.9 lbs. (1.3kg). All 4 Sirui P-S Series monopods have 4 sections, resulting in a minimum height range of 27.2 inches (690mm) to 30.1 inches (765mm) and a maximum height range of 63 inches (1,600mm) to 74.8 inches (1,900mm).
Each comes with a mounting plate with a double-headed, reversible screw for ¼” and 3/8” tripod sockets, as well as accommodating a number of matching Sirui ball heads. Sirui P-S Series monopod kits include a wrist strap, removable rubber feet and aluminum spike, custom-padded case, shoulder strap, a set of tools and instruction manual.
Argraph also offers its P Series of Monopods in 6 different configurations and sizes that are made with the same precision and superior craftsmanship. They also accommodate many matching ball heads and the Sirui L Series of monopod tilt heads.
Whichever Sirui P-S or P Series monopod you select, it is backed with Sirui’s 6-year US warranty when purchased from a US authorized dealer.
For complete information about all of Sirui’s monopods, please visit http://argraph.com/SiruiMonopodModels.html#top2.