Bill Huber
08-20-2006, 03:33 PM
Monopods, love them or hate them....
I guess for years I was a hate them person, I had a good one given to me for Christmas one your and it set in the corner, doing nothing but getting dusty.
I then had many people tell me that I should be using it and I would get better pictures if I did. I forced myself to use it and it did help, I was getting sharper images and overall better ones.
I still was not happy with the use of a monopod, I had read different articles on how you should use a monopod, put it behind one leg and hold it across the other and many other ways to best hold it.
The problem I had was, I was always making it taller or shorter with just about every shot. You know how it goes, flip the lever and adjust it up or down and then try it again. Now the next shot I wanted it a little shorter so back to the lever and adjust it again, well after a day of shooting your thumb would get sore from flipping the lever.
While at the camera store one day I was looking at the Manfrotto 3245, this really looked like the way to go. I bought it and a 3229 head and off I went.
The Manfrotto 3245 has no levers to flip, it has to ways to lengthen it, one is to twist the lower section and pull it down, then twist to lock it in place. the top part of the monopod is controlled by a grip that you just squeeze and it lowers or raises all you want, just squeeze the handle and lift up to the level you want, squeeze the handle and lower it. You have about 20 inches of travel with the grip.
After buying the 3245 I am now a monopod lover, I don't leave home without. The 3245 makes it so easy to use and fast to adjust, I use it all the time. There are some lighter monopods but this one is not that heavy, weighting in at about 1.5 lb. it will extend to 65 inches or as short as 26 inches, it is black and made very well.
With the 3229 head on it I can do all my shooting for a whole day and never have a thumb problem. I lean on it when I am waiting for something to happen and I just put it on my shoulder when I am walking around. I use it all the time when I have the big zoom on, the 50-200 and I use it a lot when I am doing macros outside just makes it much easier to get a sharp macro.
If you are looking to get a monopod I would sure take a long look at the 3245. Once you use one you will never go back to the old levers again.
Now if you are just a sideline sports shooter then this monopd will not really help you that much. But for most other types of shooting it is really great.
A note on the 3229 head, I do not use it like it was designed for. It was designed to be used to flip the camera from landscape to portrait. I use it to title up and down. Now why they call it a swivel tilt I am not sure, it is tilt and no swivel.
Here is the 3245's head, the big trigger is what you squeeze to let it go up and down.
http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/image/41237955.jpg
Support this site by ordering below:
(This is for the current model released, which is similar to the product reviewed)
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=fourthirdspho-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000AQOD2U&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
(This is the one Reviewed)
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=fourthirdspho-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00009R6G7&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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I guess for years I was a hate them person, I had a good one given to me for Christmas one your and it set in the corner, doing nothing but getting dusty.
I then had many people tell me that I should be using it and I would get better pictures if I did. I forced myself to use it and it did help, I was getting sharper images and overall better ones.
I still was not happy with the use of a monopod, I had read different articles on how you should use a monopod, put it behind one leg and hold it across the other and many other ways to best hold it.
The problem I had was, I was always making it taller or shorter with just about every shot. You know how it goes, flip the lever and adjust it up or down and then try it again. Now the next shot I wanted it a little shorter so back to the lever and adjust it again, well after a day of shooting your thumb would get sore from flipping the lever.
While at the camera store one day I was looking at the Manfrotto 3245, this really looked like the way to go. I bought it and a 3229 head and off I went.
The Manfrotto 3245 has no levers to flip, it has to ways to lengthen it, one is to twist the lower section and pull it down, then twist to lock it in place. the top part of the monopod is controlled by a grip that you just squeeze and it lowers or raises all you want, just squeeze the handle and lift up to the level you want, squeeze the handle and lower it. You have about 20 inches of travel with the grip.
After buying the 3245 I am now a monopod lover, I don't leave home without. The 3245 makes it so easy to use and fast to adjust, I use it all the time. There are some lighter monopods but this one is not that heavy, weighting in at about 1.5 lb. it will extend to 65 inches or as short as 26 inches, it is black and made very well.
With the 3229 head on it I can do all my shooting for a whole day and never have a thumb problem. I lean on it when I am waiting for something to happen and I just put it on my shoulder when I am walking around. I use it all the time when I have the big zoom on, the 50-200 and I use it a lot when I am doing macros outside just makes it much easier to get a sharp macro.
If you are looking to get a monopod I would sure take a long look at the 3245. Once you use one you will never go back to the old levers again.
Now if you are just a sideline sports shooter then this monopd will not really help you that much. But for most other types of shooting it is really great.
A note on the 3229 head, I do not use it like it was designed for. It was designed to be used to flip the camera from landscape to portrait. I use it to title up and down. Now why they call it a swivel tilt I am not sure, it is tilt and no swivel.
Here is the 3245's head, the big trigger is what you squeeze to let it go up and down.
http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/image/41237955.jpg
Support this site by ordering below:
(This is for the current model released, which is similar to the product reviewed)
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=fourthirdspho-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000AQOD2U&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
(This is the one Reviewed)
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=fourthirdspho-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00009R6G7&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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