Tripods get in my way and I cannot take them with me to some areas and they are a pain to take on the plane on travel. I was thinking a chest pod would fit the bill (My hand is not as steady as it was a long long time ago)
Chest Pods
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S. Alden
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Chest Pods
Anyone have experience with either the Cullmann Chestpod or the Novoflex ChestPod?
Tripods get in my way and I cannot take them with me to some areas and they are a pain to take on the plane on travel. I was thinking a chest pod would fit the bill (My hand is not as steady as it was a long long time ago)
Tripods get in my way and I cannot take them with me to some areas and they are a pain to take on the plane on travel. I was thinking a chest pod would fit the bill (My hand is not as steady as it was a long long time ago)
Sue Alden
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Repost of my images are welcome
Administrator
Repost of my images are welcome
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S. Alden
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From my understanding, with a monopod, you have to have the bottom out in front of you at an angle to brace, with the top of the monopod closest to you. In order to get to the insects, I would need to be close up. Putting a monopod out like that would mean the insect would be history before I got setup.
Sue Alden
Administrator
Repost of my images are welcome
Administrator
Repost of my images are welcome
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MikeBinOKlahoma
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I have a monopod, but the lowest level of of my particular version is too high for most insect photography. It's great for where it works, though!
Putting the leg out front helps, but I've found it of some help in keepin steady even if it is pushed straight down or (sometimes) slightly backwards to let the monopod leg line up with my leg and rest against the inside of one of my feet.
Using a walking stick as a brace also works well, if the stick is thin enough to let you get the fingers of your left hand around it (using left thumb and maybe other fingers to help support the camera body or lens).
Putting the leg out front helps, but I've found it of some help in keepin steady even if it is pushed straight down or (sometimes) slightly backwards to let the monopod leg line up with my leg and rest against the inside of one of my feet.
Using a walking stick as a brace also works well, if the stick is thin enough to let you get the fingers of your left hand around it (using left thumb and maybe other fingers to help support the camera body or lens).
Mike Broderick
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"I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul.....My mandate includes weird bugs."--Calvin
(reposts on this site of my images for critique or instruction are welcome)
_____________________________________________________________
"I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul.....My mandate includes weird bugs."--Calvin
(reposts on this site of my images for critique or instruction are welcome)
The monopod is most stable when vertical. It becomes less and less stable as it is tilted. From what I understand, chest pods are designed with the user standing up straight. If you lean forward, there may not be enough extention to keep the camera at your eye, but you would need to check.
The problem is naturally the bugs. Hard to train them to sit, stay, and roll over, at least without killing them. You may want to consider a gun stock type mount for a camera. While designed primarily for telephotos for wildlife, it may give the most flexibility especially for moving from one body position to another. Although you may scare people off if you "hunt" in the park.
As for monopods, Manfrotto sells a shoulder brace for their monopods. That may make things a bit steadier and allow the monopod to lean forward better. I perfer the Manfrotto monopod over the Gitzo because it uses levers to adjust the hight rather than collars which need to be rotated. And as mentioned above, the minimum hight is an important factor.
The only other piece of equipment I can think of would be a gyroscope used to eliminate high-frequency vibrations for aerial photography. Two problems though. Weight and cost.
The problem is naturally the bugs. Hard to train them to sit, stay, and roll over, at least without killing them. You may want to consider a gun stock type mount for a camera. While designed primarily for telephotos for wildlife, it may give the most flexibility especially for moving from one body position to another. Although you may scare people off if you "hunt" in the park.
As for monopods, Manfrotto sells a shoulder brace for their monopods. That may make things a bit steadier and allow the monopod to lean forward better. I perfer the Manfrotto monopod over the Gitzo because it uses levers to adjust the hight rather than collars which need to be rotated. And as mentioned above, the minimum hight is an important factor.
The only other piece of equipment I can think of would be a gyroscope used to eliminate high-frequency vibrations for aerial photography. Two problems though. Weight and cost.
Will
