Tripod, Monopod, Or Handheld? Which Is Better?

Have you ever found yourself wondering if you should use a tripod, monopod, or just go handheld? In this video, we'll look at a quick, easy way to determine the best support solution for any given wildlife scenario. We'll talk about the four major considerations and how to weigh them against each other in the field. In just a few minutes, you'll know how to always grab the right support gear for your shoot.

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[patricksmith]

I’m a monopod or handheld only guy nowadays, I sold my tripod as I just never used it enough. However I own a $900 monopod setup, since it’s being used with my 400mm f2.8E VR FL and D5. It’s by far the best monopod I’ve ever owned and I’ve owned many of the better ones. It’s called the ProPhotoSupply TR42ML and it’s 42mm diameter and 81in height. It’s the most heavy duty monopod you can buy and I like it better than the RRS equivalent! It too is made in the USA and it has a built in Arca-Swiss top, which I attach my RRS MH-02 monohead to. It’s seriously like a tree trunk of a setup and I can easily get sharp images down to 1/60th second. I rarely ever need to go below that and with the incredible VR in my 400FL the monopod I have is all I need. However I do not do landscapes, just sports, photojournalism and wildlife. Over the years I tried some of the RRS tripods and spent a fortune on those plus gimbal heads, but never got much of any use out of them. So I decided to finally just buy the best monopod setup I could and it’s so much nicer to carry than a huge tripod. Plus with the extreme height my monopod goes to its easy to adjust lower or higher in any scenario. With just two of the three leg sections the monopod is perfect for my height (6ft), so I start with the bottom two in use and use the top leg section to easily raise the monopod. If you have a super-tele than I highly recommend the TR42ML from ProPhotoSupply, you might also find that you can use it 90% of the time like I do. Obviously solid tripods do offer better support, but this monopod is surprisingly stable and for me it works almost as well as a tripod.

[rogermaioli]

Yours may be the very best channel on bird photography out there. The tutorials are always extremely clear, savvy, and practical. Please keep it up!

[terrykellyphotography]

Thank you for this informative video. I handhold way to much, after watching your video I’ll start using mono and tripod a lot more.

[KylerSteele]

Great breakdown. I love tripods for most scenarios but it definitely kills on long hikes

[sarajitsil]

Hi Steve,
Very useful tip. I liked the histogram of your shoots and understand the effort taken to get the data.
Thanks 🙏

[scottwedell]

Thanks for the video, I have always just used a large tripod for every shoot, as I find hand holding the camera with 600mm lens not really possible. However, now I'm thinking about all the shots I missed and am considering a monopod. Thank you.

[patrickmolloy]

great tips. Your last one using the wimberley monogimbel was a great success for me on an Antarctica cruise last January - just before lockdown! Many thanks again for that!

[maxdmachy]

As so often it depends. Your tutorial makes the right decision so much easier!

Just subscribed to your mailing list and social media accounts. Thank you for most useful advice!

[mikkelstormhansen]

Finally a new video, I've been missing you

[mortenthorpe]

I like the pedagogic toilet-swirl ;) I agree with you on the cases for all three uses, monopod seems to be the best to always have handy, as it weighs next to nothing, also if you suddenly need to pick up the lens with the pod... if a surprising scene pops up

[nicodimus]

I love my monopod (with a tilt head.) Use it for wildlife and macro, and it helps a lot.

[washingtonradio]

Excellent points to consider when you should at least bring a tripod or monopod with you. Thanks

[thatspiritualhumane]

Steve, Excellent practical comparison ! thanks !

[markbuchanan]

Great video as always Steve. In my experience, the size of the subject is also a factor when deciding to shoot handheld. I find that with very small birds, the tripod allows a level of precision to target the head/eye that I personally cannot get consistently throughout a burst of images when hand holding.

[johna.benigno]

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that e-mails from YouTube alerting us to new tutorials have not been coming through of late. I am subscribed, and the "bell" is set to all.

[hootsmon]

Excellent video as always Steve, thank you👍

[shivshakti]

Great video, clear audio and very informative. I am just wondering who the heck are those 5 people who disliked your video lol.

[markwheeler]

I almost always use a monopod and a ball head with my Nikon D5600 and 80-400 lens, as I'm usually on the move, and the tripod is just too heavy to carry around, and hard to set up. It's also easier to carry the monopod with camera attached than with the camera hanging around my neck. OTOH, I will use my tripod if I'm going to set up in a specific place (a blind, for instance), or if I'm "hunting" in low light conditions which require a low shutter speed. I also usually run with continuous-mode shutter. With a 2-3 shot burst, I generally see less camera movement in that 2nd or 3rd shot. With the monopod, I can usually get decent photos even with shutter speeds as low as 1/20th of a second.

[birtonr.gilbertphotography]

Thank you for your tips and experiences!

[roybixby]

Very good Advice.
But I gave up trying to handhold with any lenses over 500mm years ago.
A pad on a fence/wall is good or brace against a tree works well...