who uses a monopod with their fs100?

R

robfilms

Veteran
i'm thinking of adding a monopod to the kit as an assist to my handheld work.

to those who care to share, what has been your monopod experience?

which monopod would you recommend.

any links to fs100/monopod footage?

thanks in advance.

be well.

rob
smalltalk productions
 
I used to use one of those Manfrotto Monopods with the little feet at the bottom. But with the FS700 and a modified, shortened loupe, I found that I can barebones hand hold it easily as steady as a monopod and it's much more flexible and less cumbersome. The FS camera is balanced really well if you know where to handhold it. Just have to use your right hand supporting the bottom kind of around where the ND filters are, and it works really well. You can even handhold eye level really easily that way.

I did used the Monopod for the 70-200 Canon f2.8 lens for a few shots because it's a heavy lens.
 
I have a Slik Pro pod 600 with Slik DQ quick release that I have had for several years. Use it on FS700 and Nikon D4 these days. Very handy to have around.
cheers
Morton
 
I recommend the Manfrotto 561 BHDV1, which is great for tight situations and where you want additional stability beyond hand-held or optical stabilization. The tilt action is pretty smooth, but the pan relies on the rotating 'foot' of the monopod, and isn't always ideal. A bit of practice (and working within the limitation of the monopod), and you'll be fine. There is a short sample on Phillip Bloom's site:http://philipbloom.net/forum/threads/manfrotto-bhdv1-monpod-test.2099/
 
I use 561bhdv-1 as well with my fs100. I use it more than my shoulder mount and tripod for most jobs when it isn't an interview type shot.
being able to quickly move from one spot to another and change heights is why it has become invaluable to me.
 
I use the Manfrotto 562b-1 which is the 561 without the head. I already had a spare head sitting in a cupboard. I've only used it on a couple of shoots but it's now my first choice for anything that doesn't need to be tripod steady. There were a couple of times i found it a little limiting but I'll add some sort of shoulder strap sometime before its next outing so I can just throw it on my shoulder if I want to swap to hand holding the camera.

~ Jeff K
 
I've tried the Manfrotto 561 BHDV1, but ended up travelling mostly with a cheap Velbon thing in the same bag as the Miller/Sachtler tripod. I don't even use it with a head - just a direct attachment. Great as a 'red-neck crane' or 'wobbly steadicam', and small and light enough to park in a ScotteVest jerkin when you need to appear to be travelling light. The point at which I feel 'I'd really prefer the 561 BHDV1 right now' is the point were I return to my tripod with the legs folded up.

Yes, this means travelling with two supports, not one, but diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.
 
I like to use a ball head on a monopod to provide a little more flexibility in adjusting the camera angle.
In tight areas or where you need to move frequently, the monopod is a good solution over a tripod.
 
AndrewTaran said:
Manfrotto 561 BHDV1 is a way to go. I do a lot of events, so I have to be flexible, and monopod is the only way to go for me! Last 2 videos shot with FS100 with monopod mainly https://vimeo.com/ugmvancouver/videos
Click to expand...


Andrew - good use of the monopod - many of the shots look like they were grabbed from a tripod.

Separate question - would you mind sharing your profile information for the UGM Christmas videos? The colors and latitude look awesome! Looks more Sony F3'ish than FS100!
 
gene_can_sing said:
I used to use one of those Manfrotto Monopods with the little feet at the bottom. But with the FS700 and a modified, shortened loupe, I found that I can barebones hand hold it easily as steady as a monopod and it's much more flexible and less cumbersome. The FS camera is balanced really well if you know where to handhold it. Just have to use your right hand supporting the bottom kind of around where the ND filters are, and it works really well. You can even handhold eye level really easily that way.
Click to expand...

I agree that shortening the loupe is probably the single most helpful thing ergonomically. On the FS100 for me it made the difference between really awkward and quite useable (though not for all day shooting).

I'm curious about how you handhold your FS700. Do you just not use the grip at all? When I had it for a brief while I found it to be significantly more cumbersome than the FS100, which is so small and light that it demands to be cradled as you seem to with your FS700.
 
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