[SirJangly]

Hey guys, would it be wise to purchase a monopod to shoot pictures at a wedding? A tripod seems too stationary, but I am wondering if the monopod will provide enough stability? Thanks in advance!

[selar]

Combined with SR a monopod would provide sufficient stabilization. I find myself only needing a monopod with heavier lenses mainly for the weight which becomes tiring after a while. I find that I can handhold a 400mm for short periods of time and still get acceptable quality. Depends on the body and how low the light is of course, I wouldn't shoot anything lower than 1/15sec with SR.

[SirJangly]

Well, the wedding will be outside, while the reception indoors at night. I recently purchased a metz 50 for my k-x, and was thinking of using HSS with the flash, so maybe a monopod isn't necessary?

[selar]

Not really, but it might impress the clients and their guests.

[SirJangly]

I bought a softbox for that Especially because the bride and groom and VERY light skinned...

[clockwork247]

Well, the wedding will be outside, while the reception indoors at night. I recently purchased a metz 50 for my k-x, and was thinking of using HSS with the flash, so maybe a monopod isn't necessary?

try a monopod with legs, i sometimes use a cheapo small light stand + a ball head as my tripod/monopod, it folds up and it's a monopod, if i need to i just pop the legs out.

What exactly do you do with HSS? most of the time you can do almost everything with the x-sync speed (around 1/160-1/250), unless you want to black out backgrounds or doing stop motions 1/250 is quite fast already.

[Ash]

I prefer a tripod for settings where it's appropriate: posed shots, indoor table setting shots in ambient light, outdoor shots in low light using fill flash and dragging the shutter - for everything else, I made myself a handy little support which I can use to lean the camera up against a pole/tree/strut/anything firmly planted to the ground: a thick and long sock filled with rice and tied at the end, just like one of those soft snake-like home accessories you lay behind doors to stop drafts from getting through, only softer. It provides for a steady lens while your hands steady the body. And it works, but of course only for when there are available supports around.

I have not had many instances where I needed anything more than this and my tripod. I do also have portable light stands for off-camera flash work, though. My kit isn't all that cumbersome for me to lug around, though.

[reeftool]

Bring both if you have them. I think most of us do. At a wedding, it's better to have more stuff available if you need it than to miss shots. If you have neither, get a tripod.

[clockwork247]

seriously, if you're not the designated photographer of the wedding, i suggest bring a P&S, or maybe an olympus PL1 or sony NEX, something small, there's really no point bringing a gigantic DSLR to the event, hell i bring my DSLR to events but end up chilling/eating 99% of the time instead of taking pictures.

[philbaum]

Hey guys, would it be wise to purchase a monopod to shoot pictures at a wedding? A tripod seems too stationary, but I am wondering if the monopod will provide enough stability? Thanks in advance!

I've tried using a monopod for play dress rehearsals and promo shots, and it usually ends up in the corner somewhere. Esp. with the arrival of faster iso sensors like your Kx, monopods just end up impeding your ability to move around and seek the more interesting views. you end up adjusting the monopod or head too much and not taking pics, IMO.

[SirJangly]

seriously, if you're not the designated photographer of the wedding, i suggest bring a P&S, or maybe an olympus PL1 or sony NEX, something small, there's really no point bringing a gigantic DSLR to the event, hell i bring my DSLR to events but end up chilling/eating 99% of the time instead of taking pictures.

Well I am going to focus on the groom I already have my K-X so I might as well use it. Also, are there any disadvantages to HSS? I thought it was good for a more natural light and keeping the background intact?

[clockwork247]

Well I am going to focus on the groom I already have my K-X so I might as well use it. Also, are there any disadvantages to HSS? I thought it was good for a more natural light and keeping the background intact?

HSS sync is the ability to sync the flash over your x-sync speed.

for example if your camera x-sync is at 1/200, if you are at 1/250 you'll get a partial black curtain (just try it and you'll know).

HSS allow some camera to go to 1/8000 and still get regular images.

But as with all flash it's all about that double exposure, one with ambient light and one with the flash.

for example doing f/2.8 ISO 100 1/8000, most likely you are gonna get a completely black out image without the flash in most condition. Now you hit that with a flash, and whatever the light hit, you get your exposure, so in most cases your flash power hitting an area of 2 feet radius, that area will show up, the rest is black.

so HSS has it's use, just need to use it the right way.

[selar]

HSS is useful when you want to blur the background in outdoor portraits, and the ambient light is so much that you are forced to use a shutter speed greater 1/180 (flash sync speed of Pentax dslrs) with your chosen apertu

[Ash]

The only disadvantage of HSS is battery life.
It requires more juice to run given the higher shutter speeds, but otherwise it's a very useful tool, particularly in this setting.