Mr frogoutofwater and I are heading to the Galapagos Islands in May for a 12-night cruise with Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris (
Cheesemans? Ecology Safaris | International Nature Tours & Safaris).
I have a tripod (Manfrotto 055CX3 with 327RC2 joystick ball head) and I love its ease of use but it's too large and cumbersome for this trip. (I know that even if I pack it, I won't lug it out onto the islands with me.) Moreover, I'm a little uncoordinated with some depth perception problems, so a monopod that also can function as a walking stick (not to lean on heavily - just another balance point) would be useful on the ground. So I'm researching monopods and heads to go with them. I'm hoping that the monopod will offer a little more stability when shooting at slightly slower speeds than hand-held (when the light is low) and/or when using a larger lens. (The largest lens I've got and will bring is the 60-250). I'm mostly interested in photographing wildlife (not landscapes).
I have seen some other "which monopod" threads recently and they are quite helpful but my priorities are slightly different (size/weight and ease-of-use are critical for me)
My wish list:
1. lightweight (under 1.5 pounds, preferably under 1.25 pounds for the pod)
2. compatible with a quick-release head
3. short-ish (20" or shorter): I realize that shorter usually translates into more sections, which usually translates into less stable/more wobbly, so I'm looking for a balance between length and stability
4. not sure of exactly how high it needs to extend but I'm 5'7"
5. relatively easy to open and close (For a tripod, I much prefer the lever-style than twist-style legs etc because I have some problems with my hands and have found that the twist-style is too fiddly for me. See my thread on the Sirui T-025X
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/22-pentax-camera-field-accessories/261710...right-you.html). But this might be slightly less of an issue with a monopod because I'll be using it for walking so it may already be fully or partly extended a lot of the time.
6. I'm also looking for recommendations for the monopod head. I love the joystick ballhead on my tripod because it's so easy to operate (and I hated having to loosen, twist and tighten the knobs on the Sirui). Would it be possible to use my 327RC2 ball head on the monopod? Or is there something simpler that is still easy to operate? I shoot in portrait orientation as much as (or more than) landscape orientation, so I want the set-up to be easy/quick to adjust.
7. price: the $400 Gitzo monopods are out of my range, but I'd spend up to $200 on the monopod (plus more on the head). But I also know that there are some good monopods out there for a lot less.
Thanks!