Originally posted by Aslyfox get Out
Originally posted by UncleVanya The first one you listed is a steel belt system:
The minimum length of 27" isn't very short.
The fact is that it still has one twist lock. The one I mentioned owning 3218 only weighs 1.7 lbs (1 lb 10.8 oz on my scale) and is 25.5" long collapsed - it has 2 locks that are fast to open and close. It goes to 64 inches without a head attached and I usually allow gravity to open it - so you flip the two locks - the leg extends fully - you flip them closed - it takes no time at all unless you want a finer tuned length - then you close one and use the other to adjust.
I'm going to revise my review - apparently 1.7lbs is NOT heavy. I was surprised that these others are so heavy and large. This unit inspires confidence also. It is BEEFY.
Yup, some good feed back here.
The mogopod is not just belt system tho, its a full monopod as well, and they have two sizes, a short and medium. 27 inches closed isn't very short agreed, but then its the exact same quoted length as your beloved 3218 lol.
The belt system has actually given me food for thought. I once was out shooting in a private garden with the K-1, I had my belt pouch at my waist (with other primes inside), and I dunno why or how I managed it but I put on my monopod and I think it actually got accidentally stuck in my belt (at its shortest length), but when it happened at the time I went with it, I thought "hmm this isn't so bad actually, its providing quite a bit of support" and was able to rumble off quite a few decent shots.
So now I am really rethinking everything, is it a quick adjusting monopod I want or a belt system monopod?
FYI, I still feel 1.7lbs is quite a lot for a monopod. The full tripod I take out with me on bush walks is also 1.7lbs, considering its ferrying another two legs I think we should demand more from our single legged friends. However these quick adjusting monopods I have been linking are heavy indeed! The lightest would be the smallest Mogopod, coming it at 1.3lbs and 20 inches collapsed. Not too shabby.
But really, in all of this, if I am going the route of a belt system, then possibly a single pole, perhaps 1 flip lock would suffice. What matters more is the speed of which you can connect and disconnect the camera from the pod I think.
My imaginary scenario would be this;
I'm buswalking and I come across a a nice bearded dragon lizard on a rock. The lighting is poor, its well shaded but the beastie is very still, playing that 'you can't see me' game if I stay still. I have my camera ready, I want to shoot it at around f3.2-5.6 to capture all of its beauty, but I know by doing so I'm entering ISO's of 1600-3200, and I'd really like to bring that shutter speed as far down as possible and nail a shot with a nice low 100-200 ISO.
I am wearing my utility belt so I reach down to my thigh area and lift the anchored monopod that sways in that area when normally walking about. I pivot it up (so that the head of where it attaches to the camera would be near my knee level normally, and bring it up towards my chest, and now I quickly and swiftly connect the camera to the monopod via some kind of ultra quick release system (possibly even magnetic). I don't even need the camera ultra secure on the pod (like a handsfree tripod, there is no letting go here), just enough for it to take the weight, I can now use LV, magnification and lower shutter speeds and shoot that scaly beastie in all it's glory
This for me makes a lot of sense, than considering a full on monopod. The belt system makes sense for me as I always wear one, whether a proper event (houses flashes and flash modifiers) or a bushwalk, they're just more comfortable to wear. I have just never seriously thought about belt monopod solution till now after seeing that Mogopod vid. Question now is do I move towards their own system, or try and invent my own? God knows I have extender poles and what nots lying around, it might be feasible to craft something that does that task for me from salvaging what I have lying around. You wouldn't even need to play around with extending the height that much, set it and forget it, let it dangle down after the shot is taken etc.
For me I am now more interested in coming up with a neat idea for an ultra quick attachment, not something slow and cumbersome like arca swiss knobs etc.
Having recently bought the Magmod system my love for magnets has been renewed