Monopod on Safari

Open top vehicles often have very little to support a bean bag on, and a tripod is too cumbersome.
Bearing in mind there are generally strict weight limits for light aircraft transfers in Africa, I need something that is relatively lightweight and not bulky. Whilst it would ne nice to have a Wimberley or similar it would not be practical outside of self-drive.

Does anybody have any good solutions for a 500mm lens on a monopod.

I have looked at the Really Right Stuff High Capacity Monopod head with B2 Pro II does anybody have experience of this.

Ken that is about the best way to attach a lens to the monopod I have something similar they use to recommend, might be updating to this one.

I would take a bean bag also, easy to pack and light weight, can come in handy !!!

Alfred,

Thanks for that.

Ken,

I don't have a 500mm but have seen people using a monopod with 500mm. I have extensively used monopod with 300mm f4+1.4 x converter i.e. 420mm on 1.6 crop bodies. I have used the 400 f2.8 which is much more heavier than the 500mm with a monopod when I am on a boat.

I have a old Manfroto monopod and I use it with a 484RC2 ball head. It is not heavy duty but goes well with my 300mm lenses. You have been to Bandhavgarh, so you know we all shoot from an open top vehicles. As Alfred has suggested, you can use a bean bag. I have used a folded jacket as well.

At times, when the vehicle is stationary and I have time, then I open my tripod and place it in the ground and shoot. However, since 2002, I have been using exclusive vehicles so find lot of space for my tripod.
Let us know when you reach at the ideal monopod/head.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi

My real problem is weight! There are strict limitations on the wight of baggage on most light aircraft flights into Safari Camps. I use bean bags where possible but a lot of open vehicles used in Southern Africa do not have many places that you can put them on, this of course is in complete contrast to Kenya etc where the pop up tops used give you a good platform for a bean-bag.We always have a private vehicle, but even with extra room a tripod and gimbal head is a very awkward piece of equipment to have on board, especially when you are following hunting animals.
That is why I am seeking alternatives, and info on this ballhead.They do not apparently have a UK stockist so I cannot try it out.

Ken,
I use a "Todd Pod" http://gustafsonphotosafari.com/Products.html
with a wimberly arrached.

In my opinion, a monopod will work but with a 500 mm lens, your get tired holding it up. The todd pod is more stable, but you still need to hold on to it when the vehicle is moving. With small planes and a lot of gear, you may need to buy a second seat for your gear. That's a small price to pay compared to the cost of a trip, usually. Perhaps share a second seat with another photographer.

Roger

Will you be in a three roof hatch vehicle? If not, you should be. If yes, we need to talk....

Art,,

This is the root of the problem, The vehicles used in Southern Africa are generally open topped some have canvas roofs with a few supporting bars some do not. Most have some form of tubing around the backrests of seats and some have armrests , all of this tubing is round. This can be used as a support for a beanbag, but it is not always at a convenient height for easy photography. As we usually have a private vehicle we generally do not have a problem of shooting over or around other passengers. A monopod gives me greater flexibility and is relatively light, hence the need for a light head as well. I hope you can suggest something.
Thanks

Ken

Hi Ken,

I visited Zambia in June, which entailed commercial flights from Rio to Lasaka, and a single-engine 6-seater to the camp on the Lower Zambezi, so I also did a lot of thinking about weight and gear.

I was only using a 100-400 lens, 1.4x ext and a Mk III, but even this combo still gets quite heavy after a while. I knew about the near impossibility of using a tripod in the open jeeps, and also about the lack of convenient bean-bag rests.

So I opted for a Gitzo carbon monopod GM2540 + Manfrotto 3229 tilt/swivel head with quick-release. For this particular use, I preferred the tilt/swivel to a ball-head, because I only had one locking nut to worry about, to control the only lens movement necessary, elevation and depression, and even then, not much, since one's movement is extremely flexible with a monopod. So I kept the monopod adjusted so that the viewfinder was about at eye-level, in a sitting position (as Peter Kes so correctly mentions above), and the lens approx horizontal, with the adjusting nut firmly closed without being over tight.

It was extremely successful with ground game, and if I needed aerial shots, I could quick-release the monopod, let it rest between my legs, and hand-hold.

The Gitzo and head weigh 750g.

Peter Kes is also correct about using soft sports bags. They are much easier to stow and handle. I do a lot of boating, and don't allow suitcases on board. When I took the small plane, I had a camera and lens round my neck - which reduces the weight of the gear bag - silly really, but it's all psychological. It mustn't, to the pilots, LOOK as if you've got a lot of luggage!

Have a good trip.

Robert