Tripod/Monopod for 200-500mm with D7100 set up

<p>Hi All, I'm planning to buy 200-500mm lens and I have D7100 camera body. I was wondering, what kind of Monopod/Tripod set up you use with 200-500mm lens.</p>

<p>Thanks a bunch...</p>

<p>The 200-500mm/f5.6 is about the same size as a 300mm/f2.8 lens, but it can extend longer since it is a 500mm. I would get a Gitzo series 3 type tripod or equivalent.</p>

<p>Thanks for the quick response Shun!</p>

<p>I don't know the model number (it's old) but I use a Gitzo monopod. Be sure you attach it to the tripod collar on the lens, not the camera. I made that mistake once with a 300 on an F2 and wrenched the tripod socket loose on the camera body from the weight of the lens. </p>

<p>I bought a Benro C49T monopod that weighs almost 700g. - It is on the sturdier end of the rainbow and more importantly tall enough to allow aiming at airborne targets while I am still standing upright. With a long collared lens I'd get a single jointed head for it and might look into the Arca Swiss QR system.<br>

If you are shorter than me (1.89m) you could be similar happy with something cheaper and lighter.</p>

<p>I have a Canon EF 300 mm f/2.8L IS USM lens which is an equivalent to your lens in minimum weight and experience with your lens or longer lenses is not as relevant in my case in deciding on a tripod and monopod that would function with respect to it's maximum carrying capacity and of course, performance. For a monopod and head, I use the <strong>Really Right Stuff MC-34 Carbon Fibre Monopod</strong> with their <strong>MH-02 LR Monopod Head</strong>. For a tripod, I use the <strong>Gitzo GT5532LS Systematic 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod (Long)</strong>. The head like the tripod and monopod choices is purely personal and I opted for the <strong>Arca-Swiss d4 Tripod Head with a Classic Knob Quick Release (Geared)</strong>. The equipment choices will be able to support whatever super telephoto lens in future.<br /><br /><br /></p>

<p>Example</p><div></div>

<p>I have a <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5478-REG/Manfrotto_679B_679B_3216_3_Section.html">Manfrotto 679B</a> monopod and I have no complaints about it at all.</p>

<p>Henry Posner<br /><strong>B&H Photo-Video</strong></p>

<p>I have used the Gitzo GM5541 monopod with my D7200 and 200-500mm lens, but to be honest I have been shooting handheld for most of my shots. Granted, this is for short periods of time. In between shots I just hold it by the lens foot. For longer periods of time the monopod would be my choice though.</p>

<p>i have the same monopod as Henry. if you go this route, what makes a difference is the head.</p>

<p>Manfrotto 479-4Bbut I don't think it's still available. With regard to the head: I use it together with a Manfrotto pistol grip. Great combination although YMMV.</p>

<p>My preferred support for this lens is a Gitzo 3532 tripod with an Arca Swiss Z1 ballhead and a Wimberley Sidekick.</p>

<p>Note: Due to a medical condition, my balance is somewhat compromised, which makes a monopod less than steady especially with this lens extended to 500mm. Not that this applies to you, but a monopod obviously relies on the photographer to be steady.</p>

<p>Re-reading the OP question: tripods and monopods are diffent beasts. First decide what you really need, the speed and flexibility of a monopod or the stability of a tripod. </p>

<p>If you want to drool -- take a look at "Really Right Stuff" While a seeming mundane bit of your kit, there is probably no more important piece of gear. Good tripods last forever. Cheap ones are junk from day one. The tripod I still use I have used since the late '60s. It is a piece of really sturdy -- and now ugly -- piece of gear. It is has a chipped and beat up finish. Some of the locks have been replaced and it is a bit of a mongrel -- but it is an old and faithful friend. Sturdy is the word of the day. While much is made of being light -- what is important in a tripod is steady. That comes from inertia and strong construction. Adding weight to your tripod can both add steady and vibration damping. You can also do this with sandbags and water bags hung from the post. Learning the best techniques for using this essential gear is as important as learning how to use any camera or lens.</p>

<p>I've been using a Gitzo 1325cf for about the past 15 years now. They are available used on ebay for ~$300. You will not find a better tripod for what you want or a better bargain any where. This tripod is rock solid and fairly light. Add a first class ballhead or gimbal and you're set for the next 30 years.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>For my part, I have an old Manfrotto 3021 tripod with a Kirk ball head. But because the lens in question is also nice to use hand held and on a monopod, and I'd rather not have to remove the tripod pad to use conventional tripod screws, I made my own pad. It's milled on the top to fit the lens foot and not rotate, and has 1/4 inch holes in the bottom, so I can attach a monopod or other threaded stud to it, and it has rounded edges so it can be used painlessly as a handle. The D3200 camera is a good bit lighter than many, and the balance point for a monopod is fairly far forward of the screw hole in the lens foot. I can drill holes anywhere I want for different weights.</p>

<p>This is actually my second try. I made one the other day, but foolishly tested its fit on a Sirui head. It fit that just fine, but was loose on the Kirk, so I had to make another. </p><div></div>

<p>A monopod screws to the plate.</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks everyone for the response<br>

Henry Posner/ Eric Arnold- What head you use with 679B<br>

Barry Clemmons -What head you use with GM 5541<br>

I'm still debating whether I should look for Tripod or Monopod. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>I use the Really Right Stuff MH-01 Pro Head with Standard Screw-Knob Clamp.</p>

<p>I use a monopod Manfrotto 681B with tilt head #234 for sports with the 300/2.8, for wildlife a tripod may be better.</p>

<blockquote>

<p><em>I'm still debating whether I should look for Tripod or Monopod.</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>To shoot on the go, the obvious answer is a monopod. <br /> But for everything else, I`d get a tripod. In fact, I`d get a monopod always after having a good tripod.<br /> A monopod is just an aid to held the camera and shoot, but not a device that will keep the camera really static to avoid any shake whatever the shutter speed you use.<br /> The monopod is way more comfortable to use, it`s a third the weight of the tripod. A good tripod is much bulkier but way more versatile and useful to my taste. It will depend on the purpose you have on mind... for action shots, sports, etc. where you will shoot at higher shutter speeds, or in confined spaces (e.g. on a small grandstand seat), or if you need to continuously change your position and shoot fast (say, walking with the camera mounted), the monopod seem to me a better choice. For everything else, the tripod.</p>

<p>I think I have the same tripod as Shun, and I have been always attracted by the low height look of his RRS head (BH-55?)... but I never found it "reasonably" available at my location. Instead, I like to use a slightly taller Arca-Swiss B1 (now replaced by the Z1, I think). The A-S compatible plate&clamp system is a must to have.<br /> I wonder about gimbal type heads... never used one but seen many experts using them with long lenses.</p>

<p>By the way, one thing I forgot to mention for my set-up is that you will need an Arca-Swiss lens plate for the 200-500mm as well. RRS also sells these, but so do other manufacturers.</p>

<p>In my case, I mostly use the 200-500mm/f5.6 hand held. This lens focuses very close to 7 feet, just over 2 meters. I tend to move around with it quite a bit and sometimes get quite close to the subject. Hand holding works best for me.</p>

<p>I cannot predict your pattern of usage, but perhaps you should use it for a little while to see whether you need a tripod or monopod to begin with.</p>

<p>obviously a monopod is easier to reposition frequently, and may enable high angles easier. but monopods arent exactly super expensive so no reason you cant get both. </p>