Monopods

The monopod, whose name means “one foot,” is a piece of camera equipment that is similar to the tripod, but sacrifices the greater stability enjoyed by the tripod for greater flexibility of use. A monopod consists simply of a camera mount attached to the top of a long pole of adjustable length. The photographer must be supporting the pole while using it, and must be able to hold it stable enough to avoid motion blur. The inherently more unstable nature of the monopod means that it is not a good option for low-light exposure shoots. As those kinds of shoots are especially susceptible to motion blurring, it is best to use a tripod instead.

Monopod

The monopod is a popular device for photography in the outdoors. Being more flexible and less cumbersome than the tripod, it is useful for quick and on-the-go photo shoots. On the go shoots is, in fact, what the monopod is most commonly used for.

Camera monopod
The trick to using the monopod is that it cannot be held perfectly upright for a good shoot. A perfectly upright position is too unstable with a monopod to take a decent photograph. To use it properly, the monopod needs to be braced at an angle, and preferably on uneven ground where the foot of the monopod can find a decent foothold, as it were. This is part of why the monopod is best used in an outdoorsy, rugged terrain.

Monopods

To keep the monopod stable, the photographer must train his or herself to assume a set of stable standing positions, where he or she mounts pressure on the monopod at an angle in order to stand it firmly. The standard angle to hold the monopod at is 20 degrees, which keeps it upright enough to use it while standing, while also being at an angle just steep enough to allow good stabilizing pressure on the monopod.

Some photographers who use the monopod wear a special stabilizing pouch in order to be able to take photos as quickly as possible. The pouch is attached to the user’s belt, and the monopod is adjusted to its shortest length. When the photographer wishes to take a picture, he or she may simply grab the monopod and stick its foot into a special cavity in the stabilizing pouch, and by bracing him or herself with a good stance the photographer can snap a photo right away without even needing to set the monopod to the ground.