Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: rardinger on August 18, 2005, 08:40:18 am

Title: monopod with Kirk ballhead?
Post by: rardinger on August 18, 2005, 08:40:18 am

I use the Nikon 80-400 and have had good luck with this "homebuilt" solution.  It is a Bogen swivel head and a kirk or RRS clamp.  I then attached it to a fairly inexpensive Bogen monopod.  It was not my idea, it came from the RRS site:

http://reallyrightstuff.com/projects/index.html (http://reallyrightstuff.com/projects/index.html)

With a monopod a ball head is not really needed (can cartainly be used) as the single leg can pivot on itself very easily.  The single direction (for and aft) Bogen clamp is easy to adjust and the entire thing is doe not weigh much at all.  I used a stainless steel bolt from a hardware store and lock tight to secure the commection of the swivel head to the clamp.  I had the clamp and the monopaod already si gambled on the swivel when I put this together but it reallt does do well with the 80-400 (mounted on the lens) I use VR "on" with this setup.

Title: monopod with Kirk ballhead?
Post by: mikeseb on August 18, 2005, 02:05:29 pm

I have the same setup as rardinger describes (per RRS website); but I elected not to replace the bogen swivel head's tripod-socket screw with a more permanent hardware-store screw as I need to be able to rotate the clamp 90 degrees (around the monopod's longitudinal axis) to accommodate different camera mounts, and yet be able to swivel into "portrait" mode. (My contax 645 has their "fore-and-aft" mounting plate such that the camera slides onto the clamp parallel to the lens axis; while my other cameras slide on parallel to the film plane.)

I think that this setup is really too light-duty for the Contax with a telephoto lens; the hexagonal bolt head that holds the swivel head on has begun to wear away its hexagonal socket so that is slips when I flip the Contax over sideways.

So the ballhead may be a better idea for a heavier camera/lens combo on the monopod.

Title: monopod with Kirk ballhead?
Post by: monik on August 20, 2005, 03:03:17 am

Hi,
thank you all for the information but does anyone actually use a Kirk#3 with a monopod?
Monik

Title: monopod with Kirk ballhead?
Post by: monik on August 18, 2005, 04:43:02 am

I am thinking of buying a monopod possibly the Monostat RS16 pro and wonder whether I could fit my Kirk ballhead #3,to use with a Nikon 80-400 vr lens and Nikon D70 or F100; I currently use this setup with  a tripod but find it heavy work when stalking deer for miles.  Thank you for your help,
Monik

Title: monopod with Kirk ballhead?
Post by: monik on August 18, 2005, 11:11:38 am

Thanks Robert, you gave me some food for thought.
Regards,
Monique

Title: monopod with Kirk ballhead?
Post by: BobMcCarthy on August 18, 2005, 02:42:48 pm

I have the same RRS/Bogen setup. I agree with you that the bolt should not be used if you switch between tele (foot. fore/aft) and camera body mounting (side to side). BUT, the top of the Bogen swivel setup is not flat and has cork in a depression. I'ts always working loose. Some may be my fault as I put the camera/lens on the monopod over my shoulder when I walk which stresses it somewhat. I'm gonna drop it if I don't fix it. I was going to try epoxy, what did you do to fix it?

bob

Title: monopod with Kirk ballhead?
Post by: matt4626 on August 19, 2005, 03:37:27 pm

RRS/Bogen set up has been working great for me.