Manufacturer: 3Pod/Adorama
Website: Adorama.com
Description: Stabilize your shooting on the go without the bulk of a tripod
Purchase/Rent: Purchase
Pricing:
Orbit 4 Carbon Fiber Monopod: $99.95;
Q3 Fluid Tripod head : $99.95
(Kits with other heads: $120-$180)
Expected Release: Available Now
Review Issue: #124 (6/16)
Update Issue: #130 (12/16)
Reviewed By: Jeremy T. Hanke
Final Score: 10 (out of 10)
If you ask any filmmaker what things they hate about tripods, they’ll tell you essentially the same things: they’re too heavy, they’re extremely awkward to carry, they’re hard to set up, and they’re hard to get level. Still, at the end of the day, they’re the only way to create a locked down shot without using a cinesaddle (or putting your camera on a flat surface and praying that it doesn’t fall or get knocked off).
Now, the monopod, on the other hand, is easy to set up, but, up until now, has been relegated to still photographers, due to the fact that it’s essentially little more than a walking cane with a camera mount on the top, making it essentially useless without a person there to actively stabilize it.