Mono, Trio, or Slide?

[Walwyn]

I've never got on with a tripod for photographing insects. They always seem to be too cumbersome and by the time you've fiddled them into position the insect has gone. So mostly I handhold. In fact the other evening I spent so long trying to position the tripod the light level had gone way down and I was using a shutter speed of 1/8 (not good).

So I was wondering perhaps if I use the monopod instead that would help. However, reading this thread it seems that people prefer tripods over monopods.
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/fo...-monopods.html

So then I thought maybe what I should use is the tripod and a micro slider. What experience do people have with them?

[eeyore]

I have a manfroto mono pod and tripod and use either as the situation requires (ocassionally both with v. long lenses - I find their joystick head excellent for fredom of movement when tracking moving subjects be they birds, insects, atheletes, or cars and bikes

[Chalk Downlanders]

I used to do all my photography freehand but this did result in some blurred pictures. So now I use one of natures monopods, a stick. Hence the name. It works just fine for me

[Walwyn]

Thanks. I'll give the monopod a try.

Has anyone used a micro-positioning slider in the field?

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Walwyn

Thanks. I'll give the monopod a try.

Has anyone used a micro-positioning slider in the field?

dont even know what one is, sorry

[Walwyn]

It allows you to move the camera to/from in small increments without moving the tripod.
http://www.velbon-tripod.com/accessories.htm

[MalcolmX]

i have a slide and this can be used in the field mainly for photographing static or nearly static objects. it definitely needs a tripod

[nightshade]

I was looking at a velbon slider in a search when I noticed this
http://cgi.ebay.com/4-way-macro-focu...QQcmdZViewItem

[Kev Lewis]

This is my setup

Manfrotto 055ProB Tripod
Manfrotto 410 Geared head
A pair of Manfrottood Micro positioning slides (one shown but normally have the two at right angles to each other)
A Manfrotto quick release adaptor on the top and then:

My point and shoot camera
Canon 1D Mk II N
Canon MP-E65 macro lens
Canon MR-14Ex ringflash



and yes I use this in the field lol, the quick release comes in handy if I cant use the complete system.

[DaiTheDragon]

I don't know what camera you have, I normally use my Canon 30D, but here was my solution. Tried everything but still my success rate was terrable. I have the Canon 100mm Macro UHM. I set the camera to AI servo,spot metering, AV mode anything between f11 and f22 and one of the custom functions to fire the flash at 250 second. I reckon my success rate is now about 80%.

Dai