When I was much younger and had attended a seminar by John Shaw and Larry West I learned to never shoot without a tripod. And I followed that advice for many, many years. Then along came VR and IBIS and it all became less necessary. However, the weight of the camera and lens can become a burden and therefor I looked for something to help my tiring arms. Steve to the rescue! I found his video on using a monopod and Wimberly monopod head. Now I can stand or sit for long, long periods with the camera trained on my potential subject without giving up due to fatigue. The added bonus is Steve's hint on carrying the monopod/camera combo over your shoulder with much less pain. Keep that in mind if you forego the tripod but get tired arms and shoulders.
