Handheld Or Tripod?

[J J]

80% BIF handheld and 20% monopod with MH100
80% bird portraits on Gitzo tripod with MH200 and 20% handheld

 

[gaknott]

It is situational, but the question was ‘which do I use most’, which is handheld, by far. This is even considering that I know my images are better when using support…

 

[SonoranDesert]

90% handheld, 10% tripod/mono-pod.

 

[tclune]

Not having used a monopod I'm curious to know when (under what circumstances) they are best used. Any comments about that?

Steve has a video for that...

 

[Turberticus]

Handheld 90% of the time with my 200-500 and BlackRapid strap. I'll use a monopod if I know I'm going to be stationed in one place for a while, or a homemade groundpod if I'm on my belly shooting waterfowl or shore birds.

 

[Ado Wolf]

90% handheld (D7500+500 PF)
8% monopod (bird photography, lots of waiting for the right moment / heavy on the arms)
2% tripod (long exposure landscape scenes with Filters or family photos with me in them : )

I like the concept of a tripod, but considering I hike for 10 to 15 km a time makes the size and specially the weight too cumbersome. That's why I use a carrying harness instead, to keep weight off my arms and yet can quickly reach for the camera and take that fleeing-moment shot.

 

[gnpToday]

70% tripod 30% hand held.

 

[Dave Douglass]

I'd say 90% monopod, 10% hand held which I do when shooting while driving around. I rarely ever use my tripod, and I almost never do not have my 200-500 lens attached. That and the weight of my new Z9 causes me to really appreciate the assist of the monopod,

 

[doninok]

Shooting hand held braced against a tree, car window, etc. if I can, otherwise on a tripod regardless of camera (D750) & lens combo. Health issues have required me to go from 90/10 hand-held to current ratio of about 85/15.

 

[splatbass]

For wildlife about 90% handheld (500PF and 300PF help a lot). For landscape just the opposite, 90% tripod.

 

[glsmith9823]

Being heavily involved in rocket launch photography at Kennedy Space Center & Wallops Island, Va I use 3 D-500 as remote cameras left at the launch pad. All are set on tripods secured to the ground to minimize vibration. From where I personally shoot 1 1/2 to 3 miles away, I use 2 D-850s on tripods. For nature, I prefer handheld, or at most a monopod for super telephoto lens. Overall I would say Tripod 75%, Handheld 25%

 

[Ian Hutchinson]

I'm curious - what support method do you use the MOST in the field? I know many of use a little of each choice in the poll, but which do you use the most?

Also, if you use a combination, feel free to post what percentage you use with each.

For me, I use a bit of everything, but the majority is on a tripod. However, I do find myself going with monopods and handheld more often than ever before (better VR and stabilizations systems combined with lighter gear helps a lot!) Probably 50% tripod, 20% monopod, and 30% handheld. (I should try to use the monopod more than I handheld, but here we are LOL).

About 90% on a tripod, I can quite easily handhold my D4s with a 200-400 on it but choose not to as it limits the lower end of the shutter speeds I can use. My macro work is all on a tripod for the same reason.

 

[eaj101]

Tripod and handheld mostly. Handholding is usual on birding walks and other hike, usually shooting Olympus. Shooting more deliberately and full frame a tripod is usual for my longest lenses. I sometimes use a monopod but am not completely comfortable with them.

 

[ProfEngineer]

If it is moving fast, bird in flight, handheld 100%. Tripod 90% for landscape and slow moving wildlife. Tripod 100% for all astrophotography.

 

[Saint]

95% Handheld with 600 f4, 5 % tripod. I walk a lot chasing warbler’s, lol.

 

[MatthewK]

I’m patient enough to stay in one spot for hours on end, yet I’m too impatient to use a tripod. Which is to say: 100% handheld for me.

 

[Irap]

With the Sony 200-600, 90% hand held, 10% monopod

 

[Mark Garfinkel]

Monopod 50% , Handheld 50%, only used a Tripod once in 3 years for a Astro shoot.

 

[BarkingBeans Coffee]

Handheld 80% Monopod 20%. I usually take the Monopod with the 100-400 if I expect to be out more than 2 hours or when hiking.

 

[Calson]

On a boat it is 99% hand held and 1% using a monopod (usually with a teleconverter attached to the lens).

The new S 400mm f/4.5~5.6 and 500mm PF and 800mm PF are game changers and less likely to need a tripod and gimbal mount. The 800mm PF is 5 lbs lighter than my first 600mm f/4 lens with the TC-14 which makes for a huge difference for hand holding.

 

[mdirvin]

I would say 80 % + tripod, 20 % - handheld. I spend many hours waiting, and watching it seems that for every hour in the field 1 min is shooting, the other 59 min is watching and waiting for something interesting to occur.... Hand holding gets really tiresome.

 

[guitarman67]

With my D500/500PF...100% hand held shooting birds static or in flight. I've found that my friends who i shoot with who use a tripod often miss the shot...for example when a Kingfisher suddenly flies across, as by the time they've swung the lens around and tried to aquire focus they've missed the shot. They are using 400 and 600mm primes though. For landscape stuff with my Canon gear...tripod.