Panning technique for BIF with large telephotos and support?

[boviscopophobic]

When I'm panning to follow a bird with a handheld lens, it feels fairly natural. I turn my head or body more or less on instinct, and just keep the viewfinder in front of my eye. So the center of rotation is somewhere around the center of my body. I don't have any real issues, except maybe the pans aren't the smoothest, and of course things get tiring after a while.

With a gimbal head on a tripod, the center of rotation is on top of the tripod, so I have to move my body/head around to follow the viewfinder. This works well for at most 120 degrees until I have to step over a tripod leg, at which point my pan tends to get disrupted.

With a monopod, if I just rotate the monopod, then my pan almost immediately gets disrupted by having to step around the monopod. It's also possible to tilt the monopod side to side while rotating the camera, which achieves a net effect almost like rotating around the center of my body. But the viable range of rotation doing it this way is quite limited.

What techniques do you use for BIF with a tripod or monopod?

 

[EricKlees]

I can not use the normal long lens with a tripod technique with the hand on the top of the lens when using a monopod. To be honest, I haven't used a tripod for stills since 2019, early 2020. I only use my Tripod for video work.

Since I hand hold 95% of the time, I find when i use a monopod, I use my left hand under the lens, basically it's like hand holding. I just let the monopod (with a monogimbal) take the weight. This allows me to be as free as hand holding and I am as fast to acquire the subject in the frame as without the monopod, which is rarely not instant.

 

[David Berry]

When I use a monopod, I use my left hand under the lens, basically it's like handholding. I just let the monopod (with a monogimbal) take the weight.

Eric, that’s my preferred big lens setup: I’m guessing that we are referring to the Wimberley MH-100 (can’t imagine not owning that bit of kit!).

Also: left hand positioned under the lens (500+1.4TC, or 800) for support.

… David

 

[Krish]

I find when i use a monopod, I use my left hand under the lens, basically it's like hand holding. I just let the monopod (with a monogimbal) take the weight. This allows me to be as free as hand holding

Same here. Works all the time. You need a tall enough monopod, though

 

[EricKlees]

Same here. Works all the time. You need a tall enough monopod, though

I have a monopod that's tall enough and that I extend it so that the camera is a little above my forehead so I can shoot up without squatting down and I just lean to the side or take a step forward or back so that I can point it down so I don't have to adjust to shooting a little up towards the sky or down below me

 

[NorthernFocus]

... This works well for at most 120 degrees until I have to step over a tripod leg, at which point my pan tends to get disrupted...

How often do you have the opportunity to track a bird in flight through a 120+ degree arc? My point being is it a problem worth solving? If it is in fact a common issue then practice may be the simple solution i.e. learning to smoothly step around the tripod leg without interrupting tracking the subject. FWIW when I'm shooting in a situation that I anticipate needing to make extreme rotations I position the tripod so that I'm standing over one leg rather than between two. This only requires lifting one foot across rather than having to step over with both.

 

[boviscopophobic]

How often do you have the opportunity to track a bird in flight through a 120+ degree arc? My point being is it a problem worth solving? If it is in fact a common issue then practice may be the simple solution i.e. learning to smoothly step around the tripod leg without interrupting tracking the subject. FWIW when I'm shooting in a situation that I anticipate needing to make extreme rotations I position the tripod so that I'm standing over one leg rather than between two. This only requires lifting one foot across rather than having to step over with both.

I don't always have the opportunity, but 120 degrees is also a best-case scenario. On average it would be more like 40 degrees, because I start at a random position somewhere in between the legs, and I also bump into the legs (due to the nonzero physical extent of my body) before I would actually have to cross them.

Practicing more is always an option, but I mostly asked in order to see if anyone had secret techniques that hadn't occurred to me yet. For instance, your suggestion of starting out standing over one tripod leg is a good idea, assuming that I'm in a situation where I know where the birds are going to start out from and can position the tripod appropriately.

 

[tjphxaz]

Monopod with Wimberly MH-100 gimbal type head works well for me in most long, heavy camera/lens setups. I find that angling the foot of the monopod about 30 degrees away from my stance gives me room to move my feet when panning.

 

[soundbyte]

Monopods or tripods are not my preferred method for BIF, I find they constrict my movements when panning of fast moving-erratic subjects, still subjects are a different matter.

I had problems with pain in my left elbow from handling the camera/lens by by placing the bottom of the lens on my left hand for panning operations.

I had some help to make a handle from a solid 110mm x 35mm aluminium rod, covered it with a soft rubber sleeve and a closed cell foam cushioning ring.
The rod has a 6mm x 1.00 pitch thread at one end with raised section which acts as a rotation stop for an arca swiss quick release clamp plate - which is connected with a M6 (6mm) x 1.00 pitch Metric coarse countersunk socket screw with some Loctite 222 applied to the screw thread.

The arca swiss quick release clamp plate is then connected to a PU-120 Universal Quick Release Plate which in turn is double screwed to the lens foot.

Another option here at B&H.

The use of this handle has helped me greatly with my camera/lens stability, panning and no elbow pain, so a win win win for me.

Something like this may help your panning rather than using monopods or tripods.

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