Alaska - tripod vs monopod (or neither)

[Rhinodad]

Going on a cruise which includes Glacier Bay in a couple weeks. Wondering if a tripod or monopod will be beneficial for the days of scenic cruising in Glacier Bay and Yakutat Bay (Hubbard Glacier)? Or is it not worth the room in the suitcase? Bringing Sony full-frame with 70-200 2.8, 200-600, and 24-70 2.8.

[pierces]

Having taken both on trips without really ever using them, I have given up on carrying one. I am also a Sony shooter, so in-body stabilization and optical stabilization have taken the place of 'pods in my day-to-day shooting. On small tour boats, the movement makes a monopod unusable and unless you are a big fan of stink-eye being directed at you, don't set up a tripod on a crowded viewing deck. On board the ship, a tripod could be used in uncrowded areas, but the need just isn't there for me. I do still take a little tabletop tripod and some gaffer's tape in case I want to take a timed shot with me and the Wonderful Wife in it but have yet to use it.

 

 

 

That's my 4¢...

 

 

Happy Shooting!

 

 

Dave

[ROUS]

When shooting from a ship deck, there will be lots of rails/posts/structures around that will help to brace a camera.  

[azappraiser]

I'm taking a travel Tripod/Monopod... planning to use the tripod on an aft-facing balcony with my one of my cameras set to shoot at intervals while the ship pivots in place in Glacier Bay.  Should be a pretty impressive panorama if all goes right.  I'll use the monopod on any walks or excursions.

 

Also taking Jobi Gorilla Pod table top tripod for DW's camera.

Edited August 27, 2023 by azappraiser

[peety3]

Very late to the topic but figured I could chime in anyway for the next person to read this topic.

My suggestions would be fairly clear: definitely a monopod with a monopod head (one-axis pivot, I like the RRS MH-02LR or something like that). Maybe a tripod with a gimbal head.

I tried my gimbal head on my monopod for one excursion and hated it; I was very comfortable simply lifting up my (rented) 600mm f/4 lens with camera and monopod attached, and resting it on my shoulder. I could walk anywhere, occasionally switching shoulders. When I tried it with the gimbal head, it was digging into my shoulder and/or neck something fierce, and the lens had enough leverage that the primary pivot of the gimbal head would not stay tight, making my arm have to hold the lens up a lot more than if I was using the monopod head.

For our next Alaska cruise, I'm thinking about taking my tripod and gimbal for the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's tour, but I will email the tour ahead of time and ask about the feasibility of that. We've done the tour before, but it was the very beginning of the season and the tour boat wasn't very full. If it's mid-season, it could be too much to handle. (I am hoping to take a serious flash with a serious reflector on it, and I'd much rather have the tripod and gimbal for that.)

[Jon054]

A lightweight monopod with a Wimberly gimbal is the Cat’s meow when using the 200-600.  I believe the model gamble is MH-100

[Glaciers]

I used to take a tripod on each Alaska cruise for use with a 600mm lens but found it wasn’t worth lugging around when I wasn’t using it that much. Sometimes it just got in the way, particularly when trying to follow something like whales with a bunch of people standing right next to you.

[donaldsc]

If you can manage w just a bit of stabilization that you can carry in your pocket a chain pod works wonders.

 

DON

[Cdncruiser15]

Packed my tripod last year but won’t take it again.  I didn’t get much if any use for it. And basically just hauled it around for exercise. 
 

Brad 

[agape01]

After reading this topic for a while, have decided to take a Sirui monopod.

 

 
The nice part is that the bottom stand can be removed to make it a mini tripod.