3

CHAPTER
NIGHT AND LOW-LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY / What Gear Is Important

    ■   Material. Just like tripods, monopods come in

a variety of materials that can affect the

weight and price.

I use a monopod when shooting with long lenses,

300mm or more, because it adds a level of stabil-

ity that I don’t get when handholding the same

lenses, even in bright light.

Shutter Releases and Remotes

Shutter releases and remote controls allow you to

trigger the shutter release on the camera without

physically pushing down on the shutter release

button with your finger. This is important when

you want to get the sharpest possible image, espe-

cially when using long shutter speeds. When you

press down on the shutter release button, it is

possible and likely that the pressure of your finger

will cause small vibrations to move the camera,

which can cause the image to be slightly blurred.

The simplest of the shutter releases and remotes

Picking out a monopod is very similar to picking
out a tripod, and you will find that monopods are
made and sold by the same companies that make
tripods. Here are some things to take into
account when buying a monopod:

■ Height. Is the monopod tall enough to use
comfortably? Because the monopod is designed
to be used to support a camera at the eye
height of the photographer, make sure that the
monopod you pick is tall enough for you.

■   Strength. Monopods are designed to support

cameras and long, heavy lenses, but make sure
that the model you pick can support your
camera now and any gear you plan on buying
in the near future.

■   Weight. Monopods are much lighter than tri-

pods but can still add a fair amount of weight
to your camera bag. If the monopod is too
heavy, then you are not likely to carry it with
you, and so you won’t use it.

3-18 ABOUT THIS PHOTOOne tripod head that I use is^

made by Induro, and I love all

the extras, including a set of

built-in levels and the angle

grid, which allows me to set it

exactly the way I want to.