I thought that might bring this thread back to life!
Just like any good oxymoron, such as "Jumbo Shrimp", the obsurd-sounding "3-legged monopod" has its roots in reality:
As you can now see, my description was quite accurate! It is a monopod that has 3 legs. When the foot is removed from the monopod, the legs fold up and slide into the monopod. It's one of the handiest gadgets I've ever bought.
Dynacolt (and Bill), you don't have to worry about the USL not being held securely. One of the new items was a Manfrotto SuperClamp. It's my understanding that they are widely used in the motion picture industry. They can clamp onto just about any shape of object up to 2" across and will support a 15 kg load. Two clamps can be connected together, and all kinds of possibilities open up. Generally, they're used to mount lights, reflectors, or hoods onto rigging or whatever happens to be in the right location. Due to good engineering, SuperClamps can be "flipped", so to speak, and used to turn a tripod/monopod into a holder for all kinds of things. Combining a SuperClamp with a quick release pistol grip ball head that I already had, I can now point the USL at a target, release the grip and the USL will stay perfectly on target while I get the camera ready. When combined with a tripod-mounted camera, this should be an ideal setup for shooting beam shots and such. Even with the pod extended to it's full height of about 5 ft, the 3-leg base provides a surprising amount of stability.
The only shortcoming of this setup is the fact that the 3-legged monopod won't stand unless it's on relatively level ground. Good engineering again saves the day. I can use one clamp to grab onto a leg of the tripod I use, and then attach an extension arm to that clamp. Attach a second clamp to other end of the arm, and the USL can be then be held. With the tripod I have, I can handle just about any kind of terrain short of a vertical wall. If I've got level ground, though, I'll use both the tripod-mounted camera and 3-legged-monopod-mounted USL so that I've got maximum control over the position of the camera in relation to the USL.
If this seems like a bit of overkill, maybe, maybe not. We'll see soon. Most of the beam shots I've taken have either been with the USL handheld and the camera on a pod, or the USL stable and the camera handheld. Now, I'll be able to have both completely stable.
One thing I know about digital photography is that much better pictures are the result when the camera is absolutely still. Under low light conditions, the subject also needs to be absolutely still.
Here are a few examples of what you can get by having that level of stability:
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Sweat Bee [*]
FCAS Application, #2 [*]
Dandelions, Curlicues, & Color[/list]So, why am I going to such lengths for the USL?
I mean no offense, but I would never have spent the money this setup cost if it wasn't going to be used for more than beam shots. I am by no means a good photographer, but it's a hobby that I'm very passionate about. I may not be a flashlight whiz, like the rest of the USL Team, but I fully intend on contributing something a bit more than the testing I've done and maintaining the list for Bill.
Some "glamour" shots of the USL are in the near future. If the USL isn't in the 2006 CPF Calendar, it will not be due to a lack of effort on my part. The USL deserves to be in the calendar for many reasons! While I hope to be the one to take
the picture that Sasha hopefully deems worthy of the calendar, I'll be happy just as long as someone's picture of the USL makes it.
This means we'll have a photo contest thread once everyone has their USL's! Obviously, I'll be ready for bear, so I'm giving everyone else fair warning! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin07.gif
The guantlet has been thrown - the challenge issued. Who's gonna give me a run for my money? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif