Need monopod advice - Bogen 560b or 561b?
 

I'm a woman wedding videographer and not wimpy, but not "beefy" either, so it's difficult for me to hold too much weight for too long. I want to purchase a monopod that will work well for weddings. I think I would use it in many situations other than during the ceremony (I feel it's safest to stick with a tripod during the ceremony). I like to idea of the Bogen 560b because it seems to nice features and is only 1.5 lb. I have an FX1, which is 1 oz. over the weight limit of this monopod's capacity. The 561b (it's bigger brother) can hold more, but weighs about 3 lb. more. Do I need the beefier one or do you think I'd be ok with the lighter weight one? Also, the 561b has a handle on it and I'm wondering if I'd really need that for tilting. I'd love to hear especially from anyone who owns either and does weddings. Thanks!

Hi Bobbi,

I only use the 560, but I use a camera that is considerably lighter than an FX1. For you the 561 is the best choice. The only consideration is to find out if the head that is included uses a plate that matches your tripod head - a nice feature so any camera can go on any of your supports.

i recently got the 562B to use with the ex1 and i love it. the panning action is very smooth. i like it so much i am getting another one for my second shooter. i have used bogen 3245 and it served me well for the pass few years with pd170's. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...od_Black_.html

561b
 

I have the 561b, have only use it once but it feels great. Very good monopod.

Why not go for a Miller tripod?
lightweight yet portable and guaranteed to give rock solid performance.

I suggest this as I have a monopod and abandoned it in favour of the steady image a tripod gives.

I used to use the monopod extensively for sport photography, where the 400mm f2.8 lens is waaaay to heavy to handhold.

Ben

I ended up with a 558b and a 562b and it's a great combination because you can interchange parts. The 558b is much lighter than the 562b but it comes with the 501PL QR plate, which matches my Gitzo and Bogen tripods. The 562b has a longer reach, a bigger QR plate, that great fluid cartridge and very useful little feet. I can swap the QR plates and the bottom tubes in a couple of minutes to match what I want. For instance, a nice combination is the lighter weight 558b with the bottom tube from the 562b, but there are lots of options depending on which camera I'm using, how high I need to extend etc....