Tripod question for sports photography

[tbar23]

I recently purchased an RF100-500mm L lens for an upcoming safari trip. I had been thinking of renting it, but decided that it could do double-duty for my son's sporting events and that pushed me to purchase.
This is my first lens with a "foot", and definitely the largest lens I have ever owned.
I'm wondering what people find to be most useful / convenient when shooting sporting events (e.g. lacrosse, football, soccer, etc.)?
I have a pair of relatively inexpensive tripods - one is a Joby RangePod with a ballhead and Arca-swiss mount.
The other one has a pretty cheap pan-and-tilt head with some kind of quick-release and plate, too.

Any advice / suggestions?

 

[wfd28]

I shoot Marching Band Championship shows on the football field. Monopod I think would be a better choice. Constantly on the move up and down the sideline. I would not want to keep setting a tripod. I guess you could keep the 3 legs together making like a monopod, but just seems too bulky to me.

 

[Jake Shoots Birds]

Vote #2 for a monopod for sports.

 

[tbar23]

And thoughts on mount? Ballhead or other?

 

[Jake Shoots Birds]

And thoughts on mount? Ballhead or other?

For me a ballhead defeats the purpose of a monopod, which is mainly to keep you operating on a plane. That's mostly horizontal, but depending on your position you may need to tilt up or down so I have just a simple tilt head on mine.

 

[wfd28]

+1 on the tilt head

 

[tbar23]

Thanks, all. So a decent aluminum or carbon monopod. Then something like an arca-Swiss tilt head.
One more Q: I just spent nearly $3k on a lens, so I’m not looking to be penny-wise pound foolish, but I see both monopods and tilt heads that range from a few $10s to $100+. Do you get what you pay for on this stuff?
The Manfrotto head noted above is reasonably priced, but I’d really like to get away from proprietary quick-releases and go to something standard. I already have some Arca-swiss stuff around.

 

[wfd28]

I have an older Manfrotto monopod so not familiar with latest models. I have the 234RC quick release system tilt head and the same quick release on top of the 322RC2 ball head system on my tripod.

 

[Bettcherphoto]

Most sports events won't allow tripods on the sidelines for example. Monopod all the way.

 

[RedCobra]

Leofoto makes a nice monopod (copy of RRS) and monopod head (copy of the Wimberly) and has a Xmas discount running I think.

Monopods Kit

leofotousa.com

 

[Hali]

Thanks, all. So a decent aluminum or carbon monopod. Then something like an arca-Swiss tilt head.
One more Q: I just spent nearly $3k on a lens, so I’m not looking to be penny-wise pound foolish, but I see both monopods and tilt heads that range from a few $10s to $100+. Do you get what you pay for on this stuff?
The Manfrotto head noted above is reasonably priced, but I’d really like to get away from proprietary quick-releases and go to something standard. I already have some Arca-swiss stuff around.

My two cents - don't be pennywise and pound foolish. You just said you spent 3K on a lens, if you buy a cheap monopod and either ballhead or tiltshift head, you run the risk of something catastrophic happening because it isn't a solid base for the lens and the camera.

Quick story: I have a friend who had an R5 and an EF-24-105. She didn't want to spend a lot of money on a tripod and the ball head so the salesman at the camera store sold her a lightweight, inexpensive combo. I told her to return the tripod and use my extra but she was adamant it was fine. We went out on a photo shoot to some local waterfalls and I told her to make sure she holds onto the tripod because it was very tippy and to double-check the connection when she put the camera into the ball head because I felt it was loose. I even checked it for her. Next thing I know I hear a splash and a lot of explicatives. Long story short the camera slipped out of the ball head because the ball head couldn't hold the weight of the camera and fell forward, the front leg of the tripod buckled (NEW tripod, mind you) when the weight came on it and the camera fell in the water, luckily it did not go over the waterfall. The EF lens was ruined and it was an expensive repair on the camera.

Moral of the story - if you spent that much on the lens and camera protect your investment.

 

[MikeZ]

Sad story, but excellent point. I think that it's easy to "economize" on a tripod and head after making the big investment on camera and lens(es). But that shortsighted reasoning can be costly, as it was for the person in the above story. Anything that carries the literal weight of the big investment (camera strap included) must be strong enough to do so, and not a subject for cost savings.