Monopod: Simplex 1055

I recently tested the Monopod-simplex 1055. I put it through very extreme condition, exposure wise, to test its effectiveness as compared to hand-held photography.

Test conditions:

Lens used: Canon EF-S 55-250mm IS lens

Camera used: Canon 40D

Focal length: 250mm

Shutter speed: 1/6

Aperture: f5.6

ISO: 800

Time/location: 8 PM , My room lit with CFL tube lamp.

According to thumb rule, while using 250mm hand held, the shutter speed should be atleast 1/400 on a 1.6x cropped sensor. IS gives you an advantage of 2-3 stops which would make the recommended shutter speed of a minimum of 1/50 seconds for a sharp shot.

For testing purpose i chose the shutter speed of 1/6, which is another 3 stops below.

The test sequence:

1. Photograph with Monopod and IS active

2. Photograph Hand-held and IS active

3. Photograph with Monopod and IS Off

4. Photograph Hand-held and IS Off

The photographs were taken straight ot of camera without any PP and their 100% crops were used for comparisions. Please note that 55-250 is in no way an indoor lens but i have put it through extreme conditions. Hence along with the monopod, the low light performance of the lens and that of the camera is also getting tested. This test will also show the effectiveness of IS of this lens.

The following are the results:

1. Photograph with Monopod and IS active

2.Photograph Hand-held and IS active

3. Photograph with Monopod and IS Off

4. Photograph Hand-held and IS Off

Please remember that these are 100% crops.

Conclusion: The monopod seems to be really effective in gaining us a stop or two in low light conditions. Keeping the IS active on monopod is very effective and both together can give us atleast an advantage of 4 stops. The monopod also takes away the load of the heavier cameras and lenses and helps in gaining stability. It can be useful in situations where carrying and handling a tripod is difficult.