THREE’S A CROWD

Some tripods enable you to go solo, using a single leg instead of all three

Given that most of us don’t like to carry more kit than we need to, there’s a neat trick featured in all but the two Manfrotto tripods on test. The idea is that you can unscrew one of the legs, remove the centre column, then screw both items together to make a monopod. This effectively gives you two completely different shooting options from a single piece of kit. For sporting action, wildlife on the hoof, birds in flight, aircraft and pretty much anything else that you want to track with a hefty telephoto lens, a monopod is absolutely ideal. It supports the weight and adds steadiness, yet still gives you freedom of movement. It generally takes a couple of minutes to make the conversion between tripod and monopod, which can be time very well spent if it’s required.