Leki Photosystem Poles – a real
alternative to a high spec monopod..?
As
regular visitors to the site will know, we are all keen
photographers/videographers at Trailblazer Outdoors. We all also use walking
poles to help get us around when out on the hill. Whilst poles with camera
tripod mounts on the top are not new, previous models have all suffered from a
few design flaws – particularly for those with heavier camera gear e.g.
• Not tall enough to reach eye-level
• Too heavy
• Less than ideal grip arrangement
Dedicated camera monopods suffer from a similar
collection of issues:
• Not designed to take the repeated impact of use as a walking pole
• Too heavy if they are strong enough to support professional gear
• Too expensive for a walking pole if they are made of carbon fibre to
reduce the weight to an acceptable level
Now with the launch of the re-vamped Leki
Photosystem Poles, we believe that there is a viable option for those of us who
want to use walking poles and don’t want to have to carry a dedicated monopod
as well.
There are two models – aluminium alloy, and a
carbon fibre – with the former listing at £80, and the latter at £93. The
weight of both is about the same at just over 300 grams, with the advantage of
the CF model being that is four sections, compared to the three section
aluminium. This means that the CF model can extend higher – to 170 cm (67
inches) – whilst the aluminium only reaches 150 cm (… inches).
What this means in practical terms is that the
aluminium pole will take the camera to eye level for most people, but anyone
taller than average may have to stoop to use it. This is fine for an occasional
shot, but if you are working an area extensively – shooting repeated panoramas
and HDR sequences – it may not be ideal. By contrast the CF model has headroom
to spare, allowing it to be used comfortably by taller people, and making it
more flexible for use on uneven ground.
One way of extending the height of either pole,
and allowing its use with a quick release system, is to mount a monopod head on
the top (see below). For someone who keeps L-brackets or quick release plates
mounted on their cameras, this is definitely an option to consider. The head
can easily be attached or removed using the standard ¼ inch captive screw
fitted to the pole – which can, of course, be used to mount directly to the tripod
bush of the camera itself, if desired.
Obviously adding a monopod head increases the
weight of the overall package – doubling it in my case, although you can get
lighter heads..! However, I was surprised to find that the weight of a similar
CF monopod from Manfrotto came to around the same as the arrangement
illustrated above – more with a head such as the one shown. It was also
interesting to note that the suggested load capacity for the Manfrotto was only
5 Kg – you wouldn’t want to rely on a walking pole that only offered that level
of support..!
But the killer comparison for me was the price.
The Leki CF comes in at £93, which you might then want to add the cost of a
monopod head to, if you went down my route. Meanwhile the cheapest I could find
the 4 section Manfrotto CF monopod that I used for comparison (Model 694CX) was
£135 – with the list price being £162. If you start looking at Gitzo then you
double those prices..!
Both the aluminium and the Carbon poles feature
Leki’s ‘quick-lock’ system – which will be familiar to any Manfrotto tripod or
monopod user. This quickly allows you to adjust the height from walking level
to photo level, and is certainly easier to use for photographic work than the
traditional Leki twist-lock.
Leki claim that the quick lock system easily
exceeds the 60 Kg locking force target demanded by safety standards for walking
poles. This again made me wonder where the 5 Kg weight limit for the Manfrotto
monopod came from – it does make you wonder how two such similar products, but
designed from differing starting points, can end up with such differing
price/performance figures.
A couple of notes of caution should be sounded
here. Firstly, I have not as yet been out on the hill with the monopod head
fitted to either pole. Fitting something as meaty as the head illustrated does
change the balance of the pole in your hand. It makes it swing more, since the
centre of gravity is shifted substantially upwards. For me this doesn’t feel
like an issue, but it certainly does change the way the pole feels. Similarly,
the total weight is increased substantially, which is a drawback if what you
are after is a ‘fast and light’ solution.
However, you do have the option of just using the
pole as it was intended if this is an issue – with the camera mounted directly
onto the captive screw provided. Alternatively you can just take the monopod
head on and off as required – but this mitigates against the whole speed and
convenience of using quick release plates.
The other slight concern I have is the stiffness
of the poles. The carbon in particular seems to ‘twang’ visibly when you plant
it – and that vibration can be felt through the handle. This means that any
vibration from the camera mirror and shutter assembly is likely to travel up
and down the pole – leading to a risk of camera shake on longer sutter
speeds.
Now the simple solution to this is to use a
reasonably fast shutter speed – which these days is advisable anyway given the
resolution of modern digital sensors. However, a monopod is inevitably going to
get used as an additional means of support in low light conditions as well, so
the issue is something to keep an eye on. Of course this issue may apply
equally to CF monopods, but you would hope that it is something their
manufacturers have addressed.
So on balance, and bearing the above slight
concerns in mind, we think that these new Leki Poles offer a great combination
of genuine walking aid with genuine photographic tool. What is more they also
seem to offer a cracking deal on cost compared to some of the photographic
monopods currently available from major manufacturers.
We will report further on our experiences with
the poles once we have had a chance to use them in anger. In the meantime why
not post on our feedback section if you have any thoughts to contribute on the
issues noted above.
John Cliftonfor
Trailblazer Outdoors
John works part time at Trailblazer
Outdoors, but is also a keen landscape photographer. To see some of his
beautiful images follow the link to www.pcphotographic.co.uk
