ACCESSORIES
This monopod is designed with travel in mind. Angela Nicholson has been letting it take the weight
● £79.99 ● www.3leggedthing.com
The 3 Legged Thing Taylor 2.0 is a 5-section monopod that collapses down to 44.1cm yet extends to 158cm, making it a great choice for travel. Fully extended, it’s significantly shorter than the 2-metre-tall 3 Legged Thing Trent 2.0, but it’s still well-sized for photographers of up to around 6ft 2in in height, as the camera’s viewfinder should align with your eye rather than the top of your head.
Crafted from magnesium alloy, the Taylor 2.0 weighs 677g and has the usual rugged build quality of the firm’s Punks 2.0 tripod series, with four sturdy leg-section locks that feature metal knurling and substantial rubber grips. It also has a robust rubber-like grip at the top along with a wrist strap, both adding to the comfort and security of the monopod in use. Despite its low mass, the Taylor 2.0 can support a weight of up to 30kg. Thanks to the spring-loaded 1/4in and 3/8in threads, the payload can be a camera or lens mounted either directly or via your favourite head. The sprung mechanism means that you’re never left searching for an adapter if you decide to change how you mount your camera.
When completely collapsed, the Taylor 2.0 should fit neatly in a backpack’s tripod or water bottle pocket, provided there’s a strap to keep the top secure. Its leg locks are ergonomically designed for one-handed operation, with a smooth mechanism that requires minimal effort and less than a quarter turn to lock and unlock. This means you can deploy it quickly should the need arise.
The Taylor 2.0 is particularly useful for supporting large telephoto lenses, taking the weight and reducing shake dramatically. For many sports subjects, and some wildlife, you’re likely to be able to use the monopod directly mounted onto the lens tripod collar, stepping forwards or backwards to tilt the lens up or down. With aerial subjects, however, a tilt head or gimbal will be required to enable the required shooting angles.
Verdict
Overall, the 3 Legged Thing Taylor 2.0 is a versati
