Monopods possibly banned under the no selfie-stick rule

[habuma]

Just a bit of clarification (perhaps): According to https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/parks/restricted-personal-items/, tripods and monopods are allowed as long as they fit inside of of standard backpack. If your monopod/tripod is not carried inside of the backpack, I can imagine someone stopping you from bringing it in. But if it fits inside of a backpack, you *should* be okay.

My plan: Carry my *pods inside of my backpack (I usually do anyway) and if questioned, have the link above readily available to use in defense of my equipment. Hopefully, I won't need it.

 

[PhotoDave219]

We all have been sneaking in photo gear that we shouldnt for years and years, myself included.

Disney is cracking down on this stuff because of the size of the crowds. In 2004 when no one was here, Disney didnt care if i put a tripod smack in the middle of MSUSA for the fireworks - It wasnt an issue. As time has gone by and the crowds have grown as well as the number of people bringing tripods/monopods/pro gear in, Disney has reacted accordingly. Too many gear heads showing off ("out of my way, i have a fancy camera" to paraphrase a friend) have ruined it for those that play it low key.

 

[bristol's mom]

The main thing with the disney photography community is that it basically ends up being free advertising for them so it's not really something that they want to get rid of.

That is the way I see it and I seriously doubt you will find a photographer slinging around a monopod with an expensive piece of equipment on the end of it like the shutterbugs with the selfie sticks do (not that I am to be considered a photographer by any means but rather one who enjoys the advanced photography on this site).

 

[Robt]

Heading to WDW soon and wondering if it is any trouble to use a Joby clamp and locking arm: http://joby.com/action-clamp-locking-arm
Will I be allowed to use that to hold my camera while on rides? A few years ago I used it to clamp to the inner circular bar on Kali River Rapids and it worked great. Can I even bring that in the parks under the new policy?

 

[wdwmagic]

Heading to WDW soon and wondering if it is any trouble to use a Joby clamp and locking arm: http://joby.com/action-clamp-locking-arm
Will I be allowed to use that to hold my camera while on rides? A few years ago I used it to clamp to the inner circular bar on Kali River Rapids and it worked great. Can I even bring that in the parks under the new policy?

It is in a gray area, and it is going to come down to the security guard's interpretation of the rule when it is seen. Whilst it isn't a selfie stick, it does come under the "extension pole" criteria. My advice would be to not go in expecting to be able to use it. If you can, then great. Let us now how it goes. Good luck!

 

[PhotoDave219]

Heading to WDW soon and wondering if it is any trouble to use a Joby clamp and locking arm: http://joby.com/action-clamp-locking-arm
Will I be allowed to use that to hold my camera while on rides? A few years ago I used it to clamp to the inner circular bar on Kali River Rapids and it worked great. Can I even bring that in the parks under the new policy?

It is in a gray area, and it is going to come down to the security guard's interpretation of the rule when it is seen. Whilst it isn't a selfie stick, it does come under the "extension pole" criteria. My advice would be to not go in expecting to be able to use it. If you can, then great. Let us now how it goes. Good luck!

What Steve said.

 

[thomas998]

Heading to WDW soon and wondering if it is any trouble to use a Joby clamp and locking arm: http://joby.com/action-clamp-locking-arm
Will I be allowed to use that to hold my camera while on rides? A few years ago I used it to clamp to the inner circular bar on Kali River Rapids and it worked great. Can I even bring that in the parks under the new policy?

If you do get it in, please be considerate of the safety of others and don't use it on a fast ride like space mountain. I've seen people put these things on fast rides completely oblivious to the fact that it is not a permanent fixture on the ride and even though you might think it completely safe it can come off... And if it comes off when your going 40mph it is going to cause some serious injury to the poor person it hits which is rarely the person that attached it in the first place.

Personally I would like to see them kick people out of the park that attach these things to fast rides.

 

[afb28]

saw 2 monopods at Osborne lights last night

so your mileage may vary but there's that

 

[NowInc]

saw 2 monopods at Osborne lights last night

so your mileage may vary but there's that

Personally I am planning on converting my MeFoto into a Monopod (built in feature) for the Osborne Lights. It will be crowded and would rather not obstruct others around me by setting up in full tripod mode.

 

[afb28]

Personally I am planning on converting my MeFoto into a Monopod (built in feature) for the Osborne Lights. It will be crowded and would rather not obstruct others around me by setting up in full tripod mode.

haven't used mine as a monopod but are they stable for 1-10 sec exposures? i feel like you still have to stabilize it which would introduce a ton of camera shake over the exposure length

 

[NowInc]

haven't used mine as a monopod but are they stable for 1-10 sec exposures? i feel like you still have to stabilize it which would introduce a ton of camera shake over the exposure length

I'd say at most it would be stable enough for a 5 second exposure, depending on the weight of your body/lens. The heavier, the better.

 

[wdwmagic]

haven't used mine as a monopod but are they stable for 1-10 sec exposures? i feel like you still have to stabilize it which would introduce a ton of camera shake over the exposure length

I've never been able to use a monopod for a long exposure. It makes using heavy lens easier, adding a couple of stops of use before needing a tripod, or for stabilizing video, but they aren't really intended for anything measured in seconds where the slightest movement is going to wreck the shot.

 

[afb28]

I've never been able to use a monopod for a long exposure. It makes using heavy lens easier, adding a couple of stops of use before needing a tripod, or for stabilizing video, but they aren't really intended for anything measured in seconds where the slightest movement is going to wreck the shot.

That's what my understanding always was, that's why I only ever really see them for sports photography. Cant imagine the point of one in the parks (outside of that one photo with a guy with the 400 f2.8).

 

[wdwmagic]

That's what my understanding always was, that's why I only ever really see them for sports photography. Cant imagine the point of one in the parks (outside of that one photo with a guy with the 400 f2.8).

They are great for video, particularly for lengthy recordings.

 

[Robt]

If you do get it in, please be considerate of the safety of others and don't use it on a fast ride like space mountain. I've seen people put these things on fast rides completely oblivious to the fact that it is not a permanent fixture on the ride and even though you might think it completely safe it can come off... And if it comes off when your going 40mph it is going to cause some serious injury to the poor person it hits which is rarely the person that attached it in the first place.

Personally I would like to see them kick people out of the park that attach these things to fast rides.

Over the course of three days and multiple park entries (and bag searches) only one time was there any question about the Joby clamp. The guard asked if it was a selfie stick or if I had one. I explained that it's just for holding the camera, doesn't extend etc. and was allowed to bring it in. I barely used it anyhow and would never clamp it to a roller coaster. The only thing I really used it for was again on Kali River Rapids (though they reconfigured the rafts since my last visit, so I attached it on the ring near foot level). I do hope (and believe) that I do not use it any way that would risk another guest's enjoyment or safety. Frankly, I was more bothered by the people using their iPads and tablets as cameras -- at the Beauty and the Beast show I saw one woman holding her iPad above her head to film, AND she held her folding iPad cover open about it, just really inconsiderate.

 

[thomas998]

Over the course of three days and multiple park entries (and bag searches) only one time was there any question about the Joby clamp. The guard asked if it was a selfie stick or if I had one. I explained that it's just for holding the camera, doesn't extend etc. and was allowed to bring it in. I barely used it anyhow and would never clamp it to a roller coaster. The only thing I really used it for was again on Kali River Rapids (though they reconfigured the rafts since my last visit, so I attached it on the ring near foot level). I do hope (and believe) that I do not use it any way that would risk another guest's enjoyment or safety. Frankly, I was more bothered by the people using their iPads and tablets as cameras -- at the Beauty and the Beast show I saw one woman holding her iPad above her head to film, AND she held her folding iPad cover open about it, just really inconsiderate.

The iPad as a camera is becoming a very common thing and is even more annoying when it is done at performances at the castle area. It was going on during a hocus pocus show during Mickey's Halloween party where it becomes even more of a problem since the ground is flat and even more people get their view screwed up by someone taking bad video with their tablet.

To me selfie sticks were even that big a deal as long as the person using it was standing still... It only annoyed me when they would walk right over you because they were to busy yacking at the camera to look at where they were going. Though I did hear that several times people were caught trying to use selfie stick on California Scream'n in DL which is frankly just crazy stupid.