360 Camera Accessories

Bushman Claremont Monopod v2 preview

The next version of the Bushman Monopod (reviewed here), aka “the Claremont” is getting an update.  Here’s what’s different, and how to preorder it.

Bushman monopod for 360 cameras
The 1st-genertion Bushman monopod

The Bushman Monopod is one of the best monopods for 360 cameras.  It is not only long (65 inches fully extended) and sturdy, but is also narrow and has a compact base that won’t occupy too much of the nadir.

The new version has three improvements:

More compact: it now has five sections instead of four, and collapses down to 15.5 inches (39.5 cm).  The previous version collapsed to 45.6cm (18 inches)

More stable: they increased the counterweight to 400 grams.  The previous version had a 240 gram counterweight.

Improved tripod base: the new tripod has two positions – a flat position and an elevated position, which will occupy even less of the nadir.

The Bushman is a very good choice for interior photos.  It is tall and almost invisible, thanks to its thin profile and compact base.  I also like the fact that you can rotate the camera position by rotating the final segment, without having to move the tripod itself.

However, there are three issues with the Bushman you need to be aware of.  First, when using it outdoors, you need to be sure there is no wind, because it can be toppled by a strong breeze even with a counterweight.  The second issue is that it is not as easy to use on inclines because even though the legs are individually adjustable, the legs have only two positions.  The biggest issue is the cost – it is a bit pricey compared to some monopods.

You can preorder the Bushman here with a 14% discount (EUR110 instead of EUR127).  For a more affordable option, you may also be interested in the Qubo tripod legs for the Insta360 invisible selfie stick.

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Mic Ty

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  • And a fourth problem with the Bushman Monopod is (by the way also with its small carbon brother) that it vibrates/swings in itself, even in very light wind and destroys e.g. VR180 shots of the Vuze XR almost always, when it’s not perfectly calm. The swaying is not a problem from its tripod, because the monopod always vibrates and swings (depending on the wind strength), even on a stable big tripod.
    However, I haven’t found a monopod that doesn’t have this yet. Probably one has to forgo the “invisible” thought and change to a massive carbon monopod…

  • I remember when I first saw the first one of these, the counterweight idea is brilliant.

    The cost put me off though. I thought I would just come up with my own counterweight system since we have several 3d printers here at work…then I just went and bought a few ankle weights and they work great for this purpose. With the 5 lb. weight it would take much more than a breeze to knock it over, it will even correct itself from a light bump even.

    • Yup i used an ankle weight too sometimes. Works great as you said! 😀 definitely more stable than bushman counterweight

  • Is it fully waterproof? I want to put the whole thing at the bottom of my swimming pool.