3 Legged Thing Alan 2.0 and Docz2 monopod and stand kit at a glance:
- Monopod and stabiliser kit
- 5-section carbon-fibre leg
- Maximum height 156cm
- Folded length 50cm
- Weight 1.11kg
- www.3leggedthing.com
Monopods are an invaluable form of support for sports and action photographers who regularly shoot with large, weighty telephoto lenses, and can also be extremely useful for those who shoot video on the move. In recent years, we’ve seen a trend towards stabilising them further by the addition of a small tripod foot.
This good-sized five-section carbon-fibre example from 3 Legged Thing gains a number of improvements compared to the previous version. It’s available for £130 on its own, but here we’re looking at a £170 kit that also includes the Docz2 foot.
The monopod is available for £130 on its own, or £170 with the Docz2 foot
3 Legged Thing Alan 2.0 and Docz2 monopod and stand kit key features:
- 2-part kit: The stabiliser stand can be easily removed and replaced by a rubber foot, allowing the monopod to be used on its own
- Large Locks: 3 Legged Thing’s signature chunky leg locks make this monopod quick to set and adjust in height
- Rubber grip: This boasts a textured surfaced along with sculpted channels, promising secure grip in wet conditions
- Connector: A standard 1/4in thread allows connection to a camera or telephoto lens, while a sprung, push-down 3/8in outer sleeve accepts ball or tilt heads
In typical 3 Legged Thing fashion, this is a robust, hefty piece of kit. It sports the firm’s usual large twist leg-section locks, which are really quick and easy both to undo and tighten-up again firmly, even when you’re wearing gloves.
In a clever design touch, they can’t unscrew completely by accident, but can still be easily taken apart for cleaning if required. Also of note is the large rubberised handgrip that provides an exceptionally positive hold. Surprisingly, no wrist strap is supplied in the box, but three slots protruding from the camera platform allow one to be attached if you’d like.
Also at the top, the connector uses a neat dual-thread design. There’s a standard 1/8in screw for directly attaching a camera or lens, that’s surrounded by a sprung, retracting 3/8in sleeve for an add-on head. The firm offers a range of ball-and-socket ‘Airheds’, but one thing missing from its line-up is a simple tilting head.
Here the camera is supported solely on the Docz2 stand. You’ll require an L-bracket if you’d like to shoot at low-level in the portrait format
It’s at the base, though, where this kit really stands apart. Unscrew the monopod’s simple rubber foot and attach the Docz2 base, and you get a significant boost in stability that easily justifies the 500g extra weight. The three small legs fold upwards for increased portability, while another rubberised foot at the base means you can use the monopod without necessarily having to fold them out.
A ball joint between the tripod stand and the monopod provides useful flexibility and, in a minor stroke of genius, its tension can be adjusted for different loads by twisting that foot. The joint can also be locked in the vertical position by spinning down a metallic-orange disc.
Table tripod
In principle, the Docz2 stand can also be used as a mini tripod. It only really works on flat surfaces, you can’t easily get at the tension control and you’ll need an L-bracket to turn the camera to portrait format, but it’s still a useful option to have at your disposal.
3 Legged Thing Alan 2.0 and Docz2 monopod and stand kit: Our Verdict
I tested the Alan 2.0 /Docz2 combo using a full-frame mirrorless camera with a 100-400mm lens and found it to be more than up to the job. If you’d like a stable support for large lenses or video, it would be a fine choice.
The 3 Legged Thing Alan 2.0 and Docz2 monopod and stand kit is an excellent choice for photographers and videographers who require extra support
