The two new monopods from 3 Legged Thing are compatible with the new Docz foot stabiliser, making them ideal for both photography and video.
Alan, a rugged carbon fibre professional monopod; Trent, an ultra-tall Punks monopod; and Docz, a foot stabiliser that works with both monopods, and which is also available separately are the new products announced to join 3 Legged Thing’s catalog, complementing their range of tripods and accessories. Introduced as the 1 Legged Thing, the new products are available to pre-order online now and via retailers worldwide, and will ship in time for the official release date of 1st August 2018.
As usual for 3 Legged Thing, the names for these monopods are inspired on someone or something, and this time the choice mixes in the same sentence the Bletchley Codebreakers and 90s industrial metal. Yes, Alan, the monopod, is named after Alan Turing, the man behind the techniques that allowed The British and Allies to break the German Enigma code. Allan worked at the Government Code and Cipher School at Bletchley Park, being one of the Bletchley Codebreakers.
Now that we’ve looked at the reason behind the names, let’s explore what the new products offer. 3 Legged Thing wanted to offer products that reflect the needs of many professionals these days, divided between photography and video, and that’s reflected on the way Alan, Trent and Docz work.
“It’s been five years since we last had a monopod in the range, and it was really important that we made sure that anything we develop is relevant in the current market place,” commented Danny Lenihan, Founder and CEO of 3 Legged Thing. “With these two monopods, kitted with our Docz foot stabiliser, we have straddled the divide between photo and video, without compromise, and at a price point that makes them hugely competitive.”
Built for versatility and resilience, Alan aims to offer users the perfect blend of size, weight and capability. Presented as the ideal solution for action and sports photography and to add stability when creating video footage, Alan has a stored height of 45 cm / 17.5 ”, and is compact enough for transportation in hand luggage. Alan extends to a maximum height of 1.49 m / 58.7 ”.
Formed from 8 layers of 100% pure carbon fibre and aircraft grade alloys, ensuring it is both light and incredibly strong, Alan can support a maximum load of 60 kg / 132 lb – almost 100x his own weight!
Videographers will appreciate the fat that both ends of the monopod feature dual 1/4”-20 and 3/8”-16 threads allowing Alan to connect to a variety of accessories, and to be used as a camera or microphone boom. The patented Tri-Mount plate has three hollowed spurs for the attachment of accessories, and the unique Big Grip provides maximum grip for security and has deep channels designed to disperse moisture.
Punks range monopod Trent’s full extended height is over 2 m (80”) making it one of the tallest monopods in the world today. Formed from aircraft-grade magnesium alloy, Trent is both strong vertically, and is capable of lateral loads making him ideal for use as a camera or microphone boom. Trent’s maximum load capability is 30 kg / 66 lb, giving him an impressive load-to-weight ratio of 50:1.
Trent features 3 Legged Thing’s unique Bubble Grip technology on the leg locks and column grip. This offers users improved leverage, and maximum grip in inclement weather conditions. Like Alan, Trent also has dual 1/4”-20 and 3/8”-16 threads at either end allowing for use with a variety of accessories.
Both Alan and Trent have a detachable rubber Boot at the bottom, which can be replaced with any of 3 Legged Thing’s footwear – Heelz, Stilettoz, and Clawz – or can be used with the new foot stabiliser Docz.
Docz is a rugged foot stabiliser with a 30 cm /12 “ base, designed specifically to add stability to monopods. With an alloy base construction, a rugged ABS top cover and rubber boot adjuster, Docz adds a stable, solid base for monopods with no flexing. The rubber adjuster controls the friction and tension settings on Docz’ ball mount, enabling an ultra-smooth motion for action and sports photography. The ball mount has a 3/8”-16 thread, and can also be locked upright for extra stability.
Docz legs can be folded upwards, creating a more compact footprint for transportation.
Alan, Trent and Docz will each be available separately, as well as in kits with the following suggested retail pricing:
Alan – £129.99 / $149.99 – Alan Kit (Alan + Docz) – £169.99 / $199.99
Trent – £109.99 / $79.99 – Trent Kit (Trent + Docz) – £109.99 / $129.99
Docz – £49.99 / $59.99