Monopod

When using a tripod the advice is to switch off shake reduction but what about when using a monopod, SR on or off?

I think the advice will vary with the camera model. As SR has improved and takes its analysis from more axes, the later models may suggest to leave SR enabled as the camera will recognise what you are doing. Earlier models I think turn it off.

To be honest I reckon your best approach is to practice first and see which gives you the best method.

Good advice from pschlute, although I would leave SR on with a monopod; after all it helps to steady the camera especially with a long lens but it is not static as on a tripod. Nothing though beats a high shutter speed for sharp images in such a situation.

Agree with both the above. There's no substitute for trying both with and without SR and finding which works best for you. Take shots of the sort of thing you use a monopod for, both with and without SR, and repeat each several times (SR won't get it right every time, it's a matter of probabilities, so mustn't judge it on the basis of one or two shots). Shouldn't take more than half an hour. The way you shake with a monopod (and I mean it seriously!) may not be the same as how I do, so what works for you may not work for me and vice versa. In fact, when I use a monopod the biggest involuntary movement is small forwards and backwards motion and SR can't handle that. Not a big problem for landscapes, but a pain for close up/macro...

Steve

To add to the comment's above,

I use a monopod generally with a longer lens such as a Pentax 150 - 450 to aid steadiness particularly at max lens length and low-ish light levels without increasing the ISO to much, where light is low and I have moving targets in range, I'll go for a higher ISO and up the shutter speed and reduce any noise in post.

If the target is fairly stationary it'll be a tripod and as low a shutter speed / ISO combi to get the effect I'm after.

There's no substitute for practice which will improve your technique both with a monopod and or handholding a big lens and getting sharp results.

Thanks for the advice everyone, I will go out on a "test run".

The results are in and leaving SR switched on is the decision.

A success for the scientific approach!

Steve

Well done. Of course the beauty of digital is that even "on the day" you can review and change method if you wish, although I think always better to have in your head a clear approach before you start. One less thing to worry about.