If you're taking pictures on a regular basis with your digital camera, you're probably using a tripod at least part of the time, probably for product shots for your eBay store, for still photographs of your family, maybe for landscapes.

Have you considered using a monopod for some of these shots instead?

A monopod, in case you're not familiar with it, is exactly like a tripod, except with only one leg instead of three.

If you own neither, I'd suggest buying a tripod first. But if you own a tripod, use it a lot, but want something lighter and more maneuverable, consider investing in a monopod.

There are three advantages to a monopod, in the right circumstances:

1. It has a smaller footprint. If you're working in a crowded area, say at a Little League baseball game or a high school graduation, a monopod gives you the stability of a tripod without taking up as much space as five ordinary human beings or Shaq.

2. It is more flexible. A monopod is not only more flexible space-wise, but is much easier to adjust up and down, because there is only one leg to adjust, and you can lean it, sideways or forward, to get that difficult shot.

3. It is lighter. This may not seem like such a big deal when you're taking photos in your home, but when you go to take those landscapes on the beach, would you rather carry a tripod or a monopod?

There's no need to buy a really expensive monopod, unless you get one, find you can't live without it, and want to upgrade.

But I think once you try a monopod you'll be hooked, as I am.