Price when reviewed
Well made, robust and very long, the 3 Legged Thing Trent 2.0 is a great monopod for wildlife and sport photographers but it’s also a worthwhile addition to a videographer’s kit, especially when paired with the 3 Legged Thing Docz2 stabiliser base (available in a kit with the Trent 2.0) and a video head.
The only downside is that it doesn’t pack down very small as its minimum length is around 60cm. If that’s a problem, take a look at the 3 Legged Thing Punks Alan 2.0 monopod which packs down to 44cm.
The 3 Legged Thing Trent 2.0 is an upgrade to the 3 Legged Thing’s original Trent monopod, the tallest monopod it is range. It takes onboard the features recently introduced with the company’s Punks 2.0 updated range of tripods such as the 3 Legged Thing Billy 2.0.
3 Legged Thing sells the Trent 2.0 by itself or in a kit with the Docz2, but the Docz2 can also be bought separately.
At just over 2m or 6.5 feet tall, the Trent 2.0 is the taller of 3 Legged Things two current monopods, the other being the 3 Legged Thing Alan 2.0. For scale, the person holding the Trent 2.0 in the image above is 6ft 2 in height.
Like the original Trent, the Trent 2.0 is a 4-section monopod. It’s made from magnesium alloy and it weighs just over 700g by itself. However, it can also be combined with the 3 Legged Thing Docz 2 foot stabiliser which adds another 531g, but also makes it a little easier to tilt and swivel the monopod smoothly.
In line with the new Punks 2.0 tripods, the Trent 2.0 has new rugged leg locks with knurling and chunky rubber grips. Inside the leg locks there are 3 Legged Things’ anti-rotation ‘Chicken Lips’ or shims that help to make the monopod more rigid and stable.
By itself, the 3 Legged Thing Trent 2.0 can be used to support a weight of up to 30Kg, but when the Docz2 is in place, this drops by 10Kg to a still substantial 20Kg.
At the top of the Trent 2.0, there’s also a textured rubber-like grip.
Thanks to sprung 1/4-20 and 3/8-16 male threads at the very top of the Trent 2.0, a camera or lens can be mounted directly or via a tripod head. Meanwhile, the dual female thread arrangement at the base enables the Trent 2.0’s rubber foot to be quickly replaced by the Docz2 stabiliser.
At a little over 2m in height, the 3 Legged Thing Trent 2.0 is one of the taller monopods around, which makes it a great choice for tall photographers. However, as it has four sections rather than five, its packed down length is still around 60cm. This means it sticks up quite high above the top of a backpack when I’m carrying it in a side pocket. While this looks a little strange at first, in practice it’s not much of a drama as it’s still lower than the top of my head so it doesn’t get caught on any branches that my head doesn’t encounter first.
As usual with a monopod, the 3 Legged Thing Trent 2.0 comes without a head but you can add one if you want. It’s great to see a sprung adapter thread at the top of the Trent 2.0 as this means you won’t be rummaging around trying to find one if you decide to mount a head. Equally, if you want to mount a camera or lens directly on the Trent 2.0, the larger thread pushes easily out of the way as you screw on the monopod.
Many photographers use a monopod to support a long telephoto lens with a tripod foot (as shown in the image above with the Nikon Nikkor Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S on the Nikon Z7 II). This usually makes a head unnecessary with land-based subjects as you can release the tripod foot collar to enable the camera to flip between landscape and portrait orientation. You can also move the top of the monopod forwards or backwards over its foot to tilt the camera down or up, but with high-level subjects like birds in flight, a head is a wise addition.
When the Trent 2.0 is collapsed, the three leg locks are close enough together for me to be able the grasp them all and twist them in one movement, allowing the leg weight to extend the monopod before tightening the locks again. It takes less than a quarter turn to release the locks and the leg extends smoothly.
At 5ft 2, I only need to release two of the locks and even then, I don’t need quite the full height available. But the point is, whatever height you need the Trent 2.0 to be, it’s quick to deploy.
I’d be inclined to use the Trent without the Docz2 for most photography, certainly for wildlife with big telephoto lenses when I’m carrying my kit over a long distance on foot. However, the Docz2 is a nice addition when you’re photographing a sport like football or rugby when you want to pan and follow lots of movement, but it really comes into its own for videography and when the Trent 2.0 is paired with a video head as it helps with making smooth movements.
Without the Docz2, the 2m height of the Trent 2.0 means it can also be used for crane or jib shots. Alternatively, it can be used as a boom arm or lighting support as well as a monopod.
It’s easy to swap the Trent 2.0’s foot for the Docz2. It’s just a case of unscrewing the rubber foot and then screwing on the Docz2. Once it’s attached, you get a good range of movement and you can tighten or loosen the action. However, the Docz2 is not designed to enable the monopod to stand by itself with a camera mounted.
Comparing the 3 Legged Thing Trent 2.0 with the original Trent, the new monopod looks a little smarter and the leg locks give a more assured grip – not that they are bad on the Trent. The grip at the top of the Trent 2.0 also seems more ‘grippy’, so the monopod feels even more secure in your hand.
Like the original Trent, the 3 Legged Thing Trent 2.0 is rather long for travel but it makes an excellent monopod for wildlife and sport photography, or to stabilise video footage and facilitate smooth movements.
The Trent 2.o feels solid, durable and well made. With a height ranging from 60cm to just over 2m, it’s also suitable for a wide range of uses and photographers of all heights. Teamed with a tripod head or mounted directly on your camera or telephoto lens, it makes a great addition to your kit – especially if you use long lenses on a regular basis.
If you’re looking for a shorter monopod that packs down smaller and has an otherwise similar specification, take a look at the 3 Legged Thing Punks Alan 2.0.
