Editing Monopod (section)

==Precision optical and measuring instruments==
When used to support a compass or [[Brunton compass|transit]], the monopod is referred to as a ''[[Jacob's staff#In surveying|jacob staff]]''.<ref>Rutstrum, ''The Wilderness Route Finder'', University of Minnesota Press (2000), {{ISBN|0-8166-3661-3}}, pp. 47-55, 64-72</ref>  Mounting the compass atop the jacob staff eliminates reading errors introduced by body movements, and permits the taking of more precise bearings to targets.<ref>Rutstrum, pp. 47-55, 64-72</ref>

Monopods known as ''[[finnstick]]s'' are also used to steady high-power (typically, 10× or more) binoculars to permit a clear view without shake or wobble introduced by the user's hand and body movements.  With the introduction of gyroscopically stabilized binoculars, the use of stabilizing supports for binoculars have declined in recent years.