In article <4hngbj$l2d@hpcvsnz.cv.hp.com>, kens@lsid.hp.com says...

>Just as a wild engineering exercise, how about a monopod with a U on
>top of it, sort of like an oarlock with a bit of foam lining? It would
>be pretty cheap to try and with some practice, it should be easy to hit
>the balance point. Hopefully that won't be right over a part of the
>lens that needs to rotate.
>Any thoughts?

Oddly enough, I "inherited" an odd soft-plastic covered "V" with a damped rotating mount that fits on a tripod or monopod head....
Haven't tried to use it yet, though, but it appears to be what
you suggest (and really weird looking....) - I should give it a try!
Hope This Helps