Customer Reviews on Amazon.com

1. 87 of 93 people found this review helpful

   By Homeward Bound on Amazon.com 17 June, 2008

   A must have for pro's

   I got this monopod because not every place allows tripods. Many museums and other places you may want to go to take photos don't want you bringing in a huge tripod and setting up in front of a piece of artwork (that is if they even allow photos). I have found that many places will allow monopods. I shoot a Canon 40D with the battery pack. I am able to use the 28-135mm f/3.5 USM with no problem in stability. I have not tried it with the 70-200mm f/2.8L USM but that is a lot of weight so I might not get that brave.
   
   The camera will screw right onto the monopod without a head and you can raise or lower it quickly. To stabalize the shot while using as a monopod I suggest placing your hand in (not all the way through)the provided strap so that your hand pulls down on the strap and gripping the well cushioned top section of the monopod. Another added benefit of using this piece is that it makes you look more professional and people will stay out of your way while you get the shot. For wedding/event photography, this is a must have.
   
   The light weight makes it easy to carry around and the quick setup will help when there is nothing to lean on to stabalize yourself. You will need to practice screwing the camera to the monopod if you don't intend on leaving it attached since the first few times it is a little difficult to begin threading the screw in. After a while you'll be an old pro at it.
   
   To muffle the sound the legs make while stored inside the monopod, try some rubber bands wrapped around the top and middle of the legs. If you want to get real fancy, you can buy velcro straps as well. You may have to cut them to length to make sure they fit inside with the legs.
   
   Happy shooting.
2. 38 of 41 people found this review helpful

   By E. Post on Amazon.com 4 November, 2006

   handy mono-tri pod

   I really like the fact that this product can be used as a mono or tri pod. Sturdy stand. Tripod legs are metal and small in diameter so if on rough ground can be "stuck" into ground to make sturdy. Only complaint is that the tripod legs rattle inside the pole when hiking.
3. 29 of 31 people found this review helpful

   By J. Harris on Amazon.com 29 April, 2009

   Great item!!!!

   I have an older, silver version of this monopod (from about 2000) and I love it. It is easier to carry around than a tripod, and when you need the extra stability you can always unscrew the base and let out the "feet". Just make sure you never let the monopod free stand or you may find yourself looking to purchase a new camera\lens. And for those of us who have found ourselves in some less than ideal environments with expensive camera equipment, the monopod makes an excellent "deterrent" or club. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 star rating is because the base can become difficult to screw\unscrew if it is used in an extremely sandy area, such as at the beach. I had to then take the garden hose and thouroughly rinse the base and feet of mine of for several minutes, dry them with a rag, then apply a light coating of grease to the threads. A minor inconvience.
4. 4 of 4 people found this review helpful

   By Abhishek on Amazon.com 17 May, 2011

   Manfrotto for that price is good....

   Well to start with, if you need a tripod, buy a tripod. Dont expect the legs to help much. Yes they do support the camera well, even with a heavy lens (total weight was around 4 pounds). But as you take the tripod higher the sway increases. So you wouldnt want to regret with your costly gear. Use this as a monopod and theres nothing in the world to compare with. Of course carbon fiber would have made it lighter, but then its great to have it beside you even for your treks. Strong and sturdy and even with the 500mm Nikon primes, there so much stability when you hold the cam. I have still to use it for my macro, but then holding a 1.8 pounds lens with a equally heavy body with bare hands and that too still, I guess this will be a much better choice...
   
   4 marks for construction quality, 5 would have needed carbon fiber
   4 for ease of use (self standing), 5 needed a free head with this at least as a starter kit
5. 2 of 2 people found this review helpful

   By Alan on Amazon.com 21 February, 2011

   DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE A TRIPOD

   It works well as a monopod. It is well built just like everything that comes from Manfrotto. It does rattle but I fixed it with a Velcro strap on the bottom. The threads are large I don't see how some users are cross threading this unit. I use tripods a lot being a landscape photographer but I wanted something with a quicker set up. I couldn't do it with this unit. IT IS NOT TO REPLACE TRIPODS. The legs are too short to create any real stability and it does not lock in place causing the unit to spin in place. What it is great for is sport photography or action photography where you have to track a subject. It takes weight off from using larger zoom lenses. It is more of an improvement for monopods then it was to replace tripods. It is also heavy for hiking. I have a SLIK MINI II tripod that weights in around 2LB and this weights twice as much. Given this I still like it as a monopod but a heavy one, and is not mean to replace tripods at all.
6. 2 of 2 people found this review helpful

   By Yvonne Jagodzinski on Amazon.com 30 October, 2010

   A little heavy

   Overall I am pleased with the monopod. Very sturdy and well made although it is a mite on the heavy side. It does double very wall as a walking stick and has gone on several wanders with me already.
7. 4 of 5 people found this review helpful

   By A. Beckstedt on Amazon.com 24 April, 2009

   Great monopod

   Used this on our Tennesse vacation. We got some pics not otherwise able to get without a tripod or monopod. I do wish they had designed it so the legs dont rattle around when not out and also a faster deployment would be nice. But I am happy with it and will give it its use.
8. 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

   By Mike Purdy on Amazon.com 18 January, 2011

   Not too bad! I'm going to keep it.

   I ordered a different manfrotto monopod before this one and decided to try them both out before deciding which one to keep. I bought the Manfrotto 685b and like it. The only thing was I wanted a more versitile mononpod in the event I want to film or do some self portraits.
   
   Construction is good. It is not that stable though if you have a large 70-200 L series lens on it. Wind will make it sway and it will tip if too top heavy. I'm enven contemplating putting a foam ring aroudn the monopod in the event it tips, it will hit the ring and not the camera body.
   
   I view this monopd as a nice feature for the light monopod/tripod user. It is pretty stable though when you want to take a picture with the tri pod extended and you brace it. It does work, it's just not as stable as I'd hoped.
   
   You also need a velcro strap to wrap around the legs while they are inside the monopod to keep them from rattling when not in use.
   
   I don't regret purchasing it but I will be on the lookout for replacement down the road. I might be looking for something that just doesn't exist as I want a compact monopod/tri-pod hybrid that is extrememly stable.
9. By A.J. Nunez on Amazon.com 27 April, 2013

   Works well with my equipment.

   I use this monopod for my DSLRs and camcorders. In fact, I liked it so much I purchased two of them. 4 stars instead of 5 because the tripod legs rattle when stored in the unit.
10. By P. Rattue on Amazon.com 7 March, 2013

    Useful

    Light, versatile. The bottom stand can come unscrewed if you are not paying attention but that is easily avoided. Please with the purchase.