Customer Reviews

Hakuba MONO-POD-10 Photographic/Video Table Tripod

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really liked the usefulness of the Hakuba monopod 10 and its slender, compact size. Great for travel. The main telescoping sections are all metal. But, here's the big BUT -- the two non-telescoping flip-out short legs are plastic. Both of mine now have small cracks where the legs are attached to the main monopod shaft. This occured under the weight of a Nikon FM and a plastic-barrel telephoto lens, not a very heavy load.

So, if you want a slender monopod, it's fine. But as a tabletop tripod, I'm afraid this isn't the best choice -- not until Hakuba makes those two short legs of the same metal as the main monopod.

As I carry around a compact digital camera (Canon SD-100) all the time and am an available light freak, I am in need of serious camera stabilization. I find all of the monopods by Bogen, Sunpak, Manfroto, etc to be way too long contracted and do not desire to look like a mountaineer in the middle of a museum. The Hakuba MS10 folds down to 9.8 in., about half the length of most monopods, and weighs only 1.25 lb. So, if you don't need a walking stick or a serious tabletop tripod, but do need an ultra-compact monopod, this is the best there is. I bartered mine away to a friend in Paris and have been missing it ever since.

As soon as I received the tripod, I unpacked it and started to unfold it for tripod use. Did what I was told to do (ie instructions on tripod)and promptly broke one of the legs.

This is not a Bogen or a Gitzo or even a Slik, nor did it cost as much!

In all fairness for a kid starting to take the step from snapshots to photography, this mono/tri pod might be just the ticket!
Adult Photographers, pay the money for quality!

I have had my Hakuba monopod for several years and am very pleased with it. The versatility is wonderful. The two front legs allow you to use this as a table top tripod, or to stabilize the monopod against just about any surface (Tree, Table, Wall, Fencepost, Car, etc.). They are plastic and the locking mechanism is very stiff when you first get it. I just broke the plastic locking tab off after I opened it since the screws that attach the legs to the monopod work very well as friction locks. The camera mount freely pivots 360 and can arc a full 120 degrees until you lock it in place. I would not call this a professional grade piece of equipment nor would I attempt to load it up with heavy equipment (more than 3-5 lbs) such a my 35mm SLR with a 110mm lens. But it has worked incredibly well with my Nikon CoolPix L3 for several years and easily handled my trusty old Yashica TLR with a 35mm lens. The locking mechanism on the main leg is sturdy and adjustable. I have used it on many occasion to shoot event videos over the head of the crowd in front of me with my CoolPix by holding the camera overhead with the main leg fully extended and holding the bottom two sections. Best of all the whole unit folds down to 10"x1.5" and weighs under a pound so you can toss it in your glovebox or coat pocket with your "Grab and Shoot" camera and never have to worry about your body movement blurring the shot in low light conditions.

I have used this unit for travel with success for several years. It is fine for a small camera. When I upgraded to a DSLR this monopod just can not handle the weight. The leg will support the camera with a long lens attached. The weak link is the ball head. It sags under pressure of more than a couple of pounds. I gave this to a friend and purchased a real monopod from Benro. It is very heavy duty but much heavier much bulkier. I think this is a great concept and hope this manufacturer will introduce another model that is a bit more heavy duty.