Customer Reviews

Opteka MP100 67" Professional Heavy Duty Photo / Video Monopod

5 star:		(114)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Length:: 2:29 Mins

A quick, 2:30 video review of the Opteka MP100 67" monopod highlighting it's good qualities and the really bad problems I had with getting it off of the camera as well as my poor experience with Opteka's customer service.

I tried two other monopods before I settled on this one. I was looking for a lightweight monopod carry when hiking and biking with my Nikon D200 or Canon Pro1. The Pro1's 200mm equivalent zoom often requires support to eliminate camera shake when taking dawn, evening or deep forest (low light) photos. Even the Nikon's 18-200mm (27-300mm equivalent 35mm) VRII lens benefits from using a monopod.

The Pro1 weighs 1.5 pounds and the Nikon D200 3.5 pounds.

Here are the features the Opteka MP100 has that I consider important:

1. it's amazingly light weight
2. it's very rigid (considering the light weight) because the round leg has a locking channel
3. it's sturdy enough to use as a light walking stick
4. the quick action lever leg lock system means it adjusts height quickly which I find very important
5. the carrying case with strap keeps it from banging against another metal object when traveling
6. the 67" length allows me to set the camera at eye level (I'm 6' tall) even if I'm up on a step
7. folded up and attached to the camera, it can be lik a pistol grip

I've been using it for 6 months now and I'm very pleased it. I fold it up but leave it attached to the camera when I'm walking around, so it is always available.

At $13 it is a fantastic buy.

The Optika MP100 Pro Photo Monopod is surprisingly sturdy, functional and well-made. It is supplied with a reasonably decent quality zippered nylon case with carrying strap. No, it is not "professional grade", but it is something every amateur photographer can use for weekend shooting. I've used it both with digital still and camcorder, where it offers respectable improvement in long-distance shots (versus trying to hold the camera still, or propping it up on the roof of the car, a not-nearby-enough fence post, and so on.) Certainly a LOT handier than the old tripod! I bought two, keeping them ready-for-action in the trunk of my cars. Highly recommended!

Good quality, particularly for the amazing price. Sturdy, well-made, and even the case is nice. Pops open in a second, collapses just as easily.

Keep in mind that fully collapsed it's wider than a standard backpack, so if you lash it under a backpack it will be awkward. But the strap on the carrying case makes it easy to loop the monopod and carry it vertically.

Okay, for the price, what can one expect? I found that with even a modest load that the top plate had a significant amount of play. I would not use this for any camera/lens combo that was more than two or three pounds.

As for the previous reviewer who suggested one never needs more than 67" of monopod, I beg to differ. It is fair to say that this is a tall monopod, which is why I took a chance on it. But whether it is tall enough depends on how tall you are (I'm 6'5") and what kind of surface you're standing on. If the surface slopes away from you (on a hill) or you have to use a step below you for resting the foot of the monopod, 67" may not be enough.

For a few dollars more, check out the Bogen/Manfrotto line of aluminum monopods. They are not as small or light (and sometimes not as tall), but they are tough and reliable. If you want a monopod for your point and shoot or an SLR with a modest lens (forget that 80-200 f/2.8), then this one might work for you.

It is a $15 monopod, come on people. If you are expecting a $50 Bogen, look elsewhere. It is great to beat the hell out of and believe me, it can take a beating. Mounting a 20D is not a proublem at all, it supports it 100%.

I received the Opteka MP100 as a gift. You attach this unit to the camera by securing the screw to the tripod attachment on the camera. The 3rd time I put it on my camera, I tried felt it give way.
What happned was the screw and the rest of the unit had discoupled. The unit could be turned freely on the camera (now with the screw attached) but there was no way to unscrew the unit from the camera. The whole unit just turned whichever way you twisted it, clockwise or anticlockwise,
I had to resort to cutting into the unit to expose the screw. Then I could manage to get a grip on the screw to remove it. The process took me about 30 minutes and all the time it was at some risk to damaging the camera. I will try to post some pictures.
I notice that this unit is not available on Amazon currently.
I would not recommend this unit to anyone and I would be rather wary of products under the brand Opteka.
Those who own this unit should be very careful. DO NOT try to secure it too tightly to your camera. You may find it impossible to remove it later.

I will try to get a refund.

I ordered this pod expecting a flimsy, low quality item. The Opteka MP100 is a surprisingly sturdy, strong, and certainly well worth the money.

Not much to say other than this thing works great. Basic technology.

I like to keep a Canon EFS 18-200 mm mounted on my T2i dSLR and, even though the lens has image stabilization, it is sometimes hard to see the focus points when zoomed to 200 mm (especially with the T2i's 1.6 crop). Mainly, I wanted something to keep in my car, for quick use. This is perfect for that.

I was happily surprised with the quality of this monopod. I was expecting some low quality plastic thing. The extension tubes are really aluminum and it all seems well made. The top has a nice padded hand grip and it comes in a zippered fabric bag with a carry strap. I'm a happy guy with this purchase. :)

ken

I purchased this a few months ago and here are my impressions.

Pros:
-Great quality for the price.
-Sturdy enough to use as a walking stick but light enough not to be a burden.
-Simple, secure flip locks for each section of the pole.
-Nice case included.

Cons:
-Screw-down rubber foot that covers the metal tip wore down quickly.
-Plastic connection for the hand strap is cheap and poorly placed.
-Hand strap is too cheap and uncomfortable to use.

Conclusion:
You will not find a better deal in Monopods than this one. In spite of the cons, I would buy this again in a heartbeat. It costs a fifth of what a similar Manfrotto monopod costs and does exactly the same thing.
It is the best monopod out there for someone on a budget!