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The GOOD:
The King of the Monopods arrived in perfect condition and in under a weeks time. Amazon decided to lower the price of this monopod to $251.68 for one day and after taxes I am out $271.81......but whoa nelly ...... there is that $65.00 rebate for Manfrotto devices valued over $250.00 so $206.68 is the damage ... WOW ...... I SCORED - Bada Bing baby !
I tested this monopod out at the world famous San Diego Zoo and also at the Safari Park (Wild Animal Park) this past week here in California. Now I know why this monopod got rave reviews. My photos went to a whole new level for the better. The number of "newbie" pictures went way way down or almost next to none. The wife is an artist so she needs quality photos taken by me "the camera newbie" to build a portfolio of animals to later paint and sell. I took no less than 3,000 photos over two days with this monopod. I took videos and photos without a hitch. I am using a Canon SX-50 camera which I set to AUTO and pretend to know what I am doing. This is flat out a killer piece of monopod gear. I am 6'1" and it extends another 6 inches above my head and is rock solid and not wobbly. This monopod is a beast and very well made. It pans and tilts as smooth as molasses. I can pan with two or three fingers. I can tilt with one finger. There is a dial adjustment for the tilt drag and lock. The tilt will re-center itself to give you smooth action up or down. There are built in bubble levels on the fluid head. The legs and lock extension systems are intuitive and easy to use. Set up is done in under 15 seconds. The quick release system requires a two step process so your camera does not go flying off into space. The monopod is a tad bit on the heavy side carrying it gorilla style but when coupled with a padded bag - no problems with a shoulder sling.
The Manfrotto bag to sport your gear is the Manfrotto PART # MB MBAG80PN carrying bag. This is THE water proof padded bag for your monopod plus it looks cool (around $79.00) and it is quality. It is a tight fit in this Manfrotto padded bag so if you are planning to mount a ballhead on top of the fluid head, it will not fit, otherwise; the fit is snug. There is no wiggle room from inside top to bottom after the monopod is inside the bag so heads up. I keep a couple of extra plastic grocery baggies to use in a pinch to protect the monopods feet from dirt, mud or from animals whizzing in the zoo. No one has mentioned a good monopod bag in the reviews so here is the first one.
The BAD:
Many have reported the "popping" or stuttering which can occur from the bottom of the monopod's ball swivel system. Right out of the box I started to pan the monopod and I could feel the "popping" which would ruin any video shots. I kept working the monopod and the popping stopped. I touched the top exposed part of the ball at the base of the monopod and it appeared to have a real light grade oil so I figured I would just work the monopod until the oil worked its way around the joint and it worked. The popping just stopped all together. I have read others using WD-40, 3M's Dry Silicone, or Duponts Dry Teflon with success to lubricate the lower swivel ball joint so I am not worried about this issue since others have found simple maintenance solutions.
The Manfrotto monopod hand strap falls off easily so heads up. I accidentially knocked it off twice which is hard to do for a hand strap. I had the wife sew a few stiches at the tail end of the handstrap and to the strap itself and bada-bing....no problemo. The hand strap will never fall off again.
BIG HEADS UP HERE ..... there is a plastic maintenance tool included to tighten the leg extension clamps. It pressure clamps onto the thickest part of the monopods shaft. This plastic maintenance tool will get lost and will fall off easily when bumped just right. One other person reported this weakness and they are right. I knocked it off repeatedly at the zoo. Put the plastic maintenance tool in your camera / gadget bag or other safe place otherwise; it will get lost eventually and then you will be bumming hard.
The UGLY:
The high price of the monopod. I had buyers remorse paying so much. This is a stick that twists and tilts and I am thinking I have lost my mind over paying for camera / video gear. There are cheaper alternatives - I know......however; there was one post I read where the guy simply said "after all the cheap gear I bought I learned to just buy the better gear and understand you pay for what you get."
The UGLY period ended after two days of filming at the zoo and seeing the wonderful results on my computer later. Once you use this monopod, the UGLY phase will pass quickly.
So in conclusion ....... Trust a brother. Just buy it and have no regrets. That is all.
| Brand | Cozysmart |
|---|---|
| Item model number | 561BHDV-1 |
| Operating System | Chromebook |
| Item Weight | 3 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 8 x 8 x 55 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 8 x 8 x 55 inches |
| Color | Black |
| Manufacturer | Mambo Press |
| ASIN | B003YM04NO |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | January 27, 2009 |
