Cheaper carbon fiber monopods?

If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

Member's gallery
GregT943 said:
I ended up ordering the Robus RCM-439 that was recommended. Good price, good reviews. It has twist locks like I wanted, and only 4 sections like I wanted. Hopefully I made the right choice. If I don't like it, I'll return it and give the Feisol a try. Thanks for all the help and suggestions
Click to expand...
I bought a Robus tripod that converts in seconds without tools to a 75mm bowl for video heads. It is as well made as any of the tripods I have bought from Feisol and RRS and better than my newer Gitzo tripods. It also came with an excellent carry case that can be extended to include a video head as well as the legs, something not provided by RRS or Gitzo.

I buy from B&H as they make returns very easy to do. A great many tripods have not provided the claimed load support and if I can press down on the top and see the leg(s) flexing I return it.
 
Member's gallery
I recommend leofoto mpq404c. 4 sections, 40mm rod, quick 1/4 turn twist locks with a degree of water resitance. It is super sturdy. Although it is rated for 25kg in terms of stiffness it blows every monopod I have ever tried. Plus it is 180cm tall. It can be had for 150 USD shipped.
 
Member's gallery
There area few things to keep in mind when using a monopod:
  • The bottom leg segment can be very thin. That makes it more likely to flex or break. I normally only extend the bottom segment halfway to less. That implies you need a taller monopod and possibly more robust (wider) leg sections than your tripod.
  • Correct monopod use is at an angle with the monopod forming the third leg of a tripod that uses your two legs (your two legs plus the monopod as a third leg). An angled monopod at 60 degrees needs to be at least 12-18 inches taller than a vertical measurement.
  • For a lower position, you increase the angle of the monopod. This is a lot faster and more flexible than making a lot of small leg lock adjustments. You can do the same thing with a tripod by increasing the angle of one leg to lower the height. For elevated subjects such as birds high in a tree, you move toward a vertical orientation of the tripod.
  • There is relatively little difference in weight of various monopods - even heavy duty tripods - because you only have one leg. The same material in a tripod has three times the impact on weight plus requires a larger hub.
  • Using a monopod requires practice. If you only use it occasionally, you'll lean toward handholding. With practice, you'll get more comfortable with your monopod and use it more frequently.
 
Going along with the angled monopod idea, sometimes it seems it can help to step into the monopod so it pressures against a knee. So now there is a "tripod" made out of our two legs and the one monopod leg.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top