ManfrottoXPRO Monopod+ 4-Section Aluminum Photo Monopod

I purchased the Manfrotto XPRO Carbon Fiber 4-Section Monopod because my son decided to play football. Because of his decision, I was “volunteered” to photograph the games just because I own nice photography equipment. As if daily practices and being dragged all over the country every weekend weren’t bad enough, I now have a side job to do. I’ll do my best to give this monopod a worthy review despite being a beaten down father of twenty-four years, with no end in sight.To start off, this thing is beautiful, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality! The levers to release/lock the different sections are extremely sturdy, and easy to use. The “lock” of the sections is strong enough to support my weight when standing up from a crouched position, let alone the weight of a large lens, and heavy camera with a battery grip. I can see where this monopod would make a great walking stick on long treks over mountainous terrain for nature shoots. If my knees and weekends weren’t shot, I’d love to test this serendipitous feature.For this particular model, the collapsed length is about 21 1/2 inches, and fully extended reaches a height of 65 1/2 inches or 5 foot 5 1/2 inches. At this height, the eyepiece of the mounted camera would be just about eye-level for a six-foot person. The foot of the monopod is a solid piece of rubber with 1/4 threads. The foot itself is just bigger than the size of a U.S. quarter. At the top is a fixed mount with 3/8 and 1/4 threads. At first glance, I thought there was no way to mount my 70-200 lens until I noticed the 3/8 threads are spring-loaded. Simply push your 1/4 mount onto the threads and it will screw on. The monopod also comes with a hand strap and a little plastic wrench-like clip to tighten the levers. Since this is a monopod, it stands on its own about as well as a unicycle.The top section features a soft rubber grip which fits nicely in my hand. Clearly, the clever design is intended to double as a shillelagh. With a minimum reach of twenty-one inches, I can confidently hold said shillelagh in self-defense of hooligans and ruffians. To say it is intimidating is an understatement, as I have yet to find anyone accept my challenge to a duel. Thus, I cannot speak to the efficacy of shillelagh performance, but I will provide updates accordingly.Since this is a photography related item, one would expect some decent photos highlighting the product. Because I am a very giving, overwhelmed, frequently taken advantage of, shell of my former self as the result of being a father, I have provided a few images for your subjection.See you at the next game!

Super high quality monopod. This was a huge improvement over the budget monopod I was using previously. The construction and build quality is superb. It is lightweight and when fully collapsed it is only about 21.5 inches long and fits in the side pouch of my camera bag with ease.Pros:* The latches to tighten/loosen the legs are the highest quality I've had in a tri/monopod. They are very securely fastened when closed. Opening them is easy and they have a very clear click into the open and closed positions.* The weight is amazing. It adds so little weight to my bag, and honestly the gimbal head I bought to put on it weighs much more than this monopod.* The base to the head is a great size. At roughly 2 3/8 inches it provides a large support base for whatever you screw into the top.* There is a rubber grip near the top that provides a secure holding spot, and being rubbery it doesn't slip in your hand so you feel secure carrying whatever is mounted to it. It also has a wrist strap attached which I appreciate. I don't use it often for carrying but it does provide added security and piece of mind if you wanted to use it.Cons:* I would have liked the head base to have had some kind of rubbery material on it to provide that little extra grip for whatever is attached to the head. However, I've not had my gimbal slip/spin unexpectedly on the head so even without this the head provides plenty of contact area to hold tight whatever is attached. Very minor con.Overall this was WELL worth the money and I'll never question the cost of Manfrotto products again based on what I've gotten from this monopod. 10/10 would recommend.

I had no idea a monopod would be this "perfect" - I have tried a few but they didn't feel right: top-heavy, too low, too many gadgets or camera did not feel secure.This Manfrotto monopod is a joyful experience ...weighted perfectly at bottom. Solid, comfortable & great height option..heavier camera setup feels "welded" on this lovely Manfrotto. Easy to "swing" due to slight bottom weight - great build. It is not "lightweight", but the weight distribution in design make it feel much better than the actual weight listed. This model has the hidden tri-leg......they are skinny....but again strong & perfect for intended support.

It feels sturdy and strong but I never tested it because I ended up returning it since it doesn't work for the purpose I bought it. I bought it because of the screw threads on bottom, I wanted to use it with the monopod feet that I have. But it didn't work out because the screw threads are for a 14-20" screw and my monopod feet have a 3/8 screw.I don't understand why companies make monopod feet with such small footprints and with fluid centers at the base. It's ridiculous and doesn't serve the purpose of keeping the monopod sturdy and preventing camera shake. That's why I didnt buy Manfrotto's feet for this monopod because the footprint is too small and it has a fluid ball in the center of the base. I wanted to use the monopod feet that I own because the footprint is nice and wide and it's very sturdy.