Trek_Tech_trek_00112_TrekPod_XL_Esse

[wolan]

Hi,
what is your opinion about this product?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...tials_Kit.html

Thanks.

[Polar01]

Nico: nice idea however I do not thing that it is worth the free shipping. Try using those 3 legs first bit of a breeze and over she goes with camera attached. Suggest you buy separate good monopod and a couple of hiking sticks would be a lot cheaper, when you try to make something do everything it goes not do anything well. That is just my thoughts on the matter.

Cheers:

Allan

[wolan]

Hi, thanks for the reply.
I am looking actually for a free-standing monopod and I stumbled upon this.
The best choises I have found so far are (the best on the top):
1) Giottos MM5580
2) FEISOL CM-1473
3) Manfrotto also has such monopods

1) seems to be the sturdiest of the pack, I am afraid I have to order it in the USA but the price is very attractive
2) I can order it in Germany, seems very good stuff, but could not find product reviews. Rather expensive though
3) Manfrotto offers the three legs as separate component, I think however I'm going to choose between 1) and 2)

What is your opinion? Any further product suggestions?

Thanks.

[rpcrowe]

Nico, I would not be a fan of this device for the following reasons:

1. There is no way that I would ever have my camera free standing on a set of legs like this. IMO, that would be just asking for a disaster...

2. I don't like ball heads as an attachment/adjustment system for a monopod. When using a non-tripod ring equipped lens, if you want to place your camera in a vertical position with a ball head, you must hang the camera/lens cantilevered over to the side. This is not a stable, balanced position for a camera on a monopod. This is IMO, especially true when shooting with a longer and heavier telephoto lens...

3. I use a Kirk Enterprises MPA-2 swivel head on the top of my Calumet monopod. The camera is attached via an Arca Compatible Clamp and a Really Right Stuff L-Bracket. This keeps the camera/lens center of gravity directly over the monopod...

4. Although I don't mind putting some pressure on my monopod for balancing over rough ground, I do not consider my monopod as a walking stick...

5. For the price of this monopod, I could get a graphite monopod + tilt head. It would weight the same or less...

[DanK]

Even without a breeze, this would be very unstable with anything more than a tiny pint and shoot on it. IMHO, there are tripods, there are monopods (not freestanding), and there is nothing in between that I would want to use.

Even with a real tripod, one has to be careful. I once had a 50d and a 70-200 f/4 mounted on a real tripod, and it blew over in a gust of wind.

[rpcrowe]

BTW: I don't do collapsible walking staffs because I had one collapse on me in a dangerous situation and could easily have put me in big time trouble. I must admit however, that it was not an expensive Trek product and that I was putting some heavy pressure on the stick.

Although I cannot carry it on a plane, bus or train; I do use a stout hickory walking staff which I would bet my life (I have). I have attached a spare Arca compatible clamp on the top of this stick. No, I cannot tilt it and no I cannot retract it to shoot at other than eye level but, the darn thing is really sturdy and I have no problem immersing it in a stream or the ocean. It is really more walking staff than monopod...