Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsMultifunction Monopod/Shillelagh
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2022
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!
