Manfrotto 561bhdv Question
 

This is the video monopod with head and small legs that's been reccomended by Dan Chung and Phil Bloom. In the specs, it says that the weight capacity is 8.8 lbs. I'm interested in it for my 7D rig, but with everything, the rig weighs more( almost 11 lbs).

I've got it mounted on a Mark's Photo 2 handle grip and a set of rails. the camera, one lens, rails, grip and ffocus weighs about 8 lbs. Add on the zoom, a monitor and battery, it's around 11 lbs.

Is anuone using it successfully with that much weight? Any other head options with the sticks ofr more weight?
Thanks
Bruce Yarock

I have that monopod. It's a great little unit. However, I don't think I've ever gone over ten pounds on it. The monopod doesn't stand up by itself anyway, so I'm not sure what part would fail under excessive weight. Perhaps the head? Perhaps the leg locks? The foot joints? I dunno. Perhaps you should just order one from BH & if it's seems unstable, you can always return it - unless, of course, it disintegrates beneath the weight of your mighty rig.

For that amount of weight you need the Manfrotto 562B.

Get the 562B... I've got it, works great, has the little feet... it's rated at something like 17 lbs.

Liam and andrew,
Thanks. That looks like it's the rught one. It doesn't have a head however. A guy on another thread reccomended the original mnafrotto with a velbon head

"I've found the Bogen 560b-1 monopod with fluid foot ($130) combined with a Velbon PH-368 head ($35) a great combination"

Would one of these heads work well with the 562b?
Bruce yarock

No Bruce. Don't go with the Velbon. It won't support the weight plus it's a pan and tilt head - you only need tilt with this monopod as it has pan built in.

The monopod is the same for both the 562 and 561. The heads are detachable and replaceable. So, if you have both the fluid tilt head and the quick release place you'll have both options covered: for lightweight loads you can use the fluid head and when you're packing the whole kit go with the quick release only configuration.

Liam,
I'm a bit confused. When I look on b+h, the 562 doesn't come with a head. There is a "swivel- tilt monopod head' accessory for $23. Is that the one I would buy for lighter loads? Is there another option for tilt when using the full rig?
Thanks
Bruce Yarock

Actually, I put a Velbon pan & tilt head on mine so I could control the resistance of the pan. I find it much easier to pan with the head, rather than twisting the entire monopod.

Lance,
Which velbon head did you use? Also, how much does your rig weigh?
Bruce Yarock

Is there a similar model monopod they make with a quick release for lenghtening it?
Bruce yarock

I bought the 561bhdv and replaced the head with a 501. Works great and much easier to pan and tilt.

I have to ask why? And the same goes for Randy above.

Why buy a pan head and use it with this monopod? It seems like a waste of money. The main feature of the 6561/562 is the fluid cartridge in the base that allows you to pan. This means you can hold the monopod and operate the camera whilst panning. With a pan head you can't do that. Also, if you wish to use a pan and tilt head why not get a normal monopod?

Try shooting with one and you will notice the difference. I'm able to get much smoother pans as the 501 head is definitely better than the feet of the monopod when it comes to panning. I've had the monopod jerk before ruining a shot due it having low viscosity while I've never had the issue when I switched to the 501.

Plus a fully kitted out 7D is much too heavy for that small head to handle. I have much more smoother pans and tilts.

I have mine setup so that it has enough resistance to still provide feedback but it will pan enough. I also tighten down the feet of the monopod quite a bit so it would take quite a bit of downward force coupled with a twist to get that to move. I can operate the camera and pan just fine with this setup.

Again, I wouldn't dismiss it until you've tried it. ;)

Randy, you misunderstand me.

My question is why not use a cheaper monopod with the 501 head. If you're not using the features of the 561/562, why pay the premium?

The feet/base is very sturdy and allows me to do quite a bit of leaning without slipping. I also took the 701 head and put it on my gorilla pod. :)