Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Ok, I'm sure a fair few of you use them, the one with the fluid feet base.

Heres my issue, they all come with heads!

(Tell me I'm wrong please!)

I have three Weifeng heads and plates that amke my setup full interchangeable.

Now, from what I hear the lighter versions from Manfroto and Benro arnt worth using.

The sturdy 561B is a beast. I'd love to own it.

I thought, I'll buy it and sell the head which visually is the same as the 701HDV head which sells for about £100.

Except its not the 701HDV, its missing something rather vital. Because the 561B pans through its base, the head only has a tilt function! So pretty much unsellable.

I guess this is just a rant. But I'm also living in hope that someone might know something I don't?

Please?

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Stop press!

Pro Monopod Leg with 1/4" or 3/8" thread Max load 10kg & Stabilizer & Bag AS 561 | eBay

Although, with such a generic brand, should I expect much?

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Are you just looking for a recommendation for a headless monopod?

Manfrotto Neotec monopod is possibly the fastest in the world to set up, since it's just one button, one hand and one foot to adjust height (that's the way I do it anyway).

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Take the head off for now and use it as you like. OH....it looks like it's missing some parts tot he head....darn it !!! :-)

Manfrotto 561BHDV Monopod 719821301240 | eBay

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Whats the big deal about having feet? Its not as if you can leave the rig standing unattended. In which case you could use just about any monopod.

I use this Gitzo GM5561T:

Gitzo GM5561T Mountaineer Monopod - Carbon Fibre

It is rather expensive but it is lightweight whilst being at the same time chunky and it collapses very short so you can use it like that braced against your waist. I prefer to have a 701 head on it so that I can use the heads arm as a further stabilisation aid against my shoulder whilst the foot is against my middle.

There are cheaper versions from other manufacturers.

Pete

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

From my knowledge of them, they 'snap' in the centre point. And therefore, panning through the base give a properly horizontal smooth pan. In contrast, panning with the head, whislt trying to keep the shaft still its very hard to do.

This is why I stopped using monopods. I felt there was still to much wobble in the shots. My style is super smooth with tripod, slider and glidecam being used for all my shots.

Adrian, that Manfrotto Neotec certainly has nice (useful) features! Is there much pivot on the foot for doing lean in shots for example?

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

I'm sure a post in the "tripods & support" forum would be the best place, but anyway.

I had the 562b-1 monopod; the 701HDV head was very flimsy, and the lack of counterbalance and inability to pan. It really wasn't worth the money for me, I'd have been better off without the head.

There's a cheaper version of that Manfrotto monopod that just has a flat plate on top, manfrotto 562b-1. You can remove the plate and mount whatever head you want, I mounted an old 501HDV on mine and you did get the ability to pan.

There's a 560b-1 as well, but I don't know if the head can be removed in the same way.

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

The Manfrotto 561BHDV has a ball joint at the base so you can easily pan & tilt from the base unlike "just about any monopod". Trying to pan with a video head while holding the monopod shaft still is much harder.

The Manfrotto Neotec would be great if it had the same ball joint & little feet as the Manfrotto 561BHDV.

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Also, you can plonk your size 10s (in my case anyway) on it and get really good stability. And use it for a pseudo "crane" effect quite easily where you put your foot on the base and tilt the whole monopod towards your subject while tilting the head.

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Nigel, has it spot on, there are definate advantages.

Mike, the 562b I hadnt noticed and that could be a winner.

I also just found this. Never heard of the brand, but it seems decent quality, and the manufacturer has a 6 year warranty.

I like that the feet are a little longer on it, and of course its carbon fibre!

Sirui P-424X Carbon Monopod With Max. Load 15kgs with Supporting Feet | eBay

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Here is the best:

Manfrotto 561BHDV-1

and I use it with my NX5



stelios

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

It would be a nice DIY exercise the graft the foot of the Manfrotto 561BHDV onto a Manfrotto Neotec. I have a colleague who swears by the Neotec but mine disintegrated into its component parts some while ago so I might be biased when I say that the build quality isn't up to that of the 561BHDV however the one-handed adjustment was nice before it disintegrated.

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Stelios, you havnt read the post. I don't need/want a head. And the lack of pan function means the head cannot be removed from the 561B and sold on.

I'll probably get the 562B in truth. £140 from WEX.

But... this Sirui one has got me curious.

£130 (plus import costs), carbon fibre, 36mm diameter (so chunky enough), longer feet, and it has the ability to tighten the base so you can be more confident about locking it off for a time.

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Clive, it looks like a Chinese 100% ripoff of the Manfrotto to me. It may be as good, it may not be. It doesn't seem that much cheaper than the Manfrotto equivalent either.

Pity you weren't looking for this 6 months ago, I was flogging my lightly used 562 on here for under £100 and postage would have been pretty cheap!

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Mit Standspinne too!

The locking base would be more useful if it was operate with a lever rather than an Allen key.

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Postage? I work in Mallusk, I would have been calling round for it and a cuppa!

If you are selling anything again, make sure I know!

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Will do, Clive. It's always good when petrol cost is less than postage. :)

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Clive - With regard to the head, I had the same thought you had. I suspect they came up with the head that they used so that the weight would be less. Also, with more weight on the head end it would be more unbalanced to carry with the camera and what ever else attached so the lighter head helps in that department.

I picked up my 561BHDV back in October of last year and really haven't had much use with it until just recently. The portability factor is great compared to a full-size tripod. Use in limited spaces such as in small rooms or in a crowd is its forte and the compact size is very handy when traveling.

On the downside, I've found that it is not as steady as I would like but just recently I discovered a whole new use for it. a couple days ago I was down at the marina, on the docks, taking videos of boating activities. Some of the docks (finger piers) are rather narrow and setting up a full-size tripod is difficult because you can't get the full leg spread. The other problem was protecting the monopod from wind - I'd get it balanced and a gust would come along and cause it to wiggle a bit, or slight movement of the dock I was standing on caused by wakes from passing boats. Moving around to do setups on the docks was much easier with the monopod than with a tripod. It was a beautiful day and I got lots of "footage" with my digital camcorder.

The surprise to me was how easy it was to eliminate the slight movements in my "footage". (I don't care for this term as it harkens back to the film days). After importing the files into FCPX I ran some of them through the "Stabilization" setting and was blown away with how rock-solid the clips looked. Until now my monopod use was mostly indoors or in situations where there was no wind and on terra firma so slight movement was not an issue.

The Stabilization function in FCPX makes the monopod far more practical now and I'll no doubt use it much more.

Chinese knock-off: the monopod head (top) shown in the eBay link has 4 concentric rings while the Manfrotto has 5 rings.

Und das Deutche Carbon Standspinne, I like the longer legs although if the monopod is truly balanced they shouldn't be necessary. The retraction of the legs on the Manfrotto is a bit of a pain and I found myself carrying it around without the legs (feet?) retracted. Guess a monopod only has one leg so maybe the thingies should really be called feet, right?

Because so much of the monopod has heavy components I'm not sure how much benefit the carbon fiber component would be. On the other hand, for airline travel where the airlines see luggage and weight as a new-found profit center any weight savings is money in the pocket.

Allen wrench: I hate it. At least the size is reasonably universal in the video field as it fits several pieces of my equipment. I now have a heavy-duty plastic bag (~6" x 6") with a zipper that I keep it in. This way it won't get lost so easy.

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

I had a 561BHDV and gave up using it after I got the tour at the Miller factory here.
I was buying my Miller Compass 15 with the carbon fibre Solo 3 stage legs.

The sales ppl showed us how to drop one leg of a tripod and > hey presto > a monopod.
After some practise it works very well and means we've got 2 in 1 when we're away from the truck.

Cheers.

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Allan - Last year there was a lot of talk on this board about various monopods and I tried the same thing, that is, using one leg of my tripod to see if it would function well enough as a monopod. Basically, it didn't for me because I couldn't get it balanced quite well enough. If there was a post or something I could lean it against to keep it steady then I could improvise a monopod. Unfortunately there isn't always a suitable support at hand.

Last fall I had a couple Sony LANC controllers for sale on this board and one of the members contacted me to see if I'd be willing to do a trade so that's how I got it. At the time I really wasn't interested in buying one but, hey, it was more practical than the controllers that I couldn't use.

Question: Does the Compas 15 have feet on one of the legs? If it doesn't then for me at least it would be kinda difficult to use in lieu.

Product Idea: It would be a neat attachment if they could come up with something that would fit on one of the legs with feet to flip out for easier use while keeping the package balanced. Especially for a carbon fiber tripod because it is light for easy transporting. This should be really easy to do except for possibly patents.

As it is, I can use a tripod as a monopod but only with a limited capability. "Other people's mileage may vary." (mine isn't very good!)

With FCPX and "Stabilization" the monopod just made it into the category of one of my more useful kit items. I used to leave the monopod behind except on certain occasions, now it will probably be the other way around - I'm going to take it along except on certain occasions.

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

I've had the 561B for several years and it is my weapon of choice !!!

One thing the 561B has over the 562 is HEIGHT !!! Use it ONCE to be shooting over a crowd and you will see what a fantastic piece of gear it is.

As far as the head goes, I almost never relied on it to do anything, unless I was working over my head. Anything below that level, you pan with the fluid cartridge at the base or tilt via pushing or pulling the planted monopod closer or nearer your body.

You can find center and it will balance by itself, until something changes or vibrates and then you watch your cam go lens first into a concrete floor !!! You don't have to ask how I know that, just trust me. :-(

Clive if you choke down the initial cost, trust me, in a month you might not even care how much that was. It is that great of a piece of gear !!!

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

Just get the 560b-1, it is the same as the 561 but with out the large head then just get a plate on your camcorder, dslr and it fits right on top with just the small head that pans left and right and up and down at your say so...
Amazon.com: Manfrotto 560B-1 Fluid Video Monopod with Head Replaces 560B: Camera & Photo

Amazon.com: Manfrotto Quick Release Plate with Special Adapter (200PL): Electronics

Re: Video monopods - I don't want a head!
 

The 560 is a shorter, lighter version - it's OK height wise, BUT the 561/562 (same "shaft", different "head") is bigger diameter, MUCH taller, and somewhat more useful in that sense. The little "tilt" head on the 560 can be removed, as can the "heads" on the other models - 1/4-20 standard screw IIRC, although there is an adapter for 3/8.

I have the 560 and 561, I switch heads out as needed, as I have other things using the RC2 QR plate.

In looking at the two "flattery" versions (meaning "imitations" of the Bogen/Manfrotto design), the first one is SHORT (57", so probably more like the 560, the second is 74", so those longer feet are probably a great "upgrade". I'll have to have a look at the weight advantage of the CF. Not sure I like the twist locks, the Manfrotto "flip" ones are nice and work well. It's a good design, and I'm surprised it took this long for "imitators" to arrive.

Until you've used one of the monopods with the feet vs. one without, you don't realize how helpful they really are - I have difficulty keeping a "regular" monopod stable, I've tried, I wobble... the little feet somehow add just enough stability to get a decent shot. I thought they were silly (and overpriced!) until I tried them - I now have the 560 to grab and go for casual use, the 561 for when I want height and a more pro device. Both are something that you buy once and keep for a long time, IMO, offsetting the cost!