Manfrotto 685B (neotech) Monopod

[B D H]

Okay I know there's not much to be said for the humble monopod, but this one is an exception

I use this mainly for birds & in the past have made do with the regular type Manfrotto 3 section MP, either missing that perfect shot mucking around extending & locking each section or walking around the bush with with it fully extended in a very cumbersome manner

the neotech requires no locking, it has a nifty foot pedal which you stand on & then you simply lift the Camera/lens to the desired hieght for shooting,whereupon it locks in place
lowering only requires releasing the safety catch & trigger & the weight of the camera/lens takes it down again
I use it with a 234RC swivel head which works in very well

pros: all of the above

cons: its a lot heavier than most, its longer than most (800mm) however at my height of 6' its at the perfect unextended height for a half kneeling position if need be

As I say its only a monopod, but its been a revelation

[krvins]

+1 for this amazing bit of kit. Like yourself I use it mainly for birding, with an Induro gimbal and 500f4/1DIV mounted on top most times. The ability to transition from ground level shooting to bif and back is easily and quickly accomplished. Have only lost the detachable foot once :( - took me 15 mins of backtracking to find it. Nowadays I'm a lot more aware of of the ground terrain and regularly check to make sure it's still there :D

[B D H]

[ . Have only lost the detachable foot once :( - took me 15 mins of backtracking to find it. Nowadays I'm a lot more aware of of the ground terrain and regularly check to make sure it's still there :D[/QUOTE]

Ditto, I've been thru the exact same scenario,
I plan on drilling a very small hole in the foot and attaching it to the MP with fishing line or similar