Manfrotto 680B Compact Monopod Black

I perchased two monopods one for my son and one for myself.
Used for long walks wildlife birding.
I use it with a Nikon D7000 and a SIGMA 150 - 500 large zoom.
The monopod works great and also can be used as a walking stick.
Its very robust and not to heavy and fold down small to be packed away in the car.
Just make sure you secure the strap as if not set up propperly it will come off the monopod.

its light strong you attach your own head and do you really need carbon fibre one ??this is the best monpod by far

Gives good support when using a telephoto lens, which is what I bought it for. Amazingly, this monopod gives adequate support for a 500mm/f4 lens (3 kg or so) and gave good results - I attached it straight to the mounting plate without any head. Also well suited to (e.g) a 300/ f4 with a simple monopod head.

Good strong support and easy to use. I use with a 324RC2 head, a great combination.

Great for bird photography. When walking it sits easily on the 500mm lens and extends with ease when needed. If a quick shot is required can use the folded monopod as a brace against your chest to hold the heavy lens steady.

Monopods are infuriatingly underestimated in their sheer usefulness.

You can almost wrap your entire upper body around the camera/long lens when it's attached and so makes for quite a solid platform. Unlike a tripod, which is rigid and you have to constantly tighten/loosen, often many awkward knobs just to alter the angle slightly, the monopod-clad camera is fluid and moves with you - and the subject.

In my occasional bird photography, in a hide, the 'pod takes all the weight (3kg) of my Nikon D700 and Nikkor 80-400mm vr zoom as I scan around whilst looking through the lens, firing as I want and not get tired. Relaxed snapper equals better photos!

For vertical shots, you can prop the shaft against a tree, even the pillar inside a Church (when no-one's looking!) at right angles. The chunky rubber foot having excellent 'grip'.

A previous monopod (lost at Stonehenge solstice) helped me clamber down a scree slope in Cornwall, giving ME support! You can also hoist the whole thing above your head with the camera on time exposure for a makeshift aerial shot...looks ludicrous, isn't recommended in high winds but is certainly effective.

This Manfrotto model represents fair value, of good build from a praised and reputable manufacturer and is an effectively straightforward piece of kit, with which you can't really go wrong.

As my tripod is manfrotto and I am very pleased with it it makes sence to go with the manfrotto monopod. All the camera plates are the same so you are not always having to change them so it was out with the old and in with the manfrotto, the one you can trust.

Excellent build, very rigid, easy and quick to adjust. I use it with the Manfrotto 322RC2 grip head. Wedge the base of the monopod between your feet for extra stability, it stops the rig swaying from side to side. Great with my 400mm non stabilised lens, can carry it around all day. Goodbye tripod on walkabout shoots.

Although not as steady as a tripod, it comes into it's own where tripods are prohibited, i.e. in certain cathedrals etc. But it is still best to check with the site that it can be used. It is also useful as a walking pole!

This monopod is very robustly built and consequently quite heavy but very easy to extend and retract.