AVELLACD324 Carbon Fiber Video Monopod Kit, with Fluid Head and Removable feet, 71 Inch Max Load 13.2 LB for Canon Nikon Sony Olympus Panasonic DSLR Camera

Fluid head is smooth and entire thing is light. No issues after using a couple of months. Great for video, a little wonky for use as a tripod, any breeze puts a little wobble in it.

I have a heavy Canon 7D DSLR with a hefty telephoto lens that required stabilization for crisp focus. I researched several premium brands, but did not want to shell-out hundreds of dollars I could use for another lens. I took the plunge and purchased this sturdy monopod, even though I thought the feature/price factor was too good to be true. After three heavy hiking sessions, using this monopod with my wildlife photography gear, I am truly impressed with its functionality and stability. The graphite is substantial and the quick-release levers are sturdy/highly functional. The three feet allow you to deploy the base at a couple angles quickly; however, I use them fully extended for maximum stability. If you tighten the ball joint appropriately at the base, you can confidently step away from your mounted camera equipment without worry. The mounting head is fluid, but since I have such a lens-heavy setup, I tighten the head so the camera does not adjust due to the weight. I tried using it with and without the adjustment lever attached, and it is more functional with the lever attached, as I can use my shoulder to point my camera down. I rarely used a tripod or monopod in the past, but this monopod reduces camera shake considerably… resulting in more clear, in-focus shots.

Bought this based on other reviews and not disappointed. cheaper than here locally by a fair margin. The monopod is light and very well made. comes with most of the things you need to be useful out of the box.

This monopod is very professional . It meets all the standards . Very durable - mechanically tuned , very high tech too !

Very versatile, solid feeling 'pod. Used it primarily with a heavy Canon 5D IV, including a battery grip, shooting video on industrial equipment in a variety of positions. Easy and quick to adjust, the pan movements were generally predictable and felt very smooth.The fluid head is adequate and performs OK once adjusted. I'd prefer more adjustment range between too tight to move, and too loose to prevent the camera from jiggling on the head. Because you can't exactly take your hand off the camera (because it will tip over), you'll need to adjust the pan tension with one hand. It just gets a little finicky and I found myself tweaking the tension several times to get what I wanted each time. Same thing horizontal and vertical. This is not a big negative, but perhaps more than anything shows the limitations at this price point.This is definitely NOT stable enough to prop a heavy-ish camera and take your hand off of it! It will certainly stand there on its own with the legs splayed out, but there's not much to prevent a tiny bump from pushing it over. That's not why I bought it, so this was expected.Works great as a stabilizing point of contact without getting in the way as much climbing around on stuff.I did not find it to be as useful in the shortest position, when shooting from a DSLR like the 5D.Quick release mechanism is fine. The QR plate itself requires a tool or a thick coin to tighten the screw enough so the plate does not move. Would be nice if they used a folding tab on the screw to tighten by hand, like a Manfrotto QR plate.