i got my new monopod today.....

[ed rader]

my gitzo 2541 will be closing on ebay in less than 3 hours and i will take a severe beating in price but what the heck.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=260423079778

i owned the benro mc-66 before and i loved it. i sold the benro and bought the gitzo when i bought the 300L f2.8 IS but i didn't keep the lens and the gitzo is overkill for my needs and a real hassle to carry.

http://www.fototime.com/3D54D2BCB6EE6D5/orig.jpg

as you can see from the picture my new benro is 5-section compared to the gitzo 2541's 4-sections. it's a lighter monopod too (.9 lbs vs 1.1 lbs) but what's really important to me is the benro is more than 4" shorter at a collapsed 16.25" ... and therefore much easier to carry. i can fit the benro diagonally in the back pocket of my domke f-802. the gitzo is too long. i have to clip it to my belt and it beats up my knees. therefore i am less likely to have the gitzo with me when i need it.

for sure, the gitzo is a better tripod...but it also costs 3x as much so it better be. the fit and finish of the gitzo is a solid 10. both monopods have anti-twist locks but the gitzo g-locks are superior because they require less torque to tighten and they get tighter as you put weight on them. but the benro is rock solid too....i used it heavily in africa on a 10-day safari and it was perfect.

also the the rubber foot is removable on the gitzo and other tips -- like a spike -- can be used. the benro tip is glued in and the tip came loose on my last monopod but i fixed it with some gorilla glue :D. the last section on each monopod is 18mm, which is a huge plus for the benro....and the reason i chose it over the gitzo 2561T.

http://www.fototime.com/2974A37E85DBF6E/orig.jpg

fully extended the gitzo is waaaay too long for me so that would explain why collapsed it is also waaaay too long. extended the benro is only slightly too long. if you are more than 6' tall or so it could be too short.

the bottom line is gitzo doesn't have a monopod that works for me or i would own it. and the benro specs are PERFECT for my needs and i'm glad that i got another even tho it cost me alot of money in the process :D.

ed rader

[jcothron]

congrats on your purchase.. I'm still lugging a G1325 MK2 tripod for everything. I'll eventually have a monopod however. :)

[ed rader]

congrats on your purchase.. I'm still lugging a G1325 MK2 tripod for everything. I'll eventually have a monopod however. :)


thanx John -- i shoot a little wildlife with the 100-400L and the use of a monopod dramatically increases my keeper rate. and while a monopod isn't a replacement for a tripod it will aid you in shooting landscapes :D.

ed rader

[profec291]

That's a pretty good price for the gitzo you have there, ed (I woulda bought it from you direct:-) ). What model is the benro? is it the MC-66? I looked it up at B&H & Amazon, I didn't see it.

[jcothron]

thanx John -- i shoot a little wildlife with the 100-400L and the use of a monopod dramatically increases my keeper rate. and while a monopod isn't a replacement for a tripod it will aid you in shooting landscapes :D.

ed rader

Yeah my budding birding career is what has me wanting one.... trying to be quick with the 100-400 and G1325 is pretty tough..lol. I DO get a lot of nice frames with nothing in it from being too late :P

I just looked at your price.. I'd have bought it direct from you as well. :)

[Jason Kim]

fully extended the gitzo is waaaay too long for me so that would explain why collapsed it is also waaaay too long. extended the benro is only slightly too long. if you are more than 6' tall or so it could be too short.

the bottom line is gitzo doesn't have a monopod that works for me or i would own it. and the benro specs are PERFECT for my needs and i'm glad that i got another even tho it cost me alot of money in the process :D.

ed rader

Ed,

The Gitzo you want is 5561T. It fits inside Domke F-802 under FA 230 insert. :D

[ben_r_]

Doesnt look like youre going to take too bad of a hit, its a $250 monopod right? Youre already at $200 and with 14 bids... Still a bit of time left, who knows, might get a bit closer to that $250 mark.

[ed rader]

That's a pretty good price for the gitzo you have there, ed (I woulda bought it from you direct:-) ). What model is the benro? is it the MC-66? I looked it up at B&H & Amazon, I didn't see it.

profec -- the gitzo monopod is listed on the sale forum :D! that's right for the benro but the numbers might be for the asian market as i bought it from china via ebay.

ed rader

[ben_r_]

...OKay, maybe not. But still, $200 isnt that bad...

[ed rader]

Doesnt look like youre going to take too bad of a hit, its a $250 monopod right? Youre already at $200 and with 14 bids... Still a bit of time left, who knows, might get a bit closer to that $250 mark.


Ben -- i bought the monopod locally so i cost me i think $290. the auction just closed for 199.50 so i'll take a $120 hit (off the top of my head).

the good news is i'm happier than if i would have kept the gitzo because it really didn't work for me.

oh, i think the 2541 is about $230 shipped from BH and adorama so $199.50 is better than i expected.

ed rader

[ed rader]

Ed,

The Gitzo you want is 5561T. It fits inside Domke F-802 under FA 230 insert. :D


that's nice but it weighs twice as much as the benro and costs $350! but if i were using say a 500L i would strongly consider it :D.

ed rader

[profec291]

I guess I missed that post in the 'For Sale Section'. $200 is a good price, but when I looked at your eBay auction it was at about $150...I need a monopod soon...

profec -- the gitzo monopod is listed on the sale forum :D! that's right for the benro but the numbers might be for the asian market as i bought it from china via ebay.

ed rader

[Quad]

I am glad you like the Benro. Shorter is definitely are great feature especially when it is the difference between carrying and using and not carrying the pod.


I got a Benro travel tripod for the same reason that Gitzo did not have something comparable. Their 14 inch tripod must include a head and seems less stable to me.


I do prefer my Gitzo monopod though as I have the 3 series and use its great height to my advantage at times plus I put a big foot on it and like that foot. Different strokes and all that. Sorry you did not get a price for your Gitzo that you were more happy with. I don't think monopods are as popular as they ought to be.

[dan j]

Thanks for this review. I like the size of the -66, but like the "tripod" legs on the -91 (and higher) for the just-in-case situation. Too bad they don't offer them on the smaller -66.

Decisions, decisions.

dan

[dan j]

I ended up getting a Benro 91-M8 with the tripod-type legs. So far I'm digging it. The twist locks are quick and don't snag like the flip levers do but it took me a bit to remember which way is locked :0

The tripod-type legs are good, not great, but I trust it with my 24-70L and 100-400L (even with the EF2.0 II mounted to it) on it's tripod foot. I wouldn't want to walk too far away from it in case the wind picked up, and it wobbles way too much for slow shutter speed photos. But, it works for family shots on level ground when the wind isn't blowing. The usefulness of tripod-type legs when I want to be in the photo is why I went with this model over the more compact ones. Too bad they didn't put them on the smaller models. And, to answer a possible question, I do have a tripod, which I would rather use if I had a choice, but if I just have the Benro-91 I still can take photos with me in them.

Thanks for the review Ed, Benro seems to be a good brand and I think this was a good purchase.

dan

[ed rader]

I ended up getting a Benro 91-M8 with the tripod-type legs. So far I'm digging it. The twist locks are quick and don't snag like the flip levers do but it took me a bit to remember which way is locked :0

The tripod-type legs are good, not great, but I trust it with my 24-70L and 100-400L (even with the EF2.0 II mounted to it) on it's tripod foot. I wouldn't want to walk too far away from it in case the wind picked up, and it wobbles way too much for slow shutter speed photos. But, it works for family shots on level ground when the wind isn't blowing. The usefulness of tripod-type legs when I want to be in the photo is why I went with this model over the more compact ones. Too bad they didn't put them on the smaller models. And, to answer a possible question, I do have a tripod, which I would rather use if I had a choice, but if I just have the Benro-91 I still can take photos with me in them.

Thanks for the review Ed, Benro seems to be a good brand and I think this was a good purchase.

dan


i'm glad it worked out Dan. my only wish is that my monopod had a replaceable tip so i could use a spike at times.

ed rader

[dan j]

Ah, that was the other thing I was going to say. I haven't needed one but I know some folks like them.

Does your foot come off? Mine unscrews to access the "tripod" feet. I could get a threaded spiked foot made at a machine shop or maybe sharpen a large threaded bolt. Anyway, those are options for those who use them.

dan

[ed rader]

Ah, that was the other thing I was going to say. I haven't needed one but I know some folks like them.

Does your foot come off? Mine unscrews to access the "tripod" feet. I could get a threaded spiked foot made at a machine shop or maybe sharpen a large threaded bolt. Anyway, those are options for those who use them.

dan


it's not supposed to....it's glued in :D. the foot did pull out of my last benro monopod but i glued it back in with gorilla glue.

we're supposed to get pretty close to grizzly bears next month in katmai and i wanted a spiked foot... ;).

ed rader

[dan j]

I think a bayonet tip is what you need ;) Think of the stability! No need for "tripod legs" on grass.

dan

[hfgarris]

I didn't realize until I received mine, but the MC-66 monopod has a reversible stud on the end so you can screw it direct into the camera 1/4", or reverse it for a 3/8" into a tilt or ball head. I guess I didn't expect that feature.

-howard

[dan j]

Yup, another nice feature.

dan

[nate1280]

curious if most attach some sort of QR plate directly to the MC-66 M8 (or others for that matter), or some sort of tilt head with a qr plate? or for that matter, camera/tripod ring directly to it?

looking at the MC-66 M8, and was just wondering...

[ed rader]

curious if most attach some sort of QR plate directly to the MC-66 M8 (or others for that matter), or some sort of tilt head with a qr plate? or for that matter, camera/tripod ring directly to it?

looking at the MC-66 M8, and was just wondering...

i use a manfrotto 234 tilt head topped with a RRS flip lever release. if you haven't committed to arca swiss plates i highly recommend ......

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554098-REG/Manfrotto_by_Bogen_Imaging_234RC_234RC_Swivel_Tilt _Head_for.html

ed rader

[dan j]

I think the choice to use a tilt head depends on what you plan on shooting and what lens you're using. If you're only shooting stuff that's really far away with a really long lens then you wouldn't need to tilt as much. With my 100-400L I use the 234RC and use the tilt feature. When standing with the tripod foot against the arch of my back foot I couldn't frame a lot of shots if I didn't have a tilt head.

You can try it out without the head, and order it later if you want it.

dan

[hfgarris]

i use a manfrotto 234 tilt head topped with a RRS flip lever release. if you haven't committed to arca swiss plates i highly recommend ......

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554098-REG/Manfrotto_by_Bogen_Imaging_234RC_234RC_Swivel_Tilt _Head_for.html

ed rader

Ed,

I notice that the shell of the 234RC you linked to is different from the 234 I have. Mine comes without the QR assembly/plate and had a reversible thumbwheel arrangement for attachment directly to a camera or a head assembly. However, the body of the tilt head looks to be at least 1" taller than the RC version. The specs for both heads shows a height of 2.4" which is what mine measures from mount surface to the surface of the tilt head without the RRS plate. It is quite a bit cheaper however.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554096-REG/Manfrotto_by_Bogen_Imaging_234_234_Swivel_Tilt_Mon opod.html

It was an easy and clean transition to mount the RRS clamp on it. I took all the thumbwheel stuff out and just used a 1/4" screw thru the RRS and tilt bracket tightened into a 1/4" adapter bushing salvaged from the bottom of the 234 mount. I didn't entirely trust the bushing not to pull through so I added a washer and locknut to the bottom for safety. It is very solid, but appears to be slightly longer than yours probably is.

How do you remove the old clamp from the tilt head on yours, and how did you mount the RRS clamp to it?

-howard

[dan j]

Yeah, I think Ed linked to the 234RC by mistake.

dan

[ed rader]

Yeah, I think Ed linked to the 234RC by mistake.

dan


no, i recommend using the manfrotto QR if you aren't using arca swiss plates. being able to top load your rig onto the monopod is a huge benefit.


ed rader

[dan j]

no, i recommend using the manfrotto QR if you aren't using arca swiss plates. being able to top load your rig onto the monopod is a huge benefit.


ed raderI guess I found it a bit confusing since you were talking about the RRS conversion.

Anyway, yes, being able to topload and have the lever click into place and tightening it with your thumb is great. Lever locks are ridiculously fast as long as you don't forget the safety :o

dan

[hfgarris]

no, i recommend using the manfrotto QR if you aren't using arca swiss plates. being able to top load your rig onto the monopod is a huge benefit.


ed rader

OK ... so you actually used the non-RC version for your RRS conversion same as I did?

One thing I do like about the Manfrotto QR system is the spring loaded auto-clamp where you just drop the camera onto the clamp, and it automatically closes to the safety position, then you can complete the clamp by firmly closing it and setting the lock.

The lever clamp RRS is pretty easy to use with the monopod and the ability to top-load is preferred. I tried using a screw mount AS just for fun and found I needed 3 hands to load a monopod that way: hold camera, hold monopod, and screw knob. This isn't a problem with a tripod since it is free standing, although I still prefer the lever clamp for speed.

-howard

[ed rader]

OK ... so you actually used the non-RC version for your RRS conversion same as I did?

One thing I do like about the Manfrotto QR system is the spring loaded auto-clamp where you just drop the camera onto the clamp, and it automatically closes to the safety position, then you can complete the latch by firmly closing it and setting the lock.

The lever clamp RRS is pretty easy to use with the monopod and the ability to top-load is preferred. I tried using a screw mount AS just for fun and found I needed 3 hands to load a monopod that way: hold camera, hold monopod, and screw knob. This isn't a problem with a tripod since it is free standing.

-howard


yes. i removed the thumbscrew and installed a bolt and washer with blue loc-tite. the manfrotto QR system is excellent. the more money i have dumped into arca swiss bits the more i realize that manfrotto has a great system.

i hear you on the three hands :D. i was really considering going back to the manfrotto QR for my monopod but instead went to the RRS flip lever since i already had my cameras and tripod set up that way.

ed rader

[hfgarris]

yes. i removed the thumbscrew and installed a bolt and washer with blue loc-tite. the manfrotto QR system is excellent. the more money i have dumped into arca swiss bits the more i realize that manfrotto has a great system.

i hear you on the three hands :D. i was really considering going back to the manfrotto QR for my monopod but instead went to the RRS flip lever since i already had my cameras and tripod set up that way.

ed rader

I am discovering the "true value" of the Manfrotto system as well. I just converted everything I had from RC2 over to the Arca-Swiss system because of the sexy RRS L-plates and spent WAY more money doing that than I had anticipated! :confused:

-howard

[dan j]

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b173/Dan-imal/Smilies/twothumbsup.gif
Always good to see stuff like that. The RRS looks great/sexy and I'm sure it's "better" but at least you guys are saying the Manfrotto holds its own.

dan

[troypiggo]

Ed, thanks to your posts here I bought this Benro monopod and very happy with it. Will be selling my current monopod very soon. Thankyou.

[hienz]

Great review! The Benro is just what I need - light, short (folded), and has anti-rotation legs. Anyone know if I can get this this pod in the States? I don't really want to wait 1-2 weeks for shipping from China.

[ben_r_]

Great review! The Benro is just what I need - light, short (folded), and has anti-rotation legs. Anyone know if I can get this this pod in the States? I don't really want to wait 1-2 weeks for shipping from China.
Seeing as how this review is years old, can that monopod even be bought at all anymore? Is it still being made?

[hienz]

eBay seller in HK has them in stock:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Benro-MC66-M8-Carbon-Fiber-Camera-Monopod-DSLR-DC-/200666273190?pt=US_Tripods&hash=item2eb8a455a6