Just received my Feisol 1471 Monopod...move over Gitzo!

I just got one of these...
http://www.feisol.net …s-monopod-cm1471-p-6.html

The Larger monopod feisol offers. $100 basically. To get something similar from anyone else I would have had to pay considerably more. When I was at the store trying some various ones out, I noticed the Feisol's smallest leg was as wide as most's main leg!!!

At almost 1.5", the main leg is HUGE. I am quite impressed by their quality for the price you pay. I'm always a bit hesitant with price outliers in the the competition, but Feisol is definitely there! Solid! Their website says 66 inches long...im measuring 67.5. With an RRS panning clamp and a 5DmkII and L clamp, the eye piece is at 72 inches.

I can fully extend the monopod and hold it out from the second and third leg to get my camera into higher vantage pointers and it barely stresses or bends. Very impresses considering how most tripods that were $200+ had spindly little legs at the bottom that I thought would snap just under my own weight leaning on them.

The feisol has a very solid plate. There is a wrist strap...but I might swap it out for a longer and sturdier strap. The hand grip is thick and well padded. The carrying case it came with is actually well padded too!

This is NOT a dinky little "attach to your shoulder bag monopod for hiking" that can really only hold your point and shoot but is claimed to hold a lot more. The 1471 is HUGE. I needed this for vantage point extensions with my fisheye, as well as something to support the 300 and 400 superteles. It does so easily and can take even more. Insanely solid.

For under $100, it quite possibly is the single best deal out there! I was originally looking towards some of the large Gitzos to replace my tripod as well....but I think now i will definitely be going with the Feisol CT-3472. It looks like its basically three of these monopods with a solid base! Awesome.

Quick Add: One big difference between the Gitzo carbon and feisol... The Feisol feels SOOO MUCH better in touch. The carbon has a smoother surface, not by much...but enough to make a difference. The Gitzos always drove me crazy because it felt like a nail across a chalkboard if my nails were to run across it! Very annoying. Feisol has a much nicer surface texture!

Thanks for sharing - I have never looked at feisol stuff.

I find there tripods to be an outstanding value for carbon fibre also, rock solid. IMO

Thanks for sharing! I've been researching lightweight, quality CF Mono & Tripods for travel. As much as I love my Manfrotto 055XB and 679B they're a bit heavy after lugging around for a while. I'd never get rid of them though...

Edit: Just checked the weight of the Feisol 1471. It's heavier than my 679B! Still a nice piece with better load capacity.

The absence of Anti-Rotation Leg System is something annoying?

pasph wrote in post #8741977
The absence of Anti-Rotation Leg System is something annoying?

That's one of the advantages of the Gitzo. It's not just the cf legs.

Honestly, having rotating legs is not a deal breaker for me. Yeah, I really do like having that feature, but not for $300 more. If I loosen the locks from smallest to largest and tighten back from largest to smallest, I rarely come across the rotation being an issue. If i'm setting up a monopod, its obviously not a moment's notice shot. I'de rather go handheld in live view to save a stop from mirror vibration.

So, the leg rotation issue is a non-issue in my book. Maybe if we were talking about a $50 or $100 dollar difference...but I honestly couldn't justify where the value was when comparing side by side, or in use.

Blue S2 wrote in post #8743233
Honestly, having rotating legs is not a deal breaker for me. Yeah, I really do like having that feature, but not for $300 more. If I loosen the locks from smallest to largest and tighten back from largest to smallest, I rarely come across the rotation being an issue. If i'm setting up a monopod, its obviously not a moment's notice shot. I'de rather go handheld in live view to save a stop from mirror vibration.

So, the leg rotation issue is a non-issue in my book. Maybe if we were talking about a $50 or $100 dollar difference...but I honestly couldn't justify where the value was when comparing side by side, or in use.

ALR and g-locs are major features of the Gitzos. For me, the difference in price is well worth it. I do not have to worry which leg section to twist first or last while expanding or collapsing my monopod during fast-paced sports events. The g-locs are a a godsend when you have a heavy mount on top of the monopod. Have you ever had the leg collapse while shooting because you haven't completely tightened the leg locks? It is not a fun feeling.

I have both of their monopods plus a tripod and for my use they were excellent value. I've used the smaller monopod to raise my camera / lens / flash as high as possible many times without any worries.

Interesting, not a bad price for the Feisol.

i had a feisol tripod for a while and loved it, just found i didn't use it enough to keep. i'm in the process of buying a big, heavy lens so might have to think about a monopod..and would highly recommend anything feisol makes from my experience.