Opteka M900 71" 5 Section Ultra Heavy Duty Monopod (Supports up to 30 lbs)

A little heavy, to be expected for a heavy duty lens support. Feels well made.

Just received this today and am giving first impressions, so this is subject to be revised later if needed. For the paltry price of $24 this monopod is built like the proverbial brick phone booth *ahem*. And although it's made this solidly, it's weight is not too much. I got it in combination with the TH40 ball head and together they make up for one righteous monopod.With the rubber grip and the large diameter of the top section, it feels like you are gripping a substantial camera platform, and you really are.I'm not tall enough to need 71" of stick (with a 4" head on top of that) for normal work, but I know from experience there will come times when I'm glad it's got that much reach. I've been known to extend a monopod all the way out and hold a camcorder way over my head to get an aerial view of what's going on. Or standing in a stadium or on bleachers with the base of the pod on a lower level, or on a hill side, etc., I can see this extra length coming in handy.The flip leg locks seem to be very solid when locked. I extended all sections, locked them down and tried to push down to see if anything slides when it isn't supposed to, it held firm. With all sections extended I tried flexing it some. There was very little flexing even when I put more pressure on it than I'm likely to ever do in shooting pics. I've used twist-lock legs so much that I specifically wanted flip-locks on this monopod. Twist-lock can be a pain sometimes.It comes with a pretty nice carrying bag, which I'll put into a drawer and not see again for several years. For one, I'd have to take the head off to fit it in the bag. Secondly, I use a monopod so it's ready quick and easy, a carrying bag is superfluous. A few scuffs on the leg here and there is for me a good trade off for having it ready when needed.All in all, highly recommended.I got this in combination with the Opteka TH40 ball head which is also a strong recommend. See my review on the TH40. For $49 I got a great, strong monopod/ball head combination that seems to be built to last. $49 isn't even a down payment on the tripods that I usually use, so I felt like I was flirting with disaster ordering something so low priced. I am very glad I did now.

Nice and heavy duty - good construction and works well

I'm 6'-1", and with this fully extended, it's too tall with my Nikon binoculars mounted on top for looking at the night sky. Had to lower it a bit. Seems very well made, and heavy duty, but not that heavy. Nice nylon carrying case with adjustable strap and full length zipper closure. For the price, I'd say it's a very good buy. From its claims, and what I can tell handling it, it should easily hold the heaviest video and optics without collapsing on you. I have no doubt it can support the 30 lbs and more. Unique threaded stud design on top with the larger one spring loaded for standard mount sizes. Just push the larger outer stud down, and the standard size is right there for you. You'll want to get a mini-ball head mount for it if you want more versatility. I got the Giottos Professional one for $12.89, and it seems very well built also. Don't think you'll have any regrets with your purchase of this Opteka M900 Monopod. Can't wait to put it to a lot of use.

Easy to use and easily extended. Had to install a metal tip on the bottom to keep it from sliding on some surfaces. In three months the 3/8 thread on the monopod is poor quality and easily compressed/stripped and no longer support the camera and lens. Used to take 10 twist to tighten and now 2 so can’t trust it with equipment anymore. Supported a camera and lens of about 15 lbs.