Manfrotto 234RC Monopod Tilt Head with Quick Release, Black

Before ordering, I wasn't sure if I'd like this head on my monopod. I shoot a lot of sports action, always still pictures, and had always used ball heads. This head pivots, but does not rotate. Long story short, this head works great for the right applications, and its quality construction and reassuring heft makes it a pleasure to use. Moving the monopod instead of the head to compose pictures quickly becomes natural. Panning to catch the action is never a problem -- just rotate the whole monopod. I did find that there was some tendency for the head to slightly unscrew from the tripod at these times, but only a partial turn, and never so much as to affect stability. I find it quick and easy to swing the head 90 degrees to either side for portrait-oriented pictures. The head stops at 90 degrees, so I don't have to fiddle around locking it or trying to hold it in position if I need to take a quick shot. This would not be a good head for movies or if you aren't typically shooting with the the lens fairly level (like capturing birds in trees). Thus I wouldn't use it, for example, for basketball or volleyball shots. But for most field sports, cross country, baseball, tennis, etc. --- it provides better support and ease of use than a ball head. This is a serious piece of hardware, and requires a serious monopod -- a lightweight ball-head would be a better match for a lightweight monopod.

Bullet proof! I have some small ball head mounts that were designed for a monopod, but they are just not sturdy. I ordered a fantastic Manfrotto carbon fiber monpod and I put this mount on top. It is rock solid! Highly recommended. I was heasitant primarly because everything I own, I've been replacing with Arca Swiss clamps, etc. Manfrotto needs to follow RRS (Really Right Stuff) and make a plate that can work in a Manfrotto as well as an Arca compatable mount and plate.

I've been a happy user of the Manfrotto 234 monopod head for a few years but I wanted to be able to switch between my tripod and monopod without having to remove the quick release plate to do so. I run the Manfrotto XPRO ball head and it uses the RC quick release system so this was a natural fit. I mainly use the monopod with my Sony A99 with vertical grip and Sigma 50-500 lens. It's a heavy combination and hard to hand hold steady and with this head on my monopod I get clearer shots with easy maneuverability. The quick release plate locks in securely and I've never been worried about it coming loose and dropping my gear on the ground, once it's latched it won't move without flipping the release lever. I run the pivot point where it's just loose enough to allow easy vertical panning but not so loose everything just flops around, that allows me to recompose my shot if necessary without grabbing for knobs and cussing when I had it screwed down too tight and missed the moment I wanted to capture. A monopod head is required to do a proper stance and have everything locked in position. You want the monopod at a slight angle in front of you and without the head the lens would be pointing up... this allows a sturdy position and still be able to frame the shot how you want it. I did receive an open package and can only guess that it was a return. The head still looked brand new and all of the parts and pieces were there so no real complaints. I don't know why anyone would return this head, it's a quality product and necessary for proper use of the one legged wonder. Their loss!

This is a very solid swivel head and enables me to switch my camera from vertical to horizontal quickly. However, it is VERY heavy and for someone who has to carry a lot of gear, that is a limitation. It's a good solution for hideouts where you just sit and wait.

This is awesome. It's exactly look its supposed to be and works perfect for my wife's food photography.

I ordered this after reading all the glowing reviews of Manfrotto products, and it lives up to its reputation. It is solidly built, and each of the segments locks up solidly. You really could use this thing as a walking stick, as some suggest -- it's that solid. The tilting head is also great, and easy to use. It has a quick release plate that attaches to the camera, making the camera easy to remove from the monopod. In addition to using this with my DSLR, I use this monopod with a pair of medium power binoculars to look at objects in the night sky. It's not as steady as a tripod (of course), but if you lean against a something solid, you can view celestial objects well enough (may not be sufficient for really serious sky watchers, though). This is a great monopod, easily stowable, and so more likely to get packed and used than most tripods. Very happy with it.

Pro's: Is very compact and light yet sturdy design and nice features like the locking pin so you wont accidentally release the camera. Cons: The tilting action is very jerky. Impossible to tilt the camera down or up in a smooth action. Not a pleasant in-field experience. The mounting plate is a custom plate, which means I now have to carry different plates in my bag. Would have preferred a standard Manfrotto tripod plate to fit on this, or at least a Swiss Arca plate. I can still work with this plate issue but the jerky movement is a real negative.

You don't need a head for a monopod, just fasten the camera to it using the tripod screw and it will work. Two issues though, 1) that takes time, is inconvenient if you are on the move and 2) with the camera screwed to the monopod, you can only use it in landscape mode. This head is specially designed for monopods and provides the only two functions you need; a quick release plate and the facility to tilt the camera from landscape to portrait. All the other movements are done by tilting the monopod sideways and backwards and forwards. A pan and tilt or ball head are just overkill and simply add more weight. The only downside to adding this head to your monopod is that it does add weight. However, like all Manfrotto equipment, this is beautifully engineered to last. It is reassuringly solid when you have a few thousand pounds worth of heavy camera/lens attached to it.

حجم صغير وثابت على الحامل الاحادي .

Excelente como todos los productos de manfrotto, gran construcción y terminados. Gran producto

皆さんのレビューにもありますが、2～3kgくらいの機材であれば保持力に問題なく、クイックリリースプレートの脱着も安全に行え必要十分と思います。今までは、一脚＋自由雲台で主に野鳥や航空機を撮影していましたが、一脚ではチルト方向しか使わないのでこちらの方が好ましいです。難点を言えば、メーカ指定の方向にレンズをセットするとハンドルが右側にくるのですが、そちらだとカメラを保持しながらのハンドル操作が難しく感じます（プレートの回転防止ピンを使いたいので、レンズの向きを反対にはできない）。カメラのグリップではなくレンズ側を保持すれば良いので、慣れの問題だとは思いますが。 補足ですが、チルトの動きはさすがにベアリングを使った高級機には劣りすこしギクシャクします。分解するとハンドドルの下にあるワッシャーに汚れが見られたので、パーツクリーナーで洗浄しシリコングリスを塗布したら動きが良くなりました。ご参考まで。

Un producto muy bueno, me está gustando mucho esta marca y cada vez tengo más "cachivaches" de ellos. Eneste caso es una cabeza movil verticalmente, de construcción muy sólida capaz de aguantar cámaras profesionales. El soporte que se atornilla a la cámara se suelta del conjunto con un seguro en forma de gatillo muy robusto y de buena calidad y la tuerca aprieta con fuerza si lo quieres dejar en una posición fija. Esta cabeza de trípode admite los dos tipos de rosca estándar para atornillar al trípode. En tiendas profesionales me lo venden por casi el doble que amazon. Excelente compra