Home > Consumer Reviews > Manfrotto 681B Professional Aluminum Monopod (Black)

I bought this retail, and threw a 486RC2 ball head on it. Phenomenal build quality. The bottom section is wide, and there is a very nice rubber foot on the end that is as large as I expected.

I already forked over $65 and got a crappy monopod from B&H called a "ShotPod". It is only good for a stand to attach a remote flash to, and not for what a monopod should be for.

It doesn't collapse as small as the 4-section, but let me tell you that seeing them together makes the decision easy. The 4-section is heavier (more hardware), and the last leg (bottom-most) is very small compared to the 3-section. That also means the rubber foot is smaller, which of course means quicker wear, less stability, etc.

Get the 3 instead of the 4. Period.

I just got a canon 40D and am hoping to shoot some photos out on the soccer field. I bought this after hearing much about the Bogen-Manfrotto name. There are a bunch of similar looking monopods for sale, and I couldn't tell you how they all compare or differ from each other. Still, the price on this one was good, and I got it with the 3229 ballhead. The camera can mount to the monopod without the ballhead, but it just feels better with it, and also you can't tilt the camera sideways on the monopod without the ballhead on it, otherwise you are picking up the whole monopod. This may seem simple to some people, but I never had a monopod or nice camera before, so I didn't understand all these little things. I did take the monopod to some soccer games, and it made shooting nice and easy. I don't see how I could have done it without the monopod.
Overall, its a good quality item at a good price, so I am happy with it.

This product was advised to me from POTN.......photography on the net forums. Awesome group of people there. This monopod functions great, quick and easy. It is very sturdy and has really helped my percentage of keeper shots w/ 30D and shooting soccer. Very light and strong.....just wish it came with a case or bag....other than that, I recommend this versatile, lightweight mono!!

This monopod performs flawlessly. It is lightweight, sets up and adjusts easily and is the perfect accessory for supporting my Digital SLR when shooting in low light conditions where use of flash is not possible.

Bogen/Manfrotto produces very decent products for the money. Are they the best? No, Gitzo carbon fiber is probably the best, but at 3-4x the cost. If you are an avid amateur, this monopod represents a greta value. I purchased a Bogen 3011 tripod over 20 years ago and it still works great. Highly recommended.