[bwDraco]

After more than five years of heavy use, my Oben CTM-2500 is finally being retired. The rubber foot has been worn down to the point where the retractable metal spike is exposed so it winds up scraping the ground. I generally don't need or want the spike so this is a problem. Also, the top leg lock is giving me trouble, with the rubber grip slipping around the plastic and the anti-rotation piece not preventing leg rotation reliably.

It is being replaced with a Gitzo GM2562T, and I'll be running to B&H tomorrow to get it.

Has anyone else here managed to wear out a monopod?

Draco

[jeffdrew]

One Manfrotto buried and a Gitzo replaced it! Still excellent after 15 years!

[Paul the Sunman]

I have a nice Sirix monopod, but it gets very little use. I still haven't quite figured out what they're for. I'm sure I'll never wear it out.

[Sluggo]

I've worn out two - both cheapie off brand units, a Promaster and something else. I tend to use them as walking sticks while hiking with a camera, sometimes giving them my full weight on difficult terrain, so I guess I'm hard on them.

My current monopod, a Sirui, is better built and has done pretty well so far over the space of three years.

[Bruce Clark]

Just worn through the rubber foot on Manfrotto Carbon Fibre Monopod. I often use this a walking stick out in the bush so it gets more use than it probably should. I will be looking to replace the foot

[luftfluss]

I have a nice Sirix monopod, but it gets very little use. I still haven't quite figured out what they're for. I'm sure I'll never wear it out.

It took me a long time, but once I was able to stop thinking about a monopod as being "sorta like a tripod" I was able to get along with it better. I use my monopod with lenses over 2kg, and since all my large tele lenses are manual focus the monopod not only eases the weight but allows me to concentrate a bit less on holding steady and more on focusing. That said, I still don't use my monopod all that often.

A monopod is also useful for tapping a bear on the snout when he gets too close...

[grahame]

I managed to wear out 2 monopod in ~4 years ....
by using them as walking sticks mostly.
I have a handle bar that can be screwed onto the monopod and convert it into a nice walking stick. Of course I bought cheaper monopods. as walking sticks, they don't need to be extended long, so even cheap ones are stable enough.
I used them in water, mud, in a battle with a snake.
Only when I need a monopod, I put the small ball-head on.
This is now my standard outdoor hiking equipment.

[bwDraco]

B&H didn't have it in stock in the store. They're shipping one out from their warehouse and it'll be here tomorrow.

Draco

[bwDraco]

...and it's here.

Unexpectedly, the monopod does flex a bit at the leg section locks (the floor sample at B&H had the same issue and it appears to be a design limitation of the Gitzo Traveler G-Lock), and the extra section makes it a bit more fiddly to set up, adjust, and take down. It also doesn't extend as long, though it's still is long enough with a few inches to spare.

Even so, it's still sturdy enough to handle my K-3 II and D FA* 2.8/70-200 on an Arca-Swiss ballhead. The carbon fiber itself is clearly vastly superior to the material in the Oben monopod: the lower section on the CTM-2500 would vibrate dramatically when fully extended, but there's absolutely nothing like that on the GM2562T.

The shorter closed length, at just over 14 inches, makes it much easier to carry. It's small enough to easily fit in my wheeled backpack even with the ballhead attached, without having to jump through hoops to get the zipper to close.

All told, it's a Gitzo and I would be very surprised if it doesn't hold up at least as long as my old monopod did.

Draco

[bwDraco]

[bwDraco]

After a day at work, it's pretty clear that Gitzo's Carbon eXact tubes have vastly superior rigidity. The Oben monopod feels like a toy in comparison. Lesson learned: Not all carbon fiber is created equal.



Draco