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Hi all,

I've been wanting to buy a head for my monopod (Manfrotto 681B) for the past few months now but i have no idea what im really looking for. Any advice would be most welcome.

I'm willing to spend up to $100 but the less the better of course.

I need one that will tilt up and down and go from horozontal to vertical.

I dont have any huge of heavy lenses, the biggest is a 70-300mm cheapo lens.

Jamie here is mine a manfrotto Pro 134B with a ballhead but I have no idea what model but its great and i use it with my 80-400vr and 80-200f2.8. Works great. You need to add your location.



cheers
marco

>I've been wanting to buy a head for my monopod (Manfrotto 681B) for the past few months now but i have no idea what im really looking for. Any advice would be most welcome. I'm willing to spend up to $100 but the less the better of course.

>I need one that will tilt up and down and go from horozontal to vertical.
I dont have any huge of heavy lenses, the biggest is a 70-300mm cheapo lens.

Your desires and your budget may not quite meet here but I think I can give you some alternatives.

1) Most experienced folks use a tilt/swivel head if they use one at all. They are very inexpensive generally.
2) Your requirements state that you need a way to go vertical so that sounds like you want a small ball head (not generally recommended though I have used one with great success). Contact Birdy about the Benro small ball heads (assuming the plates you use for your tripod are compatible), they might be priced right for you.
3) If you use a tripod now then make sure you get a monopod head that uses the same quick release plate.
4) As an example: I use a Manfrotto 3229 tilt/swivel head with a Winberly C-10 adapter that allows me to use the same quick release plates as on my tripods. Total price was just over $100US. For long lenses I can rotate the camera and lens in the lenses' tripod mount. For short lenses, I can rotate the camera by using an L-bracket (another expense).

Lots of forum members use the manfrotto 234 head which tilts in the vertical only.

http://www.manfrotto-shop.de/Stativkopf ... MA_234.htm

i bought a head for my manfrotto monopod and found i didnt need it, i just loosened/tightened the collar on the 200-400 vr / 70-200 vr to go from portrait to landscape !

cheers rob

I tried using DaveB's monopod with the manfrotto/bogen tilt head. I also tried using Leightons monopod without the tilt. Prefered the setup with tilt as it felt uncomfortable at times trying to tilt the whole monopod up and down with the setup that didn't.

Just to be different, I use a 222RC pistol grip head on my monopod.



So I plonk the monopod down, and then twist the pistol grip to the position I want, then take the shot. I find it great. I can take photos at any angles and still have stability from the monopod.

The pistol grip makes it super easy to adjust angles at will.

Cost me about $150.

I have since modified mine to take an Arca-Swiss base on the top of it.

Jamie wrote:I need one that will tilt up and down and go from horozontal to vertical.

I found it to be quite sufficient to have just one 90 degree tilt slot, for either up, down or going vertical. Once you've loosened the ball enough to tilt it you can always give the monopod a twist to put the slot in the desired position.

Cheers
Steffen.

I have a #234 on mine (very inexpensive ~$30 job), in my recent brief foray into the world of fashion/event photography, I tend to see a number of the industry pro's using the #222 style 'pistol grips'... maybe there's something to it there.

DionM wrote:I have since modified mine to take an Arca-Swiss base on the top of it.

Could you elaborate on this a bit, please? How did you do that?

Cheers
Steffen.

I agree with Killkoala and would suggest the Manfrotto 234, it is really all you would really need on a monopod and easy to handle.

My Manfrotto monopod came with a rubber head.

It's quite solid rubber - not dissimilar to an engine mount - but permits some flex in all directions, including vertical.

We use it on both our monopods now, and I wouldn't be seen with a monopod without it.

I don't know the part #, but we have seen it on the Manfrotto site.

Steffen wrote:Could you elaborate on this a bit, please? How did you do that?

Really Right Stuff have a great tutorial on how to convert your monopod to Arca Swiss.
http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/tutorials/monopods/index.html

Steffen wrote:Could you elaborate on this a bit, please? How did you do that?

Pretty simple - just removed the manfrotto head, used the grinder to grind off a bit that was sticking out, and then screw on the Wimberley head.

Like DionM, I also have a very similar setup with the 681B (which is a great monopod for the price).

Instead of the Man 222 head, I'm using the Man 322RC2 head.



The really nice feature I like about the 322 is that you can relocate the top plate so that you can either use it left or right handed with the grip in a horizontal layout (and have the quick release lever facing the correct way) or relocate the quick release mechanism to the end of the grip 222 style like DionM's.

I currently have my grip set up for left handed use which allows you to relocate the head with one hand without removing your hand from the shutter button.

I'm using this combo with a D70 + 80-400 VR w/collar + SB-800 and it handles the weight nicely.

The 322RC2 is around the $200-220 mark, but it's a worthwhile investment if you're ever going to upgrade to something heavier. I'm also planning on using this head when I purchase a better tripod (looking at the Man 055ProB) or maybe a Benro C327.

The quick release mount is a standard Manfrotto Quick Release - it's not Arca Swiss, but as you're looking for something releatively cheap, you probably don't care! (at the current time with my gear, I don't have a problem with this mounting system either).

A couple of the Canberra members had a play with this at our last meet, and thought it was pretty good.

edit: oh yeah... Probably best to try something like this combo out before purchasing - some really take to it, others see it as overly complicated for stick with a screw thread in the top

Like dion I have the manfrotto 222 head, I needed a head which allowed me to point the lens upwards without having the pod at extreme angles and got the 222 cheap of ebay. was s/h for $50

I find it to be versatile in use.
depending on what I am shooting I can use it as a conventional pod or if I sit down cross legged I put the pod across my lap, under one leg and over the other. I then make the ballhead vertical and I have tripod stability.

I only wanted a ballhead, but got this cos it was cheap. glad I did though

Steve

Wel, like others here I had a #234 Manfrotto on mine, but have since replaced it with a Benro KB-0 ballhead so I could use the L-bracket on my camera. Required removal of a single screw on the KB-0 and I was done.

Agreed Steve the 222 is a great head I found it's one hand move all construction great and versatile. The 322 head is even better as it is side mounted but can also be switched to vertical position. I use mine with the 80-400VR and my tripod. Hadn't thought of using it on the monopod
cheers
marco

I have the Benro Ball head but i would maybe like something like this 232 or 4 head, only for what i gather it doesn't handle a lot of weight the manfroto 1 that is. I will look into this my mate who shoots canon has 1 on his, will have a look when i at his place tomorrow nite.

BBJ,

The Manfrotto 322RC2 can handle 5kg off the specs with adjustable friction. How much weight are you looking at (your all new D2X + ???)

John the 322 grip action is a real treat and it certainly handles my 80-400VR with ease, aha 5kg! It's no heavy weight but certainly no light weight and you'll find its action so gooood and really easy to pan.
cheers
marco

Daniel, the 300m weighs around 2.8 killo with out convertor and D2x not sure of the weight for D2x etc.. Ball head is ok but yeh giues i am not used to it and would suit my tripod better as i dont use it so it is just a matter of hieght i was disapointed at the lenght of the Benro monopod compared to older monopod i have.

Marko, i think the grips look good but waste of money for me as i dont use the monopod a lot anyhow and i think this other type swivel head would be just the bees knees, like Rob said i can loosin screw to change from portrait if i want.

I would have gotten the 322, but for my use I also wanted the extra height afforded by the 222 (I'm 6'7" tall) to bring the camera up to eye level.

Regarding the weight handling - remember its a monopod, not tripod, so you will at least always have one hand on the camera supporting it as well.

Probably irrelevant now as you already have the 222... but it's a good reference for those who use the search feature in years to come

With the 322 you can move the plate to the end 222 style as well. Manfrotto sell the 322RA as an extra plate so you can have both the head configured in a horizontal and vertial layout at the same time.



I'd think you'd have a bit more of a challenge converting this to A-S though

I have the 222 on my monopod and love it it makes a great walking stick for me on longer treks and is good for poking things I don't want to go near.


I have put an F5 and 80 200 f2.8 on it many times with no problems.

$50 is a great price for one of them.!!!

daniel_r wrote:I'd think you'd have a bit more of a challenge converting this to A-S though

Nah, it'd be a piece of cake. Easier than my 222 as it had a bit of metal sticking up - the 322 doesn't look like it has that.

Well after going through all of that VERY useful information ive desided to go for the basic manfrotto 234 head, actually i just ordered it online.

I think it will do the job. Not 100% what i had in mind but really thinking about it im sure its all that i need.

Thanks heaps to everyone for the wonderful info, im sure it will come in very useful for others as well.

Jamie wrote:Well after going through all of that VERY useful information ive desided to go for the basic manfrotto 234 head, actually i just ordered it online.

I think it will do the job. Not 100% what i had in mind but really thinking about it im sure its all that i need.

Thanks heaps to everyone for the wonderful info, im sure it will come in very useful for others as well.

Jamie,
Everything will work as you expected, nothing against those and you have lot of fun with the head on the monopod.