Photography News | Issue 42 | absolutephoto.com
91 First tests
This new carbon-fibre monopod replaces Manfrotto’s 695CX model and immediately impresses with a very high-quality feel. As a carbon- fibre leg, it’s of course designed to be light, and at 620g, it’s certainly light enough to avoid being a burden. As a five-section monopod it closes to a mere 480mm, so will fit easily into or on the side of most bags. In use it gave very good results. I mounted a 70-200mm f/2.8 (via a ball head). If you need a smaller connection, the 3/8in screw moves down on a spring revealing a 1/4in thread – it’s a better system than screwing them on and off as you can’t lose it. Although the last of the leg sections is a little weedy at 11.6mm, the others are quite thick, and gave a very solid platform with no rattling or slipping, and only minor flexing. The rubber, textured handle gives an excellent grip, too. The total working height of 176cm gave me plenty of scope, and, at 6’4’’ I didn’t feel the need to extend it fully all the time. The extra did help with subjects above me though. As it usesManfrotto’s Quick Power Lock design (lever type), and the locks are quite stiff and far apart, it’s not the quickest to set up, though that didn’t cause me any problems. The locks themselves need to be used with care as the part near the hinge will nip you. To be fair, you just need to adjust your hand position, and if it keeps happening it’s just carelessness. The advantage of these (and to be fair, most leg locks) is that you can easily tell if they’re closed (not
possible with twist versions) so there’s a degree of reassurance. You can also adjust the tension of the locks. The rubber foot adds traction and it can be swapped for a spike if required – sadly, this is not included. In terms of build quality, it’s difficult to assess in the short term, but the XPRO C5 shouldn’t disappoint. To put it through its paces in those stakes, I let both a ten and an eight year old take care of it on a three- hour hike. The ’pod got pretty muddy and knocked about, but continued to perform, opening and closing with ease. I did need to save the Easy Link adaptor from falling off on a few occasions though. KS
ManfrottoXPRO OVERmonopod £170
Specs
Price
£170
In the box XPRO monopod, strap, Easy Link adapter Material Carbon fibre Lock type Lever locks Sections 5 Max height 176cm Min height 49cm Max payload 5kg Weight 620g Contact Manfrotto.co.uk
Verdict
It’s not the cheapest, nor the lightest, but Manfrottos’s XPRO OVER does impress, adding portable, durable and usable stability to your shooting.
Pros Build, handling Cons Set-up speed, price, no bag
Above The Manfrotto monopod does not disappoint in terms of build quality.
NovoExploraMP10monopod £55
Specs
Price
£55
In the box Novo MP10 monopod, case, tools Material Carbon fibre Lock type Twist locks Sections 4 Max height 165cm Min height 53cm Max payload 15kg Weight 386g Contact Novo-photo.com
it’s quite possible for it to work loose and fall off. The rubber foot gave excellent purchase on wet, slippery surfaces, and if you want to swap for a spike, you just give the rubber a pull. A nice touch which means you don’t need to carry an accessory. The Novo MP10 also comes with a carry bag and strap. It’s not exactly first rate, with slightly sticky zips and plastic buckles, but a welcome addition for a £55 monopod. The MP10 has a foam handgrip,which was not as grippy as a rubber one, and more likely to wear. Like the Manfrotto above, I gave the MP10 to an eight- and a ten-year-old boy to test ruggedness. On a muddy walk, it faredwell, though the sections started to feel a bit gritty. After a hose down, it was fine though. KS
Most kit these days claims to be lightweight, and most of the time that’s true, but the NovoMP10 carbon fibre monopod is insanely light. In a good way. This four section monopod weighs only 386g, so you won’t notice you’re carrying it most of the time. Overly light tripods can be a problem, but with monopods, it’s not a factor, and with the MP10 fitted via a ball head, a light pressing down on my lens gave me all the stability I needed. The MP10 offers a choice of connector, to fix its base plate to the camera or a tripod head. There are 1/4in and 3/8in options via either end of a reversible screw. In terms of working height, at 165cm, the MP10 has all you’ll need for most subjects, unless you’re very tall. At 6’4’’, when shooting birds
above me I did have to crouch a bit. At the other end, the MP10 collapses to 53cm, so it’s easy enough to stow in a bag, a carry-on suitcase or strap to your rucksack. You can unscrew the foot to make it shorter if required. The MP10’s four sections open via twist locks. These are closely grouped, so you can release all of the sections in one movement for speedy setting up. They also lock with excellent strength, and I noticed no slipping, even when pressing heavily on the leg. One disadvantage of any twist lock is that you can’t tell if it’s open or closed so a marker would be handy, along with the open/close arrow that sits by the top lock. I also found that, with the unscrewable foot so close to the twist locks, I would often loosen it while opening the sections. Therefore
Verdict
The MP10 is a well-engineered and very keenly-priced model. It lacks a little height, but that shouldn’t be a concern unless you’re comically tall, and it’s amazingly light.
Above, left to right The Novo MP10monopod has four sections that open via impressively strong twist locks. The rubber foot offers stability even on wet and slippery surfaces.
Pros Price, weight, speed, extras Cons Foam grip, maximum height
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