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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Clovishound" data-source="post: 787396" data-attributes="member: 50197">Well, I ended up ordering the Manfrotto MII. I just got it this afternoon, and unboxed and tried it out just a bit. First impression is that, for the price, it is a well made piece of gear. With the 5.5 lb lens and an additional pound or so of camera, it is pretty stable. Of course, this is well south of the 33 lb claimed max weight. The bottom section is a little skinnier than I might like, but it isn't a $300 monopod. The twist locks are easy to use and hold quite securely. The nice thing about them is they are self adjusting for wear, unlike flip locks. I tried it without a head, and it was fine for things that were more or less on level with the camera. If you tilt way up or down, things become more unstable. I put the funky designed head from my old Bogen 3021(pre Manfrotto) on it, and that feels much better when tilted substantially up or down, keeping the monopod close to plumb. For now, I may just use the head I have, and see how things go. I've looked at small ball heads, and they have some well reviewed ball heads with reasonable max weights that use an Arca Swiss compatible mounting plate. These are quite inexpensive, and look well made from the pictures. I don't really need the ability to switch from portrait to landscape, as the mounting collar on the lens accomplishes that just fine, all I need is to be able to tilt it up or down. The quick mount plate would be a plus. Now I just need a chance to get out of the house for a couple hours and try it out real world. A quick foray into the back yard is helpful, but I need a better test.</blockquote>

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