I bought this monopod 4 years ago and still love it. I have owned several monopods, including a Bogen one, and this is my favorite one by far. If I ever lost it, I would buy the same one again. I ordered this because I wanted to try a carbon fiber monopod, and I love how light yet sturdy it is and how it feels in my hands. When I bought it, I compromised on the twist mechanism, because I though I preferred the clips which all my other monopods had. But it turns out that the twist locks are so much faster and easier to operate, I would never go back to the clips. After 4 years of at least weekly use, often in wet, muddy conditions, this monopod is still in tip top shape. The only thing that's worn is the rubber tip on the bottom. It's true what others have mentioned. When the tip wears down, the retractable metal spike gets exposed, and there may be a danger of scratching floors etc. Since I use this monopod outside almost exclusively, this is not a problem for me.

This is a very nice monopod for the price. I purchased it for use with a Sirui aluminum tilt head (L10). Great combination and very useful. I purchased based on other reviews (thank you). I like the portability of this combination. I'm easily distracted from one place/bird to the next so it's really nice to be able to just pick this up and move to the next area without having to fold anything. The one thing that surprises me, though is that it is not lighter than the monopod I can take from my tripod leg of my MeFOTO aluminum tripod. I bought this one thinking it would be lighter. I run around chasing birds so was trying to lighten the weight in my backpack. It doesn't, but I do prefer this to the tripod/monopod leg. It is very sturdy, though so that's more important given what I'm resting on it. This one has the foam support in the best place on the leg. It also folds down to a shorter length. If you're looking for a not-so-expensive monopod/tilt head combo, give this one a shot.

Did a lot of research before buying and finally decided on this one. now that I have ised it for a few days let me list down what I like and dont. Ive added an Oben 117 ball head to it and use it with a D750 and a variety of lenses.
1) Nothing I have is over the weiget limit of this so Im good there. I tried putting a little body weight on it and it held well
2) Seems firm enough for a monopod. I doth think a thicker one would have helped in any way
3) the grip is firm and i like the small little strap it comes with
4) its easy to pen and close with the exception of the largest one that somethinse get a little tight. (I think it will get better with use)
now for the downsides
1) I would have liked it to be a little longer Im 6'3" and with the ball head its just about at eye level
2) the grip should have come all the way to the top.
3) there is a useless little clip and compass on it I wonder why.. Niked the strap a little taking it off

over all it's a very good monopod and more that worth the money.

I use this monopod with my Canon 400mm 2.8L II with 1.4x III TC and 6D with battery grip which makes for an extremely heavy setup, something close to 17lbs. So it is important to have a light monopod to keep weight down where I can and this monopod is PERFECT. Much better value than something from Gitzo or Manfrotto but rock solid stability even with close to 20lbs of gear. Allows easy shoulder carry and handling is superb even in the clinch when trying to grab wildlife action, etc. Leg extension is smooth and easy to control and the height is PERFECT for me at 5' 11". I really like how you can loosen all legs in almost one simple motion and same with tightening after collapsing the legs. Mounting platform is easy to work with and reversible mount sizes are perfect. If you need a nice carbon monopod on a budget, you cannot get any better than this, especially for handling big heavy gear.

I bought this monopod on May 29, 2013 and it has lasted me up until this January. I wont list the exact measurements because you can find those somewhere on this page, but a very compact and lightweight product. Lightweight to the point that having an aluminum ball head on this thing doubles its weight, and small to the point that it can be easily fit into a backpack. When fully extended not only is it surprisingly tall, but it is also extremely rigid. It feels much too strong for its weight, but ey, that's carbon fiber for ya.

I used this monopod for some freelance video work with "run and gun" style shooting. The twist-able extension grips were fast and easy to use, and have a confident locking friction that feels very high quality. The fact that the sections don't rotate within their shafts really does make a world of difference when it comes to accurately and quickly adjusting height, and its easy to get to a point where you can fully unlock all of the legs sanctimoniously with one hand.

I knocked one star because like I said this lasted up until this year. I am very respectful of my gear and treat it nicely, but the bottom most section still somehow disconnected on the inside of the monopod and now falls out of its sleeve. I think it has to do with twisting the friction locks, which work against the connecting mechanism that keeps the sections from rotating independently. The torque caused by this twisting constantly works against the pin/rivet/nub holding the legs in line, and that piece is not robust enough to handle extensive use.

Its a shame because every aspect of this monopod is built with precision and seemingly high quality parts, but its Achilles heel is a small connection joint made just a hair too brittle.

Would I buy it again? I'm not sure that I would, only because I may as well try another brand. But what I will say is that this product taught me exactly what I like to have in a monopod, and the next one I purchase will have specs as similar to this one as possible.

I would definitely recommend this to a friend.