The Pan And Tilt That Doesn't - Manfrotto Video Monopod

Manfrotto does some pretty marvellous thinking when it comes to the design of their products. As our regular readers will know they have been making heavy-duty camera and lighting stands, accessories, and all sorts of studio stuff for decades. They are always thinking out something else that can be done with cast aluminium or magnesium. Their really big pro stuff has a lot of steel in it - when it falls on you you stay underneath it...

Okay, the subject today is one of their products that does a wonderful job but fools the unwary ( customer and staff...) by the shape of it.

The pan and tilt video head you see is sitting on the top of a video monopod. It looks for all the world like the similar Manfrotto heads that top video tripods - and has been sold as such. But the blessed thing does not swivel. Not a good feature for video work. It nods up and down, but what do you do when your subject makes a break for it left or right?

Relax. The design of the monopod has a ball in a socket on the small three-footed base. It is not intended to support the rig when you let loose of it - there is too much weight up on top to balance well. But it allows you and the camera to swivel smoothly up to 360º to follow your subject. You're holding firmly onto the gear and round you go.

Stop when you get dizzy.