Amazon Basics 67-Inch Monopod, Black

Great value. Telescopic leg seems very sturdy. Could be used as a walking stick I think… just collapse the bottom section as it’s the weakest, but keep in mind the screw doesn’t come with any kind of cover so it will be exposed if you don’t do something about it. The screw itself doesn’t look to be the highest grade and the plastic part around it that spins seems pretty cheap but overall both seem functional. Putting a ball head on this, as I intend to do, lessens these concerns. The wrist strap is also cheap but certainly holds the stick’s weight and more. You might want to replace it with something better if you plan to use it as a walking stick.These are my initial observations. Time will tell on durability so I can’t speak to that yet. Overall, I am very happy with this for the money I spent. It’s a smoking deal on sale.

I find myself shooting more and more video with my cameras. While with the advent of modern optical image stabilization, handheld video can be of very high quality, holding a camera (and particularly a not-particularly-lightweight DSLR) still for any amount of time becomes tiring, and the video will suffer as a result.Hauling around a full-size tripod is tiring and a hassle. This monopod is the perfect answer. Your camera quickly attaches to the top, you extend the telescopic leg to the required height, and you have perfectly stable video without the fatigue of holding your camera in place.The leg itself is made of hollow aluminum with three friction locks to lock the individual telescoping pieces in place. Once locked, it is very sturdy, with no movement of any kind. You can adjust the overall length to any height you wish - it locks into position once you extend it to the height you desire.The thick foam grip allows you to easily control steady, smooth panning motion, and you can do a bit of tilt as well by pushing the monopod forward or back. I did purchase a small ball joint adapter to screw to the top, which allows the camera to move independently of the monopod when more flexibility is required.The foot of the monopod is rubber, and the rubber foot can be screwed in, exposing a metal point, good for use on slippery surfaces such as ice.While useful for shooting steady video, it is also excellent for shooting in low light with slow shutter speeds where any movement turns the picture blurry, or for long telephoto shots where slight camera movement can introduce blur into the picture.Some people have reported problems with the threaded screw at the top coming loose and not being able to remove the camera, I have not experienced this issue.The monopod comes with a fitted carrying bag with an attached shoulder strap. Once collapsed, measuring around 18 inches long, you can put it in the bag, sling it over your shoulder and pretty much forget it's there.I haven't tried it, but looking at the solid foot (and metal spike) as well as the thick foam grip, I've thought more than once that it could also function as a walking stick. So if you're looking for an inexpensive, light, portable walking stick, perhaps this might be an option.Overall a good purchase, I'm glad I bought it - and my videos are much better for it!

UPDATED REVIEW...I have to subtract a star from this monopod's rating because the foot at the bottom of the monopod isn't removable, which means it can't be attached to a tripod base or other mount. As long as you don't plan to attach this to any kind of base then this monopod will work fine for you. Aside from this minor shortcoming, the rest of the review still stands- it's an excellent monopod at a super price.----------------------I just got this and have to say I'm impressed. This is a very nice monopod that's well made and (I think) a bargain at $20.The monopod is extremely rigid even when fully extended. The first thing I did when I got it was extend it all the way out to see how "bendy" or flexible it was. It hardly flexes at all, almost feels like a piece of conduit. It's good and solid but not too heavy.The foot at the bottom of the monopod can be turned back to expose a metal spike-point; this is a fairly standard feature that's left off of a lot of low-cost monopods, but this one has it.The leg locks fit snugly and the hand grip foam is comfy; we'll see how well it holds up over time. The monopod comes in a zippered bag with a full-length carrying strap.The only thing I could fault this monopod for would be the tiny hand/wrist strap. It's really small, I could barely get my average-size hand through it. If you're tall and/or big you will *not* be able to use it. (Just cut the strap off and use some cord or whatever to make your own strap. I used one off an old camera that was gathering dust in a drawer.)

Bought along with "Universal 1/4" Swivel Mini Ball Head Screw Tripod Mount" and a bino-to-mount adapter. With 10x50 binos, the contraption is easily carried at port arms, with binos still attached to a harness. This worked superbly at Cape May this spring. The monopod supports the binos, vastly reducing shake. There's still more wobble than a tripod, but the bird is still there to view. A tripod setup only lets one view where the bird was a few minutes ago.

I bought this because we have some really nice binoculars which are on the heavy side. Also, my wife shakes a bit. Using this takes the weight off my wife's arms when using the binoculars and cuts down on the shakiness. Great value. Good quality, and is comes in a nice storage case.

This works great. I use it all the time. It is easy to use and reliable. I keep one in both my car and my truck.