Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod

Comments about Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod:

I have this monopod and is great. I use it with my Sony Nex-7 camera. It is light, and compact. Perfect to carry my small camera. When I first got it I was ready to send it back because it did not open to 61". Before I put it in the box my wife pulled it open a little harder than I did. The 1st section was just stuck, and after it was opened it worked fine and did not get stuck again. It opens very easy and smooth, and being able to set to a height and lock it with a twist is a big plus. I am very pleased with this monopod. It would be good if the directions stated that it may be difficult to open at first. I would, and have reccomended this monopod to my friends.

Comments about Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod:

I used it on my trip to Europe, the very first day I am there it breaks. It uses some type of frail plastic for the locking mechanism. I consider myself a very careful person, even so, the monopod breaks when I open it. I had opened it previously, and I am quite certain it didn't break on the plane ride for I had in my carry-on bag tucked under the chair in front of me.

Comments about Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod:

I recently bought this product (two weeks ago) to use at the International Quilt Festival. The environment is packed hardly any room to move sometimes so I needed something small and lightweight. I found this little gem on a colleague's website and bought it as quick as I could.

After using it for one hour I knew it was the best monopod ever! It stabilizes video and expands to eye level so you can frame your shots correctly with the viewfinder/LCD. It collapses down to a very small 16 in. The wrist strap is very helpful as you can put it around your wrist so you don't have to carry your camera all the time during a shoot.

Overall I believe it is a very good monopod for pros and amateurs and I would highly recomend buying it. It is a good piece of video/photo kit.

Comments about Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod:

Shaky hands? That's me. This little baby takes the shake out. The camera you use is the one you have with you. Same goes for a tripod. How often do you lug even a lightweight tripod with you. Me - never. My new baby helper is by my side at all times. Changed me from shaky shot to steady shot in the flick of my wrist. Thanks B&H again. Your loyal customer for over 20 years.

Comments about Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod:

Quick deployment and small size means you can carry this in your backpack. Super lightweight. Good enough for DSLRs.

Though quick, might be tricky adjusting to the exact height you want. Consider the Manfrotto Neotec monopod if you want something more precise (but you lose the size/weight pros).

Comments about Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod:

A very compact and surprisingly sturdy monopod. I wouldn't put too much weight on it but I comfortably use mine with around 4lbs of camera. I would recommend that you get a quick release adapter for it.

Comments about Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod:

Excellent monopod. It could be a little cheaper but otherwise it's a great monopod. The locking system is very practical but it may not take too much weight, so far I have only tested it with a small DSLR.

Comments about Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod:

Great design. Absolutely love the quick-release. But it's only 51 inches long. I bought it because it was supposed to be five feet long.

Very disappointed. Too short to be of real value, and it never should have happened. Someone fell asleep at either the B&H or the Velbon quality control department. I was misled.

Comments about Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod:

Good when on the go, and it's cheap

Comments about Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod:

Very lightweight and compact, yet feels stable and secure (once you get the knack of the unusual twist locks). Takes 3-4 seconds to fully extend and lock.

The monopod is light enough that I can easily carry my DLSR by the grip, in one hand, with the monopod attached. This leaves my left hand free to hold a flash or reflector. Very handy when chasing moving targets (e.g., kids).

Drawbacks:
- Locking does not give a clear feedback. (You just have to twist it hard enough.)
- The rubber surface around the mounting screw on top does not grip well. If I tighten the camera (or clamp/ballhead/tilthead) with reasonable force, they could still twist loose. When I tighten with maximal manual force, the attachment is secure but the rubber surface unmoors from its glue and rotates.

Comments about Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod:

Priced right, this monopod give you great value for the money. It's very light weight, small for travel, yet telescopes to a reasonable height.

Grest combination of features!

Comments about Velbon Ultra Stick L50 Aluminum Monopod:

I was looking for a light weight travel monopod that extended to 5 feet & collapsed rather small. This is the one! Not expensive either. It's not appropriate for a heavy camera, but I didn't need that.