review – I have been a photographer and videographer for many years, and over time I have accumulated more gear with storage space. A very important piece of gear is a great tripod, and for those of us who are constantly on the go for mobile shooting, a monopod becomes the go-to device for fast stabilization. There are many great brands in the industry and Manfrotto is one of the companies known for making quality gear. Let’s take a look at this Manfrotto Element MII Video Monopod Aluminum Kit with Fluid Head.
What is it?
The Manfrotto Element MII Video Monopod Aluminum Kit with Fluid Head is an ultra-portable video monopod ideal for shooting weddings, corporate videos, interviews, documentaries, and all dynamic scenes that require agility and precision.
what’s in the box
1 x Manfrotto Element MII Video Monopod Aluminum Kit with Fluid Head
1 x User Manual
Design and Features
feature
- Excellent picture smoothness, extremely light and stable
- Can bear 4Kg weight only 1kg
- Fully foldable head and feet for maximum portability
- Patented fluid base for jitter-free translational action
- Twist lock ensures easy setup and extreme compactness
Specification
The monopod is lightweight and the parts are made of metal, plastic and rubber. It features a video head with standard 1/4-20 studs and a 3/8-16″ adapter, a control handle and retractable legs on the bottom. It also has 3 twist open/lock adjustments along the axis.
Performance
The Manfrotto Element MII Video Monopod is easy to set up and adjust. It has a removable board that you can attach to the camera. The board comes with a 1/4-20″ mount and a screw-in adapter for 3/8-16″.
The tension knob on the head allows you to adjust the vertical and horizontal resistance so that depending on the weight of the rig, you can pan and tilt smoothly.
The handle has a built-in kickstand for movement while shooting video.
The 3 legs that make up the base extend by pulling them down and have a spring release for retraction. They work well and provide enough tension that the monopod can actually stand on its own with relatively heavy cameras and short lenses. For this review, I tested with my spare Canon 7D MKII, with the extended grip. This configuration does involve some weight, but in my testing it had no problem balancing with short lenses. (Remember that a monopod is not designed to balance a camera in a stand-alone position)
The photo below shows the Canon 7D MKII stand alone mounted monopod.
This monopod is great for shooting video. The legs on the base move smoothly so they don’t restrict any movement when changing camera angles quickly. Although it’s designed as a video tripod, I also use a monopod for photography, especially as a stabilizer for innovative or awkward angles. The video head is also smooth, but keep in mind that this is not a professional monopod, so the smoothness of the video head is relative. Overall, the monopod is well built, the twist lock works well, and adjustments can be made very quickly.
what do I like
- Build quality
- light
- Quick Setup
- Adjustability
- Universal Fluid Head
what would i change
- The twist lock on the legs works well, but I don’t like the lock. Maybe because I let them fail. In my opinion, they can take more time to adjust when they are in a hurry. My personal preference is a flip lock.
final thoughts
The quality of the Manfrotto Element MII video monopods is what I’ve come to expect from them. Knowing that this is general purpose gear and not really professional use, it works well and is still perfect for my on-the-go gigs, especially if I don’t want to use expensive gear. Although it’s a video monopod, I can adjust it for quick photos. when moving. While I prefer a few different design choices, I give it a well done and two thumbs up!
price: $169.99
Where to buy: Manfrotto website and Amazon
source: Samples for this review provided by Manfrotto.
