Does anyone use a monopod with their DVX100? If so, which one? Will be using a 503 head.

Ray, it would seem to me that just about any monopod would work fine with the DVX. Bogen makes a couple models in varying degrees of sturdiness, length, features, price etc.

Chris,

Thanks, I kind of figured that it would work with any monopod? Just wanted to hear it from someone.

Anyway, I'm thinking of getting the one's with the retractable legs like the 682b. Would you still be able to pan with the legs extended?

Ray

a slik monopod with a short tripod legs attachment (it's a two part set up for table top shooting with swivel and lock head and short legs) also by slik. I'm making a steadipod balance cross-bar so that it can be used as a steaditracker. I'm not banking on great action but I'll see. So far, the slik has been good in a crowd. The short tripod legs help keep it steady.

Dean,

Can you be more specific as to which slik monopod and short tripod legs attachment you are talking about. The slik web sites, both corporate and US distributor, are not the most user friendly I have ever used. I believe you may be talking about the slik minipod or compact-xl along with the monopod but wanted to verify.

Do you just remove the center column on the tripod legs and then insert the monopod or what? Details, por favor.

Thanks

Jacki

S-Pole 2 Slik monopod and the slik pro-mini 3 tripod legs and rotating ball joint (mainly used for stills cams). The ball joint is useless but I'm having a brass section inserted to stop the ball from rotating up and down. It will just rotate horizontally. The one weakness of this is the head connection. It's a single screw. I'll deal with this issue at some point but it's a weakness anyway.
A weighted solid aluminum bar and floating handle are being made by a machinist friend; these will allow the monopod to be used as a steaditracker - I hope.
should have the bar and handle sometime this month.

Manfrotto makes a nice and solid monopod with a three legged stand attachment. Much better than the slik. about $100 here in Japan.

I have the 628B monopod with the feet the only problem is when you pick it up to move watch where the feet are. I am always walking into them but otherwise I do like the piece. It comes in quite handy.

Don,
Don't you mean the Bogen/Manfrotto 682B?

The Manfrotto looks interesting, B&H has it for $79. About how far do the legs on the Manfrotto 682B stick out when they are extended? Looks like they are fairly long but that could just be the photo.

The main thing is stability and mobility. The slik is stable enough and the feet are less extended but you've got to keep your hands on the cam. I can see where the manfrotto could get in the way.

Ken,
Thanks, yes I do. I have backwards fingers ;)
(now u see why I let my wife handle the checkbook)


Jacki,
The legs are a good 12" in length-it can be a little awkward.

Don, thanks, even though the legs actually look longer than that in the photos, 12" is still longer that I expected. I have an email in to Manfrotto, I have looked everywhere and cannot seem to find any reference to the S Pole II. Hopefully it is just an older model monopod and the newer ones will work OK.

Thanks for everyones help.

I've found that different numbers are often attached to the same product sold in a country other than Japan. The main thing is to get a monopod with a decent grip and quick release legs. Whether you use a slik or manfrotto may make little difference. You've got to figure that it's the solidness of the piece that counts.
I was looking at the manfrotto again yesterday in Tokyo. I did pick it up and play with it. The legs are long, do not fold up or telescope and do get in the way if you are moving around with it. It's rock solid on the ground however.
It would be a good idea for manfrotto to adjust this situation. I can telescope and/or fold the legs on the slik. Makes it handy in a crowd.

do you like the slik or the bogen, money not being a factor? i'm doing mostly receptions and events where i need to move around quickly. i also want to be able to hoist the camera over the crowd. will both be safe for this action (camera not falling off and hitting someone on the head). i've got an xl1s

thanks
annie

I've used this in parade and crowd conditions. With the fold-up tripod legs, I've easily lifted the cam up over the crowd. The only factor is the one screw for the cam plate. I'm taking care of that this week-end. generally, at least, for the money involved it's been a cheap way to do the deed.
I don't think the name brand matters and as I recall there is a monopod that has been made with extra height in mind. You'll have to look for it in the crane sections on cam support equipment.
Good luck.

I use a bogan (3241???) that has a quick release tilt head, and most importantly, the top section of the riser has a quick release grip so you can change height instantly....

This has been in pretty heavy service for two years without any problems at all....

I emailed the US Slik distributor regarding the S-Pole and got back a response that either it wasn't distributed in the US or was a discontinued model. This is even though the web site, in the description of the Mini-Pro, recommends this combination. After a couple more emails he confirmed that the center column of the pro-mini does remove totally none of the Slik monopods they sell will fit in the 12mm opening.

Since the main Slik web site is just basically hyperlinks to all their distributors I have not found a way to email Slik corporate and ask them their opinion.

I have not found any other nice, desktop tripods with removable center columns so unless I can find a 12mm monopod I guess I will just use a monopd by itself.

Unless, of course, anyone else has any more ideas..........?

A lot of Japanese manufacturing companies are not very internationally web oriented. Nor are they very helpful. I'd recommend contacting Yodobashi camera in Tokyo via e-mail and ask them the price for the set-up/ combo and see if you can have them ship it to you. I don't know if anyone over there speaks English but you can give it a try.
I'd love to get my hands on a Heiwa tripod/with fluid head and can't seem to find the tripods in Tokyo. I'll have to go out to their company in Saitama (suburbs) to see their equipment. So, it's a bitch. Part of the problem is that Japanese companies use weird distribution systems in Japan that give the rights of distribution to one company and it distributes the products only through it's network. It can be hard finding equipment sometimes. For all the fine equipment made in Japan, it's often difficult to get your hands on the products. Most things are made for foreign markets and then things made for the Japanese market are not sold elsewhere. It's a crazy set-up and not very media savy or marketing savy but it's the way things are.
I'd scream at the Slik rep in the US about products. Get them to move on it or make contact for you.

Slik, like a lot of Japanese companies, creates and manufactures a lot of products to go out on the market and then disappear. It's a fast turn around on the Japanese market as a lot of folks are into the latest fashions that don't always translate into good equipment.
The S-pole and Pro-mini 3 is a good combo and should be out there but given the regionalism of the mentality it's not difficult to understand the problem. They just don't know when they've got a good thing. It's people like us who are trying different combos to get the job done. They made the S-pole and Pro-mini 3 for stills cameras. They weren't even thinking about video cams. Go figure!