Benro Aluminum 3 Series Twist-Lock Video Monopod Kit w/ 3-Foot Articulating Base and S2 Video Head (A38TDS2), Black

I really like this product. needed a tiny spray of WD40 to lube the bottom ball joint And i do find myself having to tighten the screws for the flip lock sections. I use a nikon d800 with heavy lenses so this may be why. I shoot weddings so i use this for many hours at a time and it really helps stabilize my video shots. great for panning and the head works quite well for up and down pans. The 3 legs seem to be holding up well so far... i will update this after 50+ weddings this year. Also.. I have used the Manfrotto version and I cant see much difference besides the feet being wider than the Manfrotto feet. Also.. i use a giottos quick release plate system on top of the stock plate that benro supplies. This is just so all of my units have the same plate (tripod, monopod, glidecam, and slider)Pros: easy flip lock sections with nice video head. Sturdy. Great for dslr videoCons: My only complaint is that the bolts for the flip locks begin to loosen just a bit after long use. But tightening with a multitool keeps them tight for a while.I would recommend this to someone who is looking for a less expensive version of the equivalent manfrotto monopod. Some other Guys at my studio use the manfrottos regularly and they were impressed with my Benro.**Update** With over 100 weddings and 1 year of heavy use now with this monopod setup... I am impressed with the durability. I have found d that the Manfrotto has a smoother pan left and right due to the extra pan section ( besides the ball and socket ) on the bottom by the feet that this benro model lacks. I find its not as firm of a pan and rotation than the manfrotto, but it certainly holds its own. Are there Times I wish I had the manfrotto instead? Can't deny that, but overall I am happy with the product and don't see any sense of getting rid of my benro to get a manfrotto instead.

Benro Aluminum 3-Series Flip-Lock Video Monopod Kit is everything I had hoped for. It is sturdy and light weight. It is built solid and well finished. Everything works as it should and it is very versatile. It is a great tool for shooting video with my DSLR. I will be using it for shooting real estate videos.I love my old Benro Tripod that I purchased a number of years ago. I use it on every real estate photo shoot and it has held up very well. I feel confident the new Benro Monopod will serve me equally as well.My only concern was the quick release that came with the S2 Video Head. It doesn't work with my Manfrotto quick release system. I use the Manfrotto 323 RC2 System Quick Release on all of my equipment and didn't want to have two different quick release systems going on at the same time.Luckily, I had purchased an adapter from Amazon a couple of years ago that resolved that problem. The adapter is still available on Amazon. Here is the link to the adapter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0111WY222/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1It also requires a longer 1/4-20 screw then what is included in the Benro quick release plate. You will need to switch the screw if you want to make the same change that I did. Here is the link the the longer quick release plate screw from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Release-Flathead-Stainless-Manfrotto-Sachtler/dp/B00D97FMOU/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=Standard%2B1%2F4%22-20%2BSlotted%2BScrew%2B15mm%2Blong&qid=1630246531&s=electronics&sr=1-6&th=1See the Photos I have included in this review. It will show you how the Manfrotto quick release is attached to the Benro quick release plate.

I really really wanted to love this monopod. It is a very beefy monopod though fairly light. The S4 head is quite nice. It pans well, though I'd like to be able to adjust the resistance of the panning. The height adjusts very quickly and is very sturdy even when fully extended - (some tri/monopods start creeping downward with the slightest amount of pressure). The grip is nice - and it came with a very nice carrying case.My biggest issue and the reason I decided to return the monopod was the base. It would consistently and inadvertently start to unscrew under the slightest twist. The little red 'nut' at the bottom controls how the base operates - when it is screwed all the way down it locks the base in place (so the inner ball doesn't rotate). You'd use this when you wanted utmost stability in the shot. When the 'nut' is all the way up - it enables you to move in and out (toward & away from the subject). In theory this all sounds great BUT not if the base itself keeps unscrewing. Wish there was a way to lock the base into the monopod leg - so there was no way you could inadvertently unscrew the base. There were way too many scenarios when I was trying to pan in and out and the base would just start to unscrew. It drove me nuts! For a Videographer on a budget I can make some concessions with some equipment - but this is just a bad design decision.