OptekaM900 71" 5 Section Ultra Heavy Duty Monopod (supports up to 30 lbs)

I have not as yet had an opportunity to field test this monopod, but it is clearly very strong and lightweight for its extended length. My gimbal attaches to it easily and securely. Its price is very competitive.

A little heavy, to be expected for a heavy duty lens support. Feels well made.

Nice and heavy duty - good construction and works well

When I ordered this, I intended to use it only as support for lighting. I have a few light stands for my 36" umbrellas, but they do not fare well with the 46" one. I intended to have this held by an assistant, either vertically or like a boom pole.When it came, it was pretty badly packaged. There wasn't any air bags to prevent it from moving around, so it had a good 1.5" in all directions to move around when shaken. Didn't help that UPS threw the package over my gate. -0.5 stars for that.Worried that it may have gotten damaged, and also skeptical about its practicality, I put it through some tests. Here are some picky pros and cons:Pros:Very long. It's long enough for my purposes.Fairly light. I don't know how heavy MPs are supposed to be, but I could happily carry this all day long.VERY sturdy. I leaned very heavily onto this and it did not do so much as to slip.Compact when folded.Came with a decent carry case.Innovative screw design.Strong, wide flip locks.Cons:Flip locks are plastic, and are lower quality than my manfrotto ones.Foam grip literally stinks. This is the stink I've been finding with lower-quality equipment.Did not come with the retractable spike as originally advertised (changed now).Overall wider in diameter than I thought. Fits well in the hand, and has an overall beefy look. Gives the impression of sturdy, I guess.Wrist strap feels super cheap, and useless IMO. I will replace this with the supplied camera strap, since I use BlackRapids anyway.Now, for my purposes, I fully extended it to 71", attached a speedlight and 46" umbrella onto it, then held it over my head, only holding onto the bottom two sections (the weakest sections of any 'pod). I am pleased to say that the MP is super sturdy and arced only very slightly. I am confident enough to use this to hold my lighting gear/camera, and am very happy I made this purchase.-1 star for bad packaging, lack of spike, smell, and useless wrist strap.

I am always skeptical when these so-called “off-brand” companies call one of their products “Professional”, but I must admit that this monopod is built to pro standards. It accepts my Manfrotto heads with no problems, and when my camera is mounted with 12 lb. prime lens, this pod seems as sturdy as the Rock of Gibraltar.