Manfrotto 234RC Swivel Tilt Monopod Head with Quick Release Camera Plate

I've been a happy user of the Manfrotto 234 monopod head for a few years but I wanted to be able to switch between my tripod and monopod without having to remove the quick release plate to do so. I run the Manfrotto XPRO ball head and it uses the RC quick release system so this was a natural fit. I mainly use the monopod with my Sony A99 with vertical grip and Sigma 50-500 lens. It's a heavy combination and hard to hand hold steady and with this head on my monopod I get clearer shots with easy maneuverability. The quick release plate locks in securely and I've never been worried about it coming loose and dropping my gear on the ground, once it's latched it won't move without flipping the release lever. I run the pivot point where it's just loose enough to allow easy vertical panning but not so loose everything just flops around, that allows me to recompose my shot if necessary without grabbing for knobs and cussing when I had it screwed down too tight and missed the moment I wanted to capture.A monopod head is required to do a proper stance and have everything locked in position. You want the monopod at a slight angle in front of you and without the head the lens would be pointing up... this allows a sturdy position and still be able to frame the shot how you want it.I did receive an open package and can only guess that it was a return. The head still looked brand new and all of the parts and pieces were there so no real complaints. I don't know why anyone would return this head, it's a quality product and necessary for proper use of the one legged wonder. Their loss!

The Manfrotto 234RC Swivel Tilt Monopod Head is simple to attach and use. The head is perfect for larger lenses, making it easy to adjust. This is NOT a ball head, therefore you have to physically move the monopad but that becomes second nature. The build quality of the Monopod Head is solid, weighty. This is much better than I expected.

Recently acquired a Canon 300mm F2.8L IS. It is not a lens you want to freehand for hours with a Canon1D X. This makes shooting sporting events doable. Pivots 90 degrees up and down. Doesn’t need to swivel as you are using a monopod. I would buy again.

This head is solid. It will rotate the camera from landscape to portrait mode (to either side).Works well, but do realize it does NOT tilt forward and back -- you are supposed to tilt your monopod for that direction.A few negatives:Not all Manfrotto heads use this quick release plate, so it MIGHT NOT be interchangeable with other Manfrotto heads.The head has no vertical stop so you need to use your eyes to level the camera and then snug the knob down.There is no level on the head so you need to use your eyes to level the camera for all shots.The head is a bit large and heavy.The knob sticks out on one side and the quick release sticks out on the other making the head quite wide and preventing it from slipping into (or out of) a backpack or camera bag easily.I just carried this around Europe for three weeks. I tried using it for night shots, but the long exposures really required a tripod. I really needed a small tripod for selfies too. I tried to use the monopod for long telephoto images of the tops of cathedrals, but I couldn't tilt the monopod back far enough to be helpful. Overall, the monopod was entirely useless on this trip, but that is not a fault of the head.I will be backpacking a few weeks later this summer and might take the monopod then, we'll see.

The 234RC is not a monopod head that came recommended, but I have an older Manfrotto ball tripod mount using the RC2 plate, and I wanted compatibility. This head fulfills that need.Compared to when I bought my tripod many years ago, I can tell that Manfrotto quality is down. I question if maybe I received a counterfeit head based on the lack of logo on the quick release handle and the poorly embossed release plate. The packaging doesn't even have a barcode on the outside!I'm glad I can use the same quick release plate with my tripod, and now I have a second one (one for each camera body) even if I use the tripod more often than this. Adorama told me they have a clone for $15 less, maybe I should have gone for that since this seems like a knockoff anyway

Before ordering, I wasn't sure if I'd like this head on my monopod. I shoot a lot of sports action, always still pictures, and had always used ball heads. This head pivots, but does not rotate. Long story short, this head works great for the right applications, and its quality construction and reassuring heft makes it a pleasure to use.Moving the monopod instead of the head to compose pictures quickly becomes natural. Panning to catch the action is never a problem -- just rotate the whole monopod. I did find that there was some tendency for the head to slightly unscrew from the tripod at these times, but only a partial turn, and never so much as to affect stability.I find it quick and easy to swing the head 90 degrees to either side for portrait-oriented pictures. The head stops at 90 degrees, so I don't have to fiddle around locking it or trying to hold it in position if I need to take a quick shot.This would not be a good head for movies or if you aren't typically shooting with the the lens fairly level (like capturing birds in trees). Thus I wouldn't use it, for example, for basketball or volleyball shots. But for most field sports, cross country, baseball, tennis, etc. --- it provides better support and ease of use than a ball head. This is a serious piece of hardware, and requires a serious monopod -- a lightweight ball-head would be a better match for a lightweight monopod.

Great seller

The media could not be loaded. I use this head to attache my camera body to my c-stand for top down shots. It's very sturdy and simple - only two positions which for overheads is all I need. I feel confident my camera is secure