Manfrotto 234RC Monopod Tilt Head with Quick Release, Black

Let me start this review by saying this is typical Manfrotto quality. That is to say solid and perfectly engineered. You could tie an ocean liner to this head and do no damage!!Now this is were the mistake comes in on my part. My technique with a monopod entails the monopod foot being slightly forward from vertical or slightly back, close to my body with my right foot acting as a stop. This means the camera is slightly pointing at the sky or the ground. This is fine as long as the quick release plate is mounted on the camera with the long side at 90' as in the product shot. You can adjust the camera perfectly via the head. You cannot take portrait shots like this as the camera can only be pivoted up or down. In order to take portrait shots you must dismount the camera from the monopod, loosen the quick release plate on the camera, turn the plate 90', tighten it and remount onto the monopod. My mistake when ordering it was assuming the plate was square so no loosening was neccessary, just a dismount-mount of the camera. I'm in the process of ordering Manfrotto 494RC2 Ball Head with Friction Control which is the same as I have on my tripod.As I have said the product is A1 in all respects. Indeed I have not sent it back as I now use it as a do it all attachment for my flash off camera setup. Also, being Manfrotto it is the same quick release plate as my tripods ball head.

A great deal of thought went into this design and hopefully it will last a lifetime (though I am already 68!!). The release lever is huge and can get in the way, although accidental operation is unlikely since it has to turn 90 degrees against spring pressure to release the mounting shoe and additionally there is a small security latch. Still, it would be possible to design a rather smaller lever with a 'built in' security latch and that would be better. When the shoe is fitted the lever snaps ahut automatically. This shoe has a rubber facing and a camera can be fitted on to it either 'fore and aft' or sideways to the tilting mechanism. In the latter case rotating the mounting vertically through 90 degrees neatly changes the picture format from landscape to portrait.This is a quality product but at £26 you pay dearly for the Manfrotto name: the nearly identical Kingjoy version costs only £17. It will fit many non- Manfrotto mono or tripods provided they have a 1/4in thread. I use mine with my excellent Kingjoy monopod. The reasons for dropping a star here are the price and the 272gm weight of the thing. It is massive in construction and made, it seems of cast iron (or steel). Since my monopod weighs little more than 600 gms this mounting adds half as much again to the weight, making the monopod much heavier to carry around. I'm fairly sure cast aluminium would have been strong enough. This item is a nice thing though--the very weight of it makes it tactile and somehow pleasing to own.

You don't need a head for a monopod, just fasten the camera to it using the tripod screw and it will work. Two issues though, 1) that takes time, is inconvenient if you are on the move and 2) with the camera screwed to the monopod, you can only use it in landscape mode.This head is specially designed for monopods and provides the only two functions you need; a quick release plate and the facility to tilt the camera from landscape to portrait. All the other movements are done by tilting the monopod sideways and backwards and forwards. A pan and tilt or ball head are just overkill and simply add more weight.The only downside to adding this head to your monopod is that it does add weight. However, like all Manfrotto equipment, this is beautifully engineered to last. It is reassuringly solid when you have a few thousand pounds worth of heavy camera/lens attached to it.

Value for money. Good quality

Excellent, keeps weight down on my monopod ,so much better than other heads I was using as it’s so simple ,

The head works exactly as advertised. I use a heavy lens on a monopod, and just need a tilt mechanism - this head perfectly fits the bill. BUT, and its a big BUT -> My lens foot is 5" long and Arca Swiss compatible, but with thus head, you must use the supplied attachment - I point to the reason in the image I shared. As I'm a somewhat infrequent user, it's not a big deal. If I used it more often, I'd get something else, where my existing lens foot could fit without the additional attachment. This, by the way, has just one attachment screw and I need to remove the end security screw from my lens foot. As such, an inconvenience I can do without were I to use this more often.

Quality is as good as it gets, not to heavy to carry about on a monopod though.

I originally owned this about a year ago and, which was completely my own fault, I couldn't take to it and just couldn't get it to work for me. I believe I bought it because i thought I needed it and never gave it a chance. A few weeks back I realised why I needed it which comes with getting more camera experience. I completely love this now. Brilliant product! Very sturdy, quite a bit of weight to it but that's not a bad thing in any way & so simple to use it. I mostly use it on my Manfrotto Monopod. I leave the quick release permanently on my DSLR and the bracket on my Monopod. Click the pin out to the left which unlocks the lock, slip the black bracket out to the left and slide the camera off. Place the camera back on, the plate will click back in and automatically move the slider back in them move the pin back for total locking.