Air 25 Monopod stability

[Steve DiMaggio]

I have been using one of these since they first came out, it has become increasingly unstable, it's for sure the foot loosening up, has anyone else encountered this? About to go back to manfroto, its all over the place

steve

 

[Grayson Fahrner]

I want to love this monopod but there are some annoying things that I hope are stripped out in the upgraded version. Give us a removable foot with a 3/8" mount so it can be used with mini tripod feet or with a groundpod that you can step on. Some cheeseplate-like 3/8" and 1/4" going up the shaft.

Options for factory configured arca swiss or manfrootto heads. I hate single screwpoints for connecting heads and cameras because they twist and especially with longer lenses can swing the tension the wrong way while carrying or moving/setting up quickly. I know there's a tension screw but where is that allen key when I need it and time to setup/take down increases. Make everything quick release.

3/8 and 1/4-20 attachment points on the head, as well as lower for monitoring and audio, should be standard for cinema-grade support sytems these days and monopod makers seem not to have embraced this.

Collapsed length small enough for airplane carry-on. Major turnoff for international travel when you need the full length of your checked bag to accomodate this even with foot and head removed. I'd also really like an option for the gas to be triggered with a top hand-switch instead of a foot pedal because if you're in forest and carrying this thing the pedal loves to get activated by vines branches brush whatever so carrying through anything dense isn't fun. With a hand switch you could attach to a shoulder rig and deploy when needed to get extra stable shoulder shooting without hassle of tripod or easyrigs in a smaller and more transportable form factor.

Still the quickest way to get height adjustment in a monopod, no complaints there. I'd love to put this thing on a mini tripod but the hard ball at the end makes this impossible and I don't want to try unscrewing something further up that is gas pressured to find a different mounting point.

Has anyone tried mounting a monopod to a fluid head at the BOTTOM, in order to increased the fluid dampening that can be exerted to isolate monopod movement while shooting and add some extra stability?

 

[Steve DiMaggio]

I also think the bottom mechanism for locking the foot thing sucks, but all the cons dont out weigh the pros as of now, just wish it was more stable

steve

 

[Grayson Fahrner]

Well...that was fast https://tiffen.com/products/steadicam-air-spreader

 

[Steve DiMaggio]

ordered

steve

 

[Steve DiMaggio]

still hasn't shipped, this company has a habit of failing for me unless called out directly, sucks

steve

 

[Steve DiMaggio]

as a follow up on this, I am now on my third repair, the hydraulic lift has completely failed and the bottom tube is now coming apart, I also have a had pin rollers fall out and the new foot mechanism just doesnt ever want to stay on, wondering if I should even send in for a repair at this point, anyone else have issues?

steve