Do you get tired holding your camera and lens in use or in a ready-to-use position? Do you need assistance in holding your camera and lens steady? Do you shoot sports? Do you need a compact camera support? If you answered yes to any of these questions (and even if not), you may need a monopod. Which monopod becomes the next question. You probably have invested a lot in the camera and lens you will be mounting on top of the monopod, so quality-construction should be a requirement for your selection – you don’t want to risk having a monopod break. My initial monopod search resulted in a Gitzo G1588 Monopod (now discontinued) becoming part of my kit for many years. I liked it a lot, but when Gitzo introduced their 6x line of replacements, I upgraded to the Gitzo GM5540 6x Carbon Fiber Monopod. The Gitzo GM5540 6x Carbon Fiber Monopod is a really solid monopod. It provides a wide, firm-but-padded grip that gives you great control over even the largest lenses including the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens and the Canon EF 600mm f/4 L IS USM Lens. Build quality is very good overall. Narrower and lighter monopods such as the Gitzo GM3550 Monopod offer lower prices and higher working heights, but I prefer the greater control and stability of the Gitzo GM5540 6x Carbon Fiber Monopod. READ FULL REVIEW AT DigitalPicture.com
If you own or have used this tripod, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.