No matter how good you are at recording, the stability a monopod offers far exceeds that of a handheld.
A Monopod will offer videographers great stability without sacrificing mobility.
Different monopods will offer different features, so It won’t be surprising if you have no clue what monopod you should invest in.
In this article, I represent to you the best monopods for video recording.
A Quick Look At My Favorite Video Recording Monopods
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Feature-Packed  | 10 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Compact  | 9 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best For Light Cameras  | 8.6 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Stability  | 8.5 | Check Price On Amazon | |
Best Overall  | 8.6 | Check Price On Amazon |
Key Takeaways
- Great cameras are necessary for taking excellent movies, but you also need some monopods for additional stability.
- Although numerous monopods are available, the Manfrotto Video Monopod XPRO+ is the best choice because of its many capabilities.
- The Neewer Carbon Fiber Monopod is the option to choose if you want a monopod with the highest stability.
- Make sure the monopod you buy can support a lot of weight and is portable.
To take that burden off your shoulders, I have rounded up what I think is the best monopod for videos.
Top 5 Best Monopods for Videography
5. Vanguard VEO 2S AM-264TR – Best Feature-Packed
What I Like
- Lightweight and Compact
- Great Build Quality
- Smartphone and Bluetooth compatibility
- Well Priced
What I Don’t Like
- For the price it comes with, there are literally no cons, I’ll let you know if I find any.
If you research just a little bit in the monopod spectrum, there’s no way that you won’t spot the Vanguard VEO 2S AM-264TR. It is a monopod that has a sleek design and promises to make your video shooting experience way better and much easier.
The major selling point of this monopod must be that it also comes with a smartphone connector and Bluetooth remote shutter trigger, which pique the interest of smartphone shooters and not only of those traditional videographers that use a professional camera.
This Vanguard monopod measures 55cm when it’s folded, meaning that it won’t take much room and will easily be secured to the side of your backpack. At the same time it is relatively lightweight coming at under 1KG while being capable of supporting 13 lbs; plenty enough to hold a DSLR body and its lens without a problem, let alone a smartphone.
At full height the VEO 2S AM-264TR measures 163cm and also it features 4 sections that are separated by a twist lock which also comes in a rubberized design that offers a battery and easier grip.
Why should you buy it?
This is a really well-made monopod that comes in a compact and lightweight form factor while being quite sturdy. It sure looks good and does exactly what it was made to do. On top of all that it gives you the chance to connect your smartphone and shoot your videos through the phone instead of a DSLR or mirrorless professional camera.
4. SIRUI P-326 – Best Compact
What I Like
- Well Built
- Compact Lightweight
- Supports plenty amount of weight
- Reversible hand grip
What I Don’t Like
- A bit short even when it is fully extended
- It is difficult to clean
Next, we have the Sirui P-326, a sturdy little monopod that will bring a lot to the table while you won’t have to pay a lot.
It is a compact and lightweight monopod that you can simply toss into your backpack and hit it off.
The Sirui weighs only 0.9 lbs. and is suited for close-up videography, thanks to the courtesy of the retracted length, which is an incredibly low 15.6”.
Yet it can extend to 61.4” making it perfect for the 6-foot frame that it comes with.
Despite its lightweight, the Sirui P-326 is surprisingly robust for its size. The carbon frame construction gives it the freedom of holding a max load of 22 lbs.
That’s more than enough even for large telephoto lenses that weigh a lot. If you usually work with smaller lenses, this will be perfect for fluid moving shots, quick pans, and the like since they will not even put a strain on the monopod.
What I like in the Sirui P-326, must be the handgrip that makes it quite easy to grip and hold the camera firmly.
Sirui also includes an extra carabiner clip and a compass on the monopod, although that is done for marketing purposes, it seems a little gimmicky.
The P-326 comes with reversible 1/4″-20 & 3/8″-16 screws and there’s a retractable steel spike on the foot that is used to hold the stability even in harsh and uneven surfaces, like sand, grass, and other
Why should you buy it?
Overall, you will be very pleased with this monopod, it is really compact and lightweight which hugely helps you with all that extra weight and discomfort when you are out on the roads.
3. Manfrotto (MMCOMPACT-BK) – Best For Light Cameras
What I Like
- Lightweight, Portable
- Perfect height when extended and folded
What I Don’t Like
- Sadly, it is not as steady when extended at max height, but it is something that we understand given the compact form factor.
Obviously, a list regarding monopods or anything that has pods on its name and there’s no Manfrotto, it’s not a list at all.
The next monopod comes from a prominent manufacturer that is quite known for their camera tool’s quality.
While the above options were quite compact, after all, that’s the true and sole purpose of a monopod to be compact. The latter one from Manfrotto is so compact that it has it written all over the place.
It sports a Carbon design and weighs just 0.69 lbs. while it is capable of extending to 57” and retracts to 15.4”. Perfect for storage.
You will love the ergonomic handgrip and the wrist strap that comes in quite comfortably and hold the camera solidly for extended shooting. Also
It comes with a fixed head for pans and tilts.
The mounting platform packs a 1/4″-20 screw head. If that’s no use for you can always buy an extra adapter for the 3/8 -16.
Manfrotto claims the max weight capacity that this monopod supports sits at 3.3 lbs.
You will encounter some wobbles there and then, especially if you have the fifth section extended. But no worries, it’s definitely not going to crack under the weight of your camera.
Why should you buy it?
This monopod from Manfrotto is an excellent choice if you looking for something that is portable and compact for your mirrorless camera, I would avoid it if you are a heavy-weight lens and DSLR user.
2. Neewer Carbon Fiber Monopod – Best Stability
What I Like
- Sleek design
- Good Amount of Maximum Load Capacity
- Carbon Build
What I Don’t Like
- It starts to get wobbly when you use it with heavy setups.
Neewer is a brand that is quite known and has a long way to go to sit with the big dogs, but that doesn’t mean that they are bad.
Being new in the market they need some more time for recognition; however, they are still quite known among photographers who do the work on a tight budget, since they provide cost-effective equipments for photographers from tripods to softboxes and much more.
The Neewer monopod sports a sleek design with a foam grip, a wrist strap, and 5-sections.
It can extend up to 66-inches and it shrinks down to 19.68, which is just the size we need for easier storage.
As far as Weighs goes it sits at 1.3 lbs and it is strong enough to the point that it can be used as a hiking stick.
Comes with a tripod base, the one we are used to seeing on Neewers tripods, it provides 15-degrees, which gives you the chance to take 360-degree panorama shots.
It includes a standard reversible mounting plate with 1/4″-20 and 3/8″-16. And,
it supports a maximum weight load of 11 lbs, which is pretty good for any type of camera.
Why should you buy it?
It is a very simple monopod, yet it is extremely good thanks to the exceptional value it brings to the table. It provides great stability and stays firm even when you mount heavy DSLRs and long lenses.
1. Manfrotto Video Monopod XPRO+ – Best Overall
What I Like
- Really well built and good looking
- Heavy Weight
- Really Flexible
- Great for Videographers
What I Don’t Like
- Heavy Weight
- Load Capacity
Manfrotto makes yet again another appearance on the list, that’s how good this manufacturer is.
If you are in the market for a premium monopod that will prove itself in the videography, you can’t go wrong with the XPRO.
As soon as you pull this bad boy out of the box you will notice the heavy and large form factor. Before you start having negative thoughts, think of it as a huge benefit.
The extra weight will give you extra support when filming videos outdoors, it will have more stability than a lightweight and compact monopod.
With that being said the monopod is still portable thanks to the three extractable feet that when folded allow you to carry it anywhere. What’s more the D-shaped aluminum tubes offer anti-rotation resistance that is great for following rapid movements by the videographer.
At maximum height, it reaches up to 79.92 inches while at a minimum it goes down to 30.71 inches. As far as weight capacity goes, it can withstand up to 4.63 pounds.
There’s also the power quick lock that forcefully locks the lever on the flat side of the monopod in order to eliminate unwanted movements. Simply put this monopod is a dream for videographers. However, that doesn’t mean that this would be a bad pick for stills, it can do that just fine.
Why should you buy it?
It is really a flexible monopod that can be used in a lot of situations. It extends to a really serious length, it can fold and pretty much do everything. A drawback that I would consider would be the weight capacity, would have loved it to support more weight, other than that it ticks all the boxes a videographer needs.
3 Things You Need to Consider The Most:
Buying a monopod is not that complicated, you just need to consider the things I mentioned the most in the reviews above and the ones I am about to mention below.
Weight Capacity
A monopod can support up to 40 lbs. but that’s a bit overkill and not that useful in the long run. I mean you are not putting the whole cinema on it, the ones I included support just enough weight for most cameras nowadays.
Still, you need to make sure, before you jump in and buy a monopod. If the camera setup is heavier than what the monopod can support it will ruin the whole idea of the monopod and will cause wobblings.
Height
The maximum height is the highest point the monopod can reach while the minimum means when it is folded down. Usually, you will encounter heights from 45 inches to 75, but I think that everything over 60 inches is just overkill, unless you do a lot of overhead shooting.
Portability
Since you are a videographer, I assume that your work involves a lot of traveling, right?
That’s why most of the above options are compact and lightweight monopods to make things easier for you in the portability field. That’s the whole point of the monopod right, if it wasn’t for the weight, I would advise just to get a tripod instead.
Will a monopod help me record great videos?
Like in any picture, a monopod will also help you record videos! I am pretty sure that recording while holding the camera in hand is a little bit hard, especially when there is no image stabilization. A monopod will be the greatest accessory t use when you deal with these things. They will give exceptional stability to you and your video recording.
Are monopods worth it?
Monopods are definitely worth it! Besides considering the part of stability, you should know that monopods are super compact and can be carried around whenever and however you want.
Should I use image stabilization while using a monopod?
The first thing you should know about this issue is that not every camera has built-in image stabilization, but still, if you use a camera that has that feature, yes, you should have it on. It will be a great combination of using two stability features together, and after that, you can expect the best-recorded videos.
Closing Words
A Monopod is one of those tools that you don’t know its value until you use it yourself. Once you use a monopod while filming, there’s no going back.
From stabilizing your shots in crowded places to providing rest for your muscles, basically, it makes your life way easier in many aspects.
I hope you enjoyed my article regarding the best monopod for video and if you feel like reading some more articles, you can read further below.
Further Reading:
If you would like to know the best gimbals for Nikon Z6 you got them, or if you need some Speedlights for your Sony A7 III instead, you got them also.
There are also some action cameras that might come in hand, or even better since we are talking about videography, I have a list of the Best Budget Cinema cameras.
Do you need some light?
No worries, I got you covered with the Best softboxes for product photography.
Until next time, enjoy.
Photographer & Writer
I specialize in landscape, street and portrait photography and I have been featured in various galleries and publications. I believe that photography is a way to tell stories!
