Manfrotto has a new line of Off Road tripods and monopods that it hasn’t technically announced yet; however, the new line was on display at PhotoPlus, and you can actually purchase them today.
The Off Road tripods and monopods are designed for extreme portability. The monopod is actually a component of a pair of walking sticks.
As they are designed for lightweight travel on the trail, the load-bearing is limited to 5.5 lbs. on either the tripod or monopod. They offer twist-lock telescoping legs that collapse to a very compact package using four leg sections.
A new line of coming Off Road backpacks (these are not yet available, but look amazing) have dedicated bungie straps for securing the tripods quickly to the exterior of the bag.
The tripods are equipped with a built-in ball head with a single locking knob and a bubble level. Again, these are essential tools designed for remote trail use. The entire tripod and head combo weighs only 1.4 lbs and collapse to 24-inches.
The Off Road walking sticks feature one of the two sticks in the kit with a cover on the top that can be removed to reveal a 1/4-20 camera mount. The feet of the walking sticks include spikes, rubber feet and snow/sand shoes.
The Manfrotto Off Road tripod runs $149.99 and is available in blue, green and red. The Off Road walking sticks with convertible monopod retail for $99.99 per pair and are also available in blue, green and red. Check them all out here at B&H Photo.
Does ths tripod come with a RC2 type ballhead?
These do not have the RC2 quick release. The head connects directly to the camera on both the tripod and monopod.