Traditional monopods use flip or twist locks to adjust each leg section, but a new monopod series from the Hong Kong-based Coman height-adjusts all four sections in seconds with the press of one handle.
The Coman Go M1 series is a line of monopods with one-click height adjustments that reach heights of more than five feet without extension tubes.
The Go M1 isn’t the first monopod line to height adjust from one control, but the company says that it’s the first four-section one-key tripod to do so – enabling the M1Pro V5, the largest in the series, to reach a height of 5.74 ft / 1.75mm.
The three monopods in the series also include the M1S, which reaches up to 5.42 feet / 1.66mm, and the M1V5, which reaches up to 5.58 ft / 1.77mm.
All four leg sections adjust in under a second, according to the company. Pressing the release button while pulling up the handle adjusts the height of the tripod without needing to separately adjust each leg section.
ABOVE: Watch the Coman M1 launch trailer
The flagship model, the Coman M1 Pro V5, also uses a foot pedal inside the support feet to release the monopod and enable the monopod to tilt, allowing for camera movement beyond the capabilities of the included fluid head.
A control at the foot also enables creatives to adjust the range of movement of that foot.
That foot also has a quick release that enables the head to work with the foot and without the leg sections for a tabletop mini tripod that shoots from heights as small as 10 inches / 25.5cm.
That fluid head supports 360° horizontal movement and 90° pitch adjustments and includes a retractable video head handle. The monopods are also designed to work with gimbals, with the V5 variants’ quick-release plate working with DJI RS2-4 stabilizers. The monopod can also double as a rocker arm for gimbals.
All three tripods can handle up to 44.1 lbs / 20kg of gear or 17.64 lbs / 8kg with a load-bearing hydraulic gimbal.
But there are a few key differences between the basic M1S, the mid-tier M1V5 and the M1Pro V5. The M1Pro V5 has the foot pedal and quick release to use the head with the support feet as a tabletop tripod, while the other two do not.
The Pro variant also uses a fluid head with a quick-release module. The M1V5 uses just the fluid head while the M1S uses a bowl head. The M1S uses an Acra-Swiss-style quick-release plate, while the pair of V5 models use Manfrotto-style plates.
The monopod’s carbon fiber construction is designed to help keep the camera support’s weight down, with the M1S weighing in at 3.85 lbs / 1746g, the M1V5 at 5.08 lbs / 2306g and the M1Pro V5 at 5.51 lbs / 2500g.
The Coman Go M1 series launched on Kickstarter in March, but the campaign has already reached more than $140,000 / £100,000 / AU$210,000 in funding, well exceeding the original $5,101 / £3,783 / AU$7,907 goal, with the campaign open to backers until June 14.
All crowdfunding projects come with risks, but the company has already shipped out the first two batches to early backers.
Backers can get as much as 50% off the expected retail price, with the early rewards for the M1S going for $199 / £147 / AU$306, the M1 V5 for $319 / £235 / AU$490, and the M1 Pro V5 $349 / £257 / AU$536.
Editor's note: As with all crowdfunding projects, there is no guarantee that the final product will match the early depictions in the campaign – or that the final product will be completed or delivered at all. DCW does not endorse this or any other crowdfunding campaign.
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