The monopod. Meh. What does one say about it? When you need one, you need one, but for all the convenience they have over a tripod, stability and user friendliness are not often what comes to mind immediately. Designed for capturing fast action, setting them up isn't really fast action at all. Well, if you are a video shooter, or need a bit more stability for your stills, the Steadicam AIR is as close to a revolutionary advancement as you can have in the world of the monopod. How can you revolutionize the stick? Pneumatic lift, my friends!
The Steadicam AIR 25 handles a hefty 25-lb payload capacity, and the new AIR 15 supports 15 lb. Both feature gas lift, spring-activated extension action that is initiated by a foot pedal mounted over a wide, stabilizing, oversized foot base and ball joint that damps movement while allowing the monopod to move where the artist needs to position the camera. A full 360 degrees of rotation is facilitated. The pole is carbon fiber, adorned with a good-looking veneer, and one of the three sections has a traditional twist-lock.
At the top, the removable aluminum top plate has a reversible screw for both 1/4"-20 or 3/8"-16 thread cameras and accessories. At full height, the Steadicam AIR stands 62.5" and collapsed it measures 28”. The pneumatic foot pedal folds for transport.
Since its invention, the words “revolutionary” and “monopod” have rarely been uttered in the same sentence—or maybe even paragraph! That all comes to an and with the Steadicam AIR.
