Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod Review

The Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod is a lightweight 4-section monopod.

Utilizing ultra strong and very light carbon fiber and magnesium, the Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod weighs in at only 1.1 lbs - about .6 lbs less than the Bogen 680B (Manfrotto 3249B) Monopod.

At the same time, the Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod extends nearly 11" longer than the Bogen 680B (Manfrotto 3249B) Monopod (to 70.9"). This spec will be important to the very tall, to those who need to rest the monopod below their foot level and to those who need to shoot over crowds. Retracted, the Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod measures 22".

Carbon fiber brings some stealth advantages as well. The appearance is classy but somewhat of a natural camouflage. Branches hitting the leg will not make as much noise as with aluminum.

The Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod is not without disadvantages.

The first disadvantage is the price - significantly more than the Bogen 680B (Manfrotto 3249B) Monopod. Is the .6 lb weight difference worth it? Maybe, maybe not.

Another is weight capacity - 11 lbs - about half that of the Bogen 680B (Manfrotto 3249B) Monopod. The legs are noticeably thinner than the 680Bs and are not nearly as rigid.

The Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod's legs are not round - they have 3 flat sides and 3 curved sides. Since the hand pad is round, it does not fit perfectly on the non-round legs.

Although I prefer twist-locks on a monopod, the Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod's flip-locks are very nice. They do not require a large amount of pressure to close and they are relatively quiet. They are smaller in size than those on the Bogen 680B (Manfrotto 3249B) Monopod.

Pictured above from top to bottom are the Gitzo G1588 Mountaineer Mk2 Carbon Fiber Monopod, the Bogen 349 (Manfrotto 3449) Carbon One Monopod and the Bogen 680B (Manfrotto 3249B) Monopod.

The Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod's foot is grippy. A rotating and adjustable handstrap is provided.

Mount a Wimberley Quick Release Plate and possibly a Bogen 3232 Swivel Tilt Monopod Head the Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod for an excellent setup.

A very lightweight and good quality monopod, the Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod.

Please note: The Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod is no longer available - I'll point you to the similar Bogen Mag Fiber 694 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod with the retailer links below. It is about 5" shorter than the Manfrotto 3449 Carbon-One Monopod when entended and a little shorter when retracted. If you need more extention length, the Bogen Mag Fiber 695 5-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod should give it to you.