Sirui P-324S Monopod Review (2018)

So you want a tripod for your photography or video shots to stabilize your footage.  Have you ever thought about a monopod?  A company called Sirui did and they came up with a line of monopods that are hybrids of sorts.  One in particular called the Sirui P-324S Monopod is part monopod, part tripod.

The problem with tripods is they are often cumbersome and take up a lot of space.  That’s where monopods come in.  They are super quick to setup, take up almost no space and usually are very portable.  Over the years monopod manufactures started adding support legs.   While the idea sounded cool, most manufactures completely failed to capitalize on the fact that photographers were looking for a way to replace their tripods, yet still have a stable platform to shoot from and leave their gear on.

Companies such as Benro and Manfrotto make monopods with legs, but ultimately they fall short when it comes to a stable platform to leave your camera gear on.

Most monopod manufacturers designed the support legs with the idea that a user would be holding the monopod and the legs are there for assistance.  If left unattended, most monopods will come crashing down, causing all sorts of havoc on attached camera or video gear.   The manufactures failed to understand how photographers and videographers might want to use the monopods and so never implemented a truly self standing design.

Sirui on the other hand specifically designed their monopods to be self standing.  The key was to incorporate longer support legs, which prevents possible falls and makes the monopod perform much like a tripod.  They went even further by giving the user the ability to detach the lower section, giving you both a tripod and a monopod.

Sirui P-324S Monopod Review

Sirui P-324S Monopod Review – What You Get

The Sirui P-324S (Pronounced Sue Ray – I think) comes with the following

• Padding Carrying Bag
• Monopod
• Tripod
• Extra Accessories and hex key tools

Unlike many manufacturers, Sirui provides a lot of accessories with each monopod including tools, extra pole tips and even extra bearing plates and screws.

Sirui P-324S Head

The Sirui P-324S comes with 2 Bearing Plates that allow you to attach your camera or video equipment.  The plate has a flipflop screw that comes in both a 1/4 and 3/8s thread.  This allows you attach most standard cameras and video devices.  The plates also come equipped with a fix screw to keep the plate in place.  Since Sirui includes 2 bearing plates, if you separate the lower tripod section from the monopod, you can have a bearing plate on each.  I found that to be a nice perk and give kudos to Sirui for providing 2 bearing plates.

I found the mounting plate to be very easy to use and was extremely pleased with how smooth it operated while screwing in or removing.

Sirui P-324S Carbon Pole Dimensions

The 324S comes as a carbon 4 section pole using twist lock technology.  Each carbon pole decreases in size as you go down the pole.  The maximum diameter is 32mm and it goes down to 22mm.  I found that the monopod is the most stable when all the sections are closed.  Sirui makes a variety of monopods and each come with different diameter pole designs.  The Sirui 324s was bigger than the 204S and a bit smaller than the 424s.

I did find the monopod to be a little long if I were going to do a lot of traveling.  The Sirui 204s might be a better option, with it’s smaller overall design.  The issue with the 204S is it does have shorter legs, so it might not be as stable.

Sirui P-324S Carbon Monopod Ball Pivot

The 324S is designed to pivot up to 20 degrees and rote 360 degrees.  There are 2 knobs that control the pivoting, locking and dampening of the ball head.  The lowest blue dial on the monopod can be unscrewed allowing the pole to pivot in various directions.  An additional dial, the adjustment dial is used to dampen the ball head.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you plan on using the 324S as a stationary tripod unassisted, make sure the lower blue nob is fully inserted and the ball damping knob is tight.  Doing so will allow the monopod to stand up straight.  If the pole is leaning because you are using the pivot or the monopod is on a slope going downward, there is a higher potential for the monopod to fall, especially if you have a heavy camera rig on the unit.  The unassisted feature of the 324S is designed for level ground rather than slopping or when the pivot is being employed.

Sirui P-324S Carbon Monopod Hybrid Tripod

The Sirui P-324S is essentially a 3 in one unit.  You can use it as a monopod without the support legs, use it as a monopod with support legs or disconnect the legs and use it as a small tripod.  When using the 324S as a monopod, the unit comes with both a rubber tipped foot and a metal spiked foot.  I haven’t found any real use for the metal tipped foot, the rubber tipped one seems to do the job in almost every situation I would need the mono pod for.

The blue nob, which is located underneath monopod’s pole extension lock nobs, allow you to detach the monopod legs, providing a small tripod.  This is a pretty neat feature giving you options for shooting at a lower angle and closer to the ground.

 

NOTE: I found when traveling, it was very convenient to remove the legs, which shortened the overall length of the monopod and allowed me to pack it in a smaller checked bag than I otherwise would have been able to.

Sirui P-324S Technical Overview

P-324S specifications

• Height: 74.5-175.5cm
• Tube diameter: 22-32mm
• Tilt angle: ca. 20° on all sides
• Length of feet: 23cm
• Weight: 1.45kg
• Max. load: 10kg

With the bottom foot assembly removed:
Min. 23-7/8”
Max. 63-5/8”
1 pound 12 ounces

The foot assembly by itself:
With feet folded up (storage position) 10-1/4” tall
With feet opened out (usable position) 7-1/2” tall

Both sections combined:
3 pounds 6 ounces
Min. 29-5/8” Max. 69-5/8”

Diameter of feet folded up is about 4”
Diameter of feet down is about 19”
About ½” shorter height with feet folded up and using center tip

Other Sirui P series monopods include

P-204S specifications

• Height: 70-160cm
• Tube diameter: 19-28mm
• Tilt angle: ca. 20° on all sides
• Length of feet: 17cm
• Weight: 1.4kg
• Max. load: 8kg

P-224S specifications

• Height: 70-160cm
• Tube diameter: 19-28mm
• Tilt angle: ca. 20° on all sides
• Length of feet: 17cm
• Weight: 1.3kg
• Max. load: 8kg

P-424S specifications

• Height: 78.5-191cm
• Tube diameter: 25-36mm
• Tilt angle: ca. 20° on all sides
• Length of feet: 23cm
• Weight: 1.58kg
• Max. load: 12kg

Why Use A Monopod

Monopods provide more stability over shooting hand held.  In terms of stability it goes something like this

• Tripods (Most Stable)
• Monopods (Stable)
• Hand Held (Least Stable)

Monopods also allow you to use your body for panning shots, while still maintaining stability.

When manufacturers added legs to monopods, it gave monopods even more stability.  Below are just 3 examples of how a monopod with legs might be used.  Where many monopods fail, is in the rest phase.  They are simply designed to hold the monopod straight, but once you add extra video/photography gear, they are prone to falling over.  As far as I am concerned, Sirui is currently the only manufacturer that makes a self standing monopod that you can trust.  Other manufacturers like Benro and Manfrotto simply fall short in their designs.

Sirui P-324S Carbon Monopod Clear Winner

Sirui has produced a winning combination for their Monopod lineup.  Having the ability to bring a monopod to a shoot that takes up less space and is quick an easy to setup is amazing.  I found the legs were the perfect length, not too long or short.  The Sirui P-324S gives you assurance that the monopod isn’t going to fall over unlike many other monopods I have tried.

Youtube Videos

Where I have found the Sirui P-324S really useful is when I shoot Youtube videos at my house.  The 324S pretty much eliminates the need for a tripod.  In most situations I am very confident that I can leave my camera equipment on it and not worry about the monopod falling.  It also allows me to setup the monopod in areas that I wouldn’t be able to setup a tripod in.  When you currently live in a 730 square foot home, space is limited and the 324S gives me options that I wouldn’t otherwise have.

Quality

As far as quality goes, you are not going to find a higher quality monopod on the market.  Most of the components are made from high grade aluminum, carbon, rubber and silicone and the design and flexibility options are amazing.

Negatives

The only negative I can really give is the monopod was a bit heavier than I anticipated.  Since it was carbon, I expected it to be some what light.  If you simply want a monopod for shooting, removing the lower section will cut about 1/2 the weight.

Now the monopod still has some limitations over a tripod when shooting landscape and time-lapses where you want a very stable platform or in situations where the terrain is rugged or uneven.  For most of us though, the Sirui P-324S or any of the other Sirui monopod line is going to be a fantastic upgrade from a traditional tripod or monopod.

Wedding Photographers & Sport Photographers

Wedding photographers and anyone else who needs to quickly setup a stable platform for shooting events are going to love the Sirui 324S.  Monopods are very mobile, which is key during during weddings and sporting events like cycling.  For those looking to travel, I would suggest going for the smaller P-224 or P-204, simply because of the smaller form factor and weight reduction.  The downside is the legs are a bit shorter, which could degrade the monopods stability over the 324S.

Check out all the Sirui products (https://www.sirui.com/)

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Gear I used to shoot this video
● Camera: Sony A7iii – https://amzn.to/2qLMIdT
● Lens : Sony 24-70 – https://amzn.to/2HL0Sny
● Tripod – Sirui P-324s Carbon Fiber – https://amzn.to/2Hfgpex
● Microphone – Rode VideoMicro – https://amzn.to/2qKHhvO
● Flash Card – https://amzn.to/2J8t5US