So the Canon 500 monopod is a pretty nice, inexpensive, and lightweight option. It's built well.
The only problem is the mini-ball head tends to creep when you add the weight of a camera to it. The solution is to remove the ball head and either score the ball with a knife/metal file or sand it so it's coarse. Now when you tighten the ball down it doesn't move at all.
Not bad for $35.
