giottos monopod?

[urameatball]

My uncle went to an auction for fun on Saturday... He knew I was into photography so he brought home a Giottos MM5570 monopod for me.
It looks like a really expensive monopod because it's got all these really heavy duty metal parts to it and the feel is awesome. plus that head thingy moves soooo smoothly compared to the tripod I found in the trash can, (which I'm using for now).

The monopod came used and the tip is broken off. a few battle scars in the head too. everything works fine though.
So what kind of tip do monopods usually have? those sharp spikes or those padded foamies? I'm going to do a little customization after work today

 

[drlynn]

I've seen them with both(well, actually I have seen a couple where the spike extends from the rubber foot if needed). It depends on where you'll be using it. Most applications would call for a rubber tip, like a crutch or cane tip, I would think. Most monopod use is in fairly tight spaces where a tripod wouldn't be a good idea, and this usually means concrete or other hard surface. A ruber foot would be more stable on these surfaces than a metal spike, I would think.

If you are gonna be using it in the country, then a spike might be helpful, but then a tripod would be better/more stable in places where you had plenty of room to set up.