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 enlarge | Brand: Bogen
Category: Photography
List Price: $66.00
Buy New: $54.98
You Save: $11.02 (17%)
New (12) from $54.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  12 reviews
Media: Electronics
Maximum Weight Recommendation (lbs): 8.8
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 7 x 4 x 4
MPN: 484RC2
Model: 484RC2
UPC: 719821197959
EAN: 0719821197959
ASIN: B00009R6MK
Release Date: April 14, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 11-12 of 12 | | « PREV | | |
 Good, lightweight ball head September 30, 2005
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
I got this ball head to mount on a Gitzo G1298 Basalt tripod. I do a lot of backpacking and wanted a tripod system that was very lightweight but rugged enough for a digital SLR and occasional 4x5 field camera work. I also wanted a ball head with the quick-release capability. The combination works very well, weighing in at a total of 4 lbs 1 oz (of which the ball head contributes 11 oz). The ball head moves fluidly and allows me to easily position the camera however I want. It is definitely sturdy enough to hold either my digital SLR or my Tachihara wooden view camera and lens.
There are a couple of things to be aware of. First, a single lever controls both pan and tilt, which means it is pretty difficult to do only a pan without also ending up with tilt. This makes it a little more difficult to stitch together a series of horizontal shots into a single panorama. More expensive (and heavier) ball heads give you a separate lever to control pan without affecting tilt. In my case, I didn't want the extra weight and I'm willing to live with the compromise.
The second issue was a bit of a surprise. I have used Manfrotto tripods for awhile now, and have a collection of camera mounting plates the same size as the one that comes with the ball head, so I had expected them to work with it. The problem is that, even though they are physically the same outline, the plate for the ball head has had some machining done to it to allow it to fit into a slightly different receptacle. So while the new plate fits on my old tripod, the old plates don't fit on the new ball head. Half an hour on a milling machine fixed the problem (you have to mill off a little from each side of the old plate), but I was quite surprised that Manfrotto did this. I guess they want to sell plenty of new mounting plates.
These two minor inconveniences aside, if you're looking for a solidly-built ball head that's a good tradeoff between weight and features, you can't go wrong with this one. Note it comes with a 3/8-in thread, so if your tripod only has 1/4-20 threads, you'll need an adapter. And by the way, although Amazon doesn't yet sell the G1298 Basalt tripod (they sell smaller versions), it is a real keeper, 5 stars for sure. (Update 4/17/06: Amazon now sells the G1298 Basalt tripod. I've entered a detailed review there.)
Works Very Well, But May Not Be Compatible With All Tripods July 30, 2005
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Besides what is covered in the Product Description above, the Manfrotto site says about this item: "Product Code: 484RC2 - Bogen code (USA only): 3262QR ... This versatile head is fitted with a 200PL-14 [Manfrotto code] quick-release camera plate with a secondary safety catch. ... [It is a] direct replacement of the 352QR Midi Ball Head.... It has a... double groove for +90-90 tilt movements. Camera plate has a 1/4-20" male thread...."
The product works very well. It's relatively light. The ballhead moves fluidly but is relatively stable when locked. You can easily flip a 35mm SLR from horizontal to vertical either clockwise or counterclockwise into the two grooves and be confident that your camera will stay in place. If the locking lever is at an unwanted angle, you can pull the lever outwards and rotate it, and when you release it the lever will spring back to a new position. The rectangular quick release plate and mechanism are secure yet convenient. Furthermore, it's a good value; you'd have to pay a lot more for a little better performance.
The only problem is that the diameter of the base plate may be too small for the placement of some tripods' set screws. The head's base plate has a radius of about 1.7cm, but holes for the set screws in the top plate of one of my tripods are >2 cm from the center, so I can't use this head with that tripod without worrying that it'll twist unexpectedly. If your tripod is compatible, buy this head from Amazon.com!
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