Customer Reviews

Manfrotto 482 Micro Ball Head

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the Bogen/Manfrotto 482 Ball Head. I use it on a monopod with my Nikon 35mm and digital SLR cameras so I can get moderate adjustments without tilting the monopod at an awkward angle. It works well up to a 300mm f/5.6 lens.

There is only one lever to adjust both tilt and pan, but of course on a monopod, that's not really a problem. You need to make sure you cinch the locking knob down tight, as there is no adjustable friction, so once it is loose it is very loose. For tripod use, note also there is no separate knob to adjust pan, making it a bit tricky to create a set of shots you want to later stitch together into a single panorama.

Manfrotto ball heads certainly don't have all the capability of much more expensive heads from Arca or Gitzo, but they do the job well and you can't beat the price. If you are looking for a tripod-mounted ball head for use with a digital SLR such as the Nikon D70, I would suggest the next size up, the 484, which Amazon calls the Manfrotto Mini Ball Head. You can get it with or without a quick release plate.

I have a small Slik Sprint Pro tripod that came with a small ball head. The Slik head wouldn't keep my DSLR with a medium zoom locked, so I replaced it with this head. The 482 works great and is the perfect head for this light tripod - certainly not as stable as a larger head and tripod but the combo works great when weight is a premium.

Bogen-Manfrotto 482 Micro Ball Head
(5 stars for my purposes, 4 stars over-all)
I found this ball head to work great with my monopod (Manfrotto 790B, giving a high degree of flexibility and stability in low/lower light situation. It allowed me to take good pictures of frogs and other Costa Rican wildlife behind glass and during night hikes using just a (good quality) LED flashlight for lighting (better than flash). It allowed me to prop against walls, ground, etc. for good stability in many different angles and position, even without tightening down the ball. It is also compact enough to not get in the way when hanging the monopod on my arm or using the monopod for a walking stick at other times. The quality is much better that other small ball heads I looked at. It was perfect for my uses with small to medium sized equipment (12x optical w/ IS), but would probably not be suitable for lager bodies and lenses. For those I would use a tripod and a larger ball head. But I value the ease and flexibility in wild life situations, such as rain forests, where shot opportunities are often fleeting and lighting is often low (even during the day). It is very easy to spin off & on my camera ( w/ monopod & head in vertical position) with the extra bulk and expense of a quick release head.

This is a nice little ball head, but I don't think it will hold the claimed 4.4 lbs. I tried to put a Lumix L1 on it (2.4 lbs) in the portrait position and it just slipped. So I really tightened it down...and it still slipped. Maybe if I cranked down the lever as hard as I possibly could it might hold, but that is not something you want to be doing each time you adjust a ball head. But for compacts and lightweight DSLRs, this works great. Very nicely made, easy to adjust, smooth action. I think it is realistically good up to about 1.5 lbs.

I put it on a Dolica tripod and it really lightens it, makes it easier to use, and looks better. But for my L1, I will have to use the original, larger, ball head that came with the tripod.

Rather than using this as a ballhead for my camera, I bought this to use as a ballhead for my (screw-mount) 580EXII flash. On top of a lightstand, this is a wonderful little item that allows you to swivel the flash in any direction (and lock it in place). It doesn't seem like the strongest ballhead, but for this price, I don't expect that. I wouldn't leave my 40D w/ 70-200 on it, but for a lighter camera/lens (or a Flash, like I used it for) it gets the job done. Would be nice if it were a little cheaper, but it's a Manfrotto and I'm actually surprised it didn't cost any more than it does.

Also works great on a monopod if you have other small devices (like a "Flip" camera or need a unique angle for a flash)

I ordered this head with a manfrotto table top tripod. The micro ball head bore (screw top) is too large for any camera I own. It appears this ball head may be for another type of camera (video) although I cannot find anything in the listing that indicates what it is used for. I've had to order another head to work with the Manfrotto tripod. It is too bad because this is a solid head otherwise.

Compared to the most expensive Online Store, this is the exact same product for 5 time cheaper. A huge savings for my company and my Customers. I'll be coming back here for future purchases. Fast Order processing.

Hace mas de 2 años que poseo una Canon PowerShot A640 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom, esta es mi primera camara digital y lo que aprendi con el uso diario me llevo a la necesidad de comprarme un trípode practico y portátil. Eso me llevo a comprarme el Joby GP3-01EN Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras, el cual al contrario de los modelos 1 y 2 no trae la cabeza flexible para poder ajustar los ejes de vision de la camara.

Buscando en la red y leyendo muchos foros, blogs y grupos de flickr, me decidi por comprarme esta cabeza de trípode sin muchas expectativas.
La verdad es que funciona a la perfeccion con el Gorillapod3 lo cual lo convierte en casi una compra obligada si posees unos de estos tripodes.

La camara se ajusta firme y el sistema de bola permite girar casi a cualquier lugar la misma.

En cuanto a la construcción, es muy resistente no es del tipo plástico frágil, se siente muy solido y se nota que resiste el uso intenso.