Customer Reviews

Manfrotto 484RC2 Mini Ball Head with RC2 Rapid Connect Plate (3157N)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.)

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!

I've been using this on my Slik Sprint Pro (excellent tripod) and I love it. It's very sturdy for its size and weight. I also have the next model up, the 486rc2 which is much much bigger and heavier. I use it on a larger bogen tripod and keep the 484rc2 for my travel tripod.

There is a comment that it's not compatible with all tripods, it's not a problem, you just need a bogen adapter that is called a "bushing". Don't worry, it's cheap. With it, the head will fit any standard tripod.

I got this for my Joby Gorillapod SLR-Zoom and it works very nicely. Very quick and easy to adjust and very solid (the Gpod itself obviously isn't as solid as a normal tripod). Head is quite heavy.

btw: This holds a D80 with the 18-135 kit lens perfectly fine on a pair of normal legs (i've tested this).


-jeff

This head does what it's supposed to do, with good looks and solid construction. It is a good alternative to a 3-way pan head or a larger ball. It handles a full-size DSLR with tele-zoom without wobbling, and has fine friction adjustment (allowing small movements without suddenly falling over). It also allows a vertical position on either side of the groove, with an adjustable knob that never gets in the way. The only deduction (4 versus 5 stars) is for the lack of a pan adjustment. Quite often this is the only parameter that needs to be adjusted, once vertical and horizontal lines are established, but with this head it's all or nothing. In other words, I would not recommend this head if you specialize in architectural subjects. It is still a great head, though, because it's tiny yet powerful, and really lightweight, so it is a useful travel tripod and has the simplicity of a ball head for shooting sports, theater, etc. The head also does not have any locking bolts to fix it to the tripod, and this could be a problem if you inadvertently allow it to loosen over time (voila, there's your "pan" adjustment!), but if you're attentive to this, it's not a problem, especially if you expect to switch it out regularly with an alternate head and don't want to carry a screwdriver.

I got this ball head to go on my Feisol carbon fiber monopod. From the picture it looks small and light, but to my amazement was quite a decently sized, durable, metal head. That put my monopod weight over 2lbs as this head is about 1.5 lbs alone, but this head is pretty sturdy. I can easily put my Canon 30D with the heavy EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens with the tripod ring no problem on it. I use this setup for fashion shows as it's the most convenient.

Just a note, this thing only has one center column screw to screw the head into. It does not have the 3 base screws (to prevent rotation of the head). It's not really a big of a deal, especially on a monopod, but some might like to know that it doesn't have these screws, even though the manual has it illustrated (it doesn't even have the 3 holes to screw in)

The Quick release plate is very well designed, and even comes with a saftey (good for me with using a monopod as it can catch a sleeve, strap, etc. then pop off). The quick release also auto locks once you pop it back in.

this is a great addition to the bogen manfrotto tripod that i have.
you can manuever it to tilt, turn, etc, and the quick release is great when out in nature and a bird flies nearby, where you need to handhold. with the touch of a button, the quick releases lets you have your camera at hand.

just be careful when you are using the lever to move the camera or tilt it..make certain to hold your camera while making the adjustment.

great product!!

I had a very tight budget when I bought my ball head and tripod but I still wanted something that was well made and built to last yet not real expensive. This ball head fits that bill nicely. It does it job and is solid and secure. I feel very comfortable with it attached to my Manfrotto 055XB tripod.

I had never used a ball head before now, I had always had those cheepo all in one tripods. What a dramatic difference. The lever to tighten is very easy to use and makes it easy to adjust even when not having it completely tight. The ball head moves easily. Its a pleasure to use.

Bogen-Manfrotto 484RC2 Mini Ball Head with RC2 Rapid Connect Plate is a well built,quality mini ball head. I have owned many Bogen products through the years and I have never had a problem. All their products are quality and well made.If you looking for a mini ball head you can't go wrong with this one.

Holds my N90s with MB-10 and 70-300mm lens when I'm carrying my tripod (190XPROB) by the legs. It doesn't tilt at all with the weight. The quick release works flawless and the tilt lock as stated first is effortless. I recommend it.

*Know how much you want to support before you buy something like this. I did my research and this head gives me about 1-2 pounds of leeway so its PERFECT!