Manfrotto 488RC4 Midi Ball Head with RC4 Rapid Connect System (3271)

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4 x 4 inches ; 3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00009R6N3
• Item model number: 488RC4
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #14 in	Camera & Photo > Accessories > Tripod Accessories
  #19 in	Electronics > Camera & Photo > Tripods > Tripod Heads

• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2003

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
With its solid aluminum construction and phenolic resin ball, the Bogen-Manfrotto 488RC4 head is the ideal support for all traditional or digital small or medium format cameras. It features separate fast action "ratchet" locks on 360-degree pan and +90 to -90-degree tilt movements. You can position your camera anywhere in 180-degree sphere with confidence and ease. Equipped with a quick release 410PL camera plate system with a secondary safety catch and two spirit levels for precise leveling on both vertical or horizontal axes. Camera plate has 1/4-inch male thread. Head to tripod attachment is 3/8-inch female.

Features include:

• Sturdy all-metal construction.
• Two bubble spirit levels built in for accurate alignment.
• The double 90-degree groove (one on each side of the head) means switching from landscape to portrait is convenient however you're set up.
• The 410PL quick release plate system offers a broader footprint ensuring a large stable point of contact between camera and plate, which improves stability with larger heavier camera equipment. The sliding screw adapts to the precise configuration of the camera.
• This head features a secondary security lock so you can't accidentally release the plate (and camera) without meaning to. The lock stops the quick release lever from opening fully.
• A repositionable ratchet means that the locking lever's action will never be blocked either open or closed by interference with the camera body, tripod shoulder, etc... simply pull the lever outwards and it's free to be positioned more comfortably without affecting the locking mechanism. Then you can continue tightening or loosening the knob.
• A separate lock on the panoramic axis allows for rotation adjustment or panning to be carried out without losing framing.

Product Description
Same as the 488 but equipped with a 410PL quick-release camera plate with a secondary safety catch and two spirit levels for precise leveling on either vertical or horizontal axis. The new 488RCO features a separate fast action ratchet lever for 360? pan and an easy to grip locking knob for +90?-90? tilt movements.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bogen-Manfrotto 488RC4 Midi Ball Head with RC4 Rapid Connect System., March 10, 2007

By	ellen v "ellievds" (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

The ball head and the rapid release system are great. They are solidly built and very easy to use. I have a heavy 5D Canon camera with a battery grip, and I use big lenses, and it seem to have no problems holding the camera in place. One turn of the knob and it adjust very easy. I looked for a long time and at different products and decided on the above product. I would recommend this product to anyone. The ball head is used with a Bogen-Manfrotto tri-pod.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bogen Ball Head Lives Up to Expectation, June 26, 2006

By	James D. Ligon "JimL" (Kentucky) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The midi ball head works as advertised and holds my Canon 5D with Sigma 70-200 lens and 2x teleconverter with ease in either portrait or landscape shots. My only complaint is that it is difficult to find the exact release point when loosening the ball head to pivot the camera.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars big freakin' ballhead, March 18, 2008

By	E. K. Arnold "amazon hunter" (yay area, usa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

this thing is HUGE. it's much bigger than it looks in the picture. if you're looking for a compact b/h for hiking and travel, this ain't it. it's big, heavy, reassuringly stable, and works great. it's a little awkward to use at first, but it becomes more intuitive over time. after just a few hours, i was adjusting the ball lock by feel without looking. very easy to use, just twist the knob, reposition at desired angle, lock. the panning control lock (which has little etched degree markers you can't see in the photo) is a nice touch, and the biggest difference between this and the less expensive model. it also has a bubble spirit level, two, in fact, which allow for smooth calibration of proper angle. the QR plate is also big and solid. it easily holds a d300 with grip and tele lens. the QR mechanism takes some getting used to but once you're used to it, it's easy. used with the manfrotto 190xprob tripod, it makes for a winning combo -- tough enough for big jobs, yet still light enough to carry. biggest con is the weight, but the solidity is reassuring, especially in vertical position, which usually doesn't inspire confidence.

for a ball head, it's pretty stylish. design is great, stability is great, flexibility is great. weight is not so good, but as long as your tripod has enough support, you can manage.