MVH500AH Flat Base Pro Fluid Head (Black)

I have started shooting more video with my 5D and wanted something other than my ball head for video. I already have a Manfrotto 055X carbon fiber tripod and wanted something that would go onto that quickly. What a breeze! Just unscrew the ballhead, screw this one on and away you go. Probably 30 seconds to make the change. What I wanted was something very lightweight and compact. This head fit the bill perfectly. The fluid movements are really wonderful. Perfectly dampened and with springs to help return it to level. Smooth as silk! The sliding baseplate is plenty long enough to balance the camera with a long lens attached. I have the Canon 70-200 and there are no issues balancing. It is not necessary to use the lens mounting option at all. Just slide the camera back with the plate on the camera and balance is quickly achieved. The finishes are very nice and everything seems to lock down properly. It would certainly support a heavier camera. Overall I am very very happy with the purchase. The pan/tilt handle can be locked in most any position and used on the left or right side. This is really a GREAT choice for smooth pans and tilts and you really cannot beat the price for this very high quality head. Buy it and you will not be disappointed!

I mostly shoot still photography, but I love this tripod head. I switched from using a ball head to this fluid head after watching a review of this head. I likely will never use a ball head again. This head allows you to balance your camera so that it stays put when you let go of your camera. You can level the head and it will stay level as you pan and tilt. In effect, it approximates a gimbal tripod head with much less weight and a lower cost. Of course, when shooting video, a fluid head is nearly indispensable, and now that I have this head, I've been taking far more video, but I the advantages of this head extend in to still photography as well. I doubt very seriously I'll ever use a ball head again.

I use this with a 60mm refractor telescope (about 3 lbs) or a 15x70 binoculars (5.5 lbs). Smooth and steady, but not variable resistance. Good for astronomy viewing, and pan easily and then lock the altitude to hold a view. I bought an extra QR plate, the 500PLONG is the right one. (although the 504PLONG fits also, I use it too, it's a little longer so can balance more.) If you like taking your small scope on trips, this 2 lb head pairs up nicely with a Manfrotto Befree tripod (3 lbs - take the ball head off this tripod and put on the MVH500AH). That's 5 lbs. Add the 3 lb scope (complete with one eyepiece), and you hve 8 lbs. Add a couple eyepieces, and you have a kit under 10 lbs, good for astronomy or birding. [but for home, you want a more substantial tripod)

I’m torn with this product as from first glance, it seems to be a very high-quality tripod head, but has a few questionable design flaws. To start the mounting screw hole is for a much larger screw that is not on most tripods especially for “lightweight” tripods The included adapter is too short and caused damage after a few hours of use. I had to buy a larger adapter. The second problem might just be me, but I’m a little disappointed they used a proprietary, mounting tape. Form my understanding manFrodo is not new and many people have their mounting plates, but it seems that industry standard uses orca Swiss plates. I went from having numerous mounting plates and options to now just having one plate that I have to use on all of my cameras and Riggs. I have bought a converter, but it doesn’t seem to have the same advantages is the standard plate that comes with the head. Other than that the tripod head is high-quality.

This is a great tripod head! works amazing with my canon 7D and my Sony Ex-1. i believe this would work on any pro video camera, if you want to use it on a cinema camera with mattebox and accesories i would recommend a bigger Manfrotto. The plate system its a little weird if you are used to the old ones that are inserted on the front or back of the hole in the head and its removed the same way when pressing the release button on the side. this one works putting one side of the plate first at the top of the hole in the head. then pressing the button on the side (which is not a button anymore, but a screw with some kind of lever. Yes you have to unscrew it a little bit and then press down) and pushing down the plate, and the same procedure to get it out... call me an idiot but this is the first tripod head i use with this system and took me like an hour to figure this out... LOL.

I had both heads but ended up using this one more for my monopod(works great on tripod as well). Its smaller but still retains that butter glide pan and tilt movement. Supposedly this is a true fluid head (whatever that means, who cares). The pan dial on this head is just a knob on the back that you twist where as on the 502 head its a large dial at the base of the head that you twist. On the502 you can really loosen that thing up to get quick twist/pan movements, but on this head the "loosest setting" for the pan/twist movement is not as loose as the 502. Now in my opinion I dont mind that at all. It still retains a nice tension so your not getting jagged movements, (at the loosest setting). Also I attach an RC4 plate on the top of this bad boy, those plates are really quick and sturdy.

A superb product. Beautifully finished and very smooth.

Love it! I have a 23-yea-old Manfrotto tripod, the head wasn't holding the weight of my gear anymore. Now I have a new tripod with the addition of this head.

Esta rótula es una maravilla. El movimiento es fluido y preciso, lo que la hace ideal para vídeo y fotografía. Es robusta, bien construida y soporta perfectamente equipos pesados sin problemas. El sistema de bloqueo y ajuste es cómodo y seguro, y el diseño en negro y rojo le da un toque elegante. Manfrotto nunca falla en calidad, y esta rótula no es la excepción.

La qualité est clairement au rendez-vous avec cette rotule Manfrotto qui apporte une fluidité dans les mouvements de caméra et ne provoque pas de chocs parasites. Evidemment, elle a son poids et est assez impressionnante un foi montée sur un trépied. Je conseille à ce propos d'être très attentif aux indications de charge de votre trépied qui doit tolérer le poids de votre caméra, des accessoires éventuels (micros, lampes, etc)... et de la rotule. Dans le manuel, le constructeur parle d'un ressort de retour pour faciliter le repositionnement de l'appareil en position neutre. Très honnêtement, malgré l'équilibrage de ma Sony de 2,4kg, je ne perçois pas cette aide. Personnellement, cela ne manque pas du tout et au contraire, je suis plutôt heureux de ne pas avoir ma caméra qui "tente" de se repositionner à l'horizontal !! En conclusion, un achat de qualité qui répond parfaitement aux besoins d'un vidéaste amateur !

Heavier that the vanguard head that came on the vanguard 263 carbon tripod, which I thought was to heavy, this is 300 grams heavier! weighing 960 grams! But using it is wonderful with my spotting scope, so smooth and stops where you want it with a little twist of the left locking wheel. Feels better quality than the vanguard one. Smooth like butter :)