Manfrotto 488RC2 Midi Ball Head with RC2 Rapid Connect System (3157N)

Short and sweet, I did not want to spend $300 on the head alone. I got a 190PROXB Manfrotto tripod and this ball head and am very happy with it so far. I am 5'9" so the tripod is OK for my height and the ball head stays wherever I put it. This is my first good tripod and head and it blows away the cheap aluminum ones I've used to date. I went back and forth over the 486 head vs this one and am glad that I have the horizontal control to take panos without question. I've already stitched a few and they were great. Yeah it's not made of magnesium, but it was not worth that price to me. I am very happy.

My camera moves after locking it down too...I attribute it to my battery grip. People might want to think about what in their camera will flex with a 3/8" attachment to a tripod. I have a fairly heavy 17-55 f/2.8 lens and my XTi will droop just a little because of the battery grip mount.

I have been using Manfrotto tripods and heads for nearly a decade. This head is solid as a rock and offers panning and near unlimited manipulation. I recommend this for anyone else like me who needs the stability this head affords for a modest price.

This ball-head lives up to the Manfrotto name. It holds my Nikon D60 with a 70-300mm Nikkor lens securely. The reason I give it four stars is that when using the 300mm lens, if I set the camera and tighten the ball, the lens droops just a bit. This might be me failing to tightening the ball sufficiently but it doesn't happen with lighter, shorter lenses. It's also a drag that this head doesn't have a spirit level, but I knew that when I bought it.

I'd purchase it again.

Got this ball head by manfrotto. It is solid. Works well. Wish it has a built-in leveler. Everything works. Ball would benefit by occasional regreasing.

This is my third Manfrotto head and it works well in general; it's not perfect but very solid. I moved to a part of the world were I would need to pack less weight for shooting; jungle/mountain terrain and this is the ticket. I like this head because it weighs less yet provides adequate support for my equipment. I love having the quick release plates that I have mounted to several items and it makes switching a breeze. Just be careful because the quick release lever is made from what looks like pot metal and therefore cannot survive a fall from the back of a minivan, I know b/c the lever on my 322 model broke when it fell out onto the asphalt parking lot of my local shop before I moved:( and that is why I now have this model.

I do have some wishes but they come with an additional price/weight, tension control for the ball friction and quick release are things that I miss but to be honest, where I now live a heavy tripod left at home does me no good so overall I would say this is a winner and would buy again.

Also, FYI I have had the 488RC0 for a short time but sent it back because the 6 sided plate is too large for my tastes.

Canon 50d, 30d, 10-22, 17-85, 17-40L, 70-200L/f4 IS with ring, Sigma 50 1.4