jonnyapple
Registered: December 2007
Posts: 6
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Manfrotto 488 Midi Ball Head with RC0 Rapid Connect System review by jonnyapple
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Review Date: 1/1/2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $110.00| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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qr plate, built like a tank, two-lever release
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Cons:
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heavy, two-lever release takes getting used to
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I love the qr plate on this--I've also got a monopod with the rectangular RC2 qr plate, and it seems like with that one you have to crank hard on the screw to get the plate to stay firmly on the camera. This one is easily secured without giving yourself a hernia. Also, the hex shape lets you put it in however you want if you need to get your camera on the tripod fast or if you feel too lazy to check the orientation, where the RC2 only fits one way on its head.
The two-lever release is a good safety feature (I've got a son who's two years old), but can slow you down a bit when you're just getting used to it. At least you know your camera isn't going anywhere unless you're sure you want it to.
If you're now using a pan/tilt head, the switch to a ball will be a joy, but this particular head might be overkill unless you've got some pretty heavy equipment. Then again, when you crank this down, there's almost no droop, which makes it effortless to compose shots.
Taking a hammer to this would probably only scuff the finish, but one downside of the solid construction is the weight.
The entire head pans around the base for easy panoramic shots.
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