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This was my first experience with a ball mount of this quality and ease of use.I am quite impressed by its versatility and rugged construction.The control is a tad stiff but would assume some of that stiffness will lessen with usage.It holds my Sony DSLR and telephoto lens rock steady and allows very precise adjustment.
I like the idea of a quick release tripod head that can be shifted rapidly, but this head just has too much give. Anything over two pounds and there is noticeable shift. Now I must say that I am pretty damn anal. I do think you get your money's worth with this head at
It's convenient to use, does as marketed, and is well built. An allen-wrench is included so you don't need anything to get started with this.The bracket for the camera mount plate is very sturdy and has a safety lock to prevent you from accidentally unlocking the camera from the head.Adjusting the tension on the ball-head is cake with the adjustment wheel on the grip. There's locations for mounting the camera plate bracket on both sides, PLUS the end of the handle itself. However the lever is long so working it from the far end makes things a lot easier. Everything seems to be well thought-out and executed. There are mounting holes for the camera mount all over this thing. The Manfrotto 322RC2 ball-head is great. Well, the grip-lever is a bit big and firm, so if you have small hands or your grip strength is light, you might have trouble with this.
Macro-photographers will probably get frustrated with this just because it is a little difficult to do small adjustments.As with any tripod head, it's a good idea to check out the manufacturer's website to ensure the threading for the head fits your tripod. There's also a spirt-level right on the grip, so getting shots level on the ball-head is easy, too.Downsides. This head fit on all my Manfrotto tripods/monopods perfectly, but that would only make sense. Mounting the bracket is done with hex-head machine screws, and Manfrotto has included rubber inserts that go into the bracket mounting holes that aren't in use so they don't get dirt in them. Most of the head is metal, so it's a little on the heavy side, but not by much. Also the "clutch" for the ball-head seems to engage or disengage only when the grip is pulled in all the way, so doing minor adjustments can be an exercise in patience/practice.
The bracket can be mounted in three positions (level, and at a slight angle one way or the other) to get the grip handle in the best position for your use. Very nice. The head is great for quick-moving work like sports, or just moving the frame around quickly without having to tighten and un-tighten anything. My 322RC2 is currently mounted on Manfrotto's 055XPROB tripod and I love it.
I had great hopes for this device. It's simply a great idea which has been designed and implemented poorly.Secondly, there is quite a bit of sag when you let go of the grip as well, forcing you to constantly recompose for the right shot. It is solid and reliable. The problem is it's not a fluid movement. The RC2 system works fine.Do yourself a favor and buy a good ball head instead. This device tends to "stick" badly once you let go of the grip. The idea of having a gripped head on which I could place my left hand, while maneuvering the camera with my right had great apeal. This constant sag together with the "stickiness" of the movement cause this grip to fight you all the way.As for the RC2 plate and locking mechanism, I have no complaints.
No amount of adjustment on the friction wheel helped. This leads me to believe it is a function of the material used to provide the "grasp" within the pivot ball. I use my DSLR with a grip, and a 300mm lens without worry of it falling off. Manfrotto makes some good heads, unfortunatley this gripped head is not one of them.
Ouch. But it was what I expected: It was very quick and easy to use. I tried to find some reviews on tripods and very quickly learned that they were expensive. I bought this along with the Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod. I have had cheapo tripods-but I never used them after one or two tries. Great. I was a little nervous since I was not sure what to expect-I had only read reviews on it. I was still not sure what to get and so I decided that I would take a chance and buy them based on recommendations made in a digital photo book that I liked: The Digital Photography Book Joystick head: Pros: If you have never used a joystick head on a tripod, this will come as a pleasant surprise.
I really didnt want to have to fiddle with knobs and things umpteen times to get the camera at the right angle prior to working on focus and other important things. I also quickly learned that you had to buy the head and tripod separately for the good ones. It was too hard to change orientation etc. Speed was my biggest hangup with other tripods. I am an amateur so that ruled out carbon fiber tripods as way too expensive. Never expected that the head would be as expensive as the tripod. With this joystick, you only need one hand to move the camera around at various angles. Cons: It is a bit heavy and somewhat large but otherwise works great.
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