Manfrotto MVH500AH Flat Base Pro Fluid Head (Black)

I am an amateur who records video for my local high school marching band. This role requires me to set up and tear down my equipment very quickly as most performances are fast. I found the Manfrotto MVH500AH tripod system a welcome addition to my gear. I can get the legs extended quickly with the quick-snap holds. The leveling bubble helps me get a level view for the camcorder in a reasonable time. I really appreciate the drag on the pan and tilt. This item definitely improved my video recording ability and removed a lot of the jerkiness from the videos I record. I also found the bag to be higher quality and quite easy to use. I typically leave the quick-remove plate attached to my camcorder (it fits in my camera bag snugly), which allows me to set up quickly as well. I was also surprised because the weight of the tripod is very reasonable for the quality. This isn't the lightest tripod, but I believe it is a fair trade-off between excellent control and stability and weight. I highly recommend it.

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!

The MVH500AH is a light duty fluid head aimed at the travel and amateur video markets. The flat bottom fits standard photographic tripods (3/8" thread) and has a wide platform for DSLRs, making it a good choice for photographers dabbling in video production. BUILD: The cast aluminum fittings, removable panning handle, giganormous quick release plate and excellent fit and finish make for an impressive package. Plus, installation was easy: a few spins and the MVH500AH mated to the 3/8" bolt on my Manfrotto 190. It held my Canon 80D with EF-s 18-135 3.5-5.6 IS USM perfectly and delivered silky smooth pans. Drag is fixed but resistance is ideal for pans from 10mm to 200mm on APS-C and smoother than my larger and more expensive Manfrotto MVH502AH video head. The pan handle is comfy and provides plenty of leverage, making it easy to grip and steer. One thing I appreciate is the panning handle is not only adjustable for angle, but can be mounted on the left or right side. I’m right-handed but prefer panning with my left-hand, using my right-hand to work camera controls. QUICK RELEASE: The 500 sports a Rapid Connect (Q5) quick release and includes a single 500PLONG plate. The 500PLONG is the long (5.5") version of the 501PL plate. It's ungainly on a DSLR and obviously designed for the long and narrow form factor of pro camcorders. However, it’s designed to slide in the clamp like a rail, allowing it to be positioned for optimal balance. Mounting the 500PLONG takes multiple steps: angle in plate from above, snap in, position for best balance and, finally, tighten the thumbscrew to lock. Tabs prevent the plate from sliding out of the clamp if you forget to lock it. To release, unscrew the lock lever and press the release tab while lifting the rig out. Not quick but secure and easy to rebalance after a lens or camera change. I use the Arca-Swiss (AS) quick release system on my other heads. So I installed an AS compatible clamp (Sunwayfoto) on the head by mounting it on the 3/8" stud of the 500PLONG, yielding an easy to use quick release. Best of all, I can leave an AS plate on my camera and mount it on any of my heads without swapping plates. And, yes, mounting/removing the camera is faster with the AS clamp but I can still slide the 500PLONG for optimal balance. GOTCHAS: Unlike most other Manfrotto video heads, plates for the 500 can't be slid in. Instead, they snap in from above at about a 20 degree angle. Snapping in the plate is more difficult and slower compared to sliding in, especially with larger lenses and accessories attached to the camera. However, since I use an AS compatible clamp the before mentioned is a moot point for me. The extremes of the vertical tilt befuddle me: if I release my grip on the panning arm at the lowest or highest point of the vertical pan, the head is deflected in the opposite direction as if spring loaded. Of course I can hold the panning arm or lock it down but other positions in the pan-path hold position. I’m not sure if this is a feature or defect but my Manfrotto 128LP fluid head simply sits there instead of recoiling and doesn't need to be locked or held. If this is a feature, maybe it’s supposed to keep a heavy rig from suddenly crashing to the extreme of the vertical pan? FINAL BLURB: The 500 is a lightweight travel worthy video head and deal for shooting video with a small to medium DSLR. It's almost perfect but, if I were to grade the 500, it would earn an A-. But it nails the important things: silky smooth pans, easy to balance, is stable and has great fit and finish.

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.

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 am an amateur, but serious, home video maker and required a reasonably, professional fairly light weight stable and smooth panning tripod particularly when using a multiplier zoom lens on my Full HD Canon Legria HF M506 camera. The product description says "boxed weight 2.60kg whereas it is actually 3.64kg on my electronic luggage scales. It is approx. 80cm x 16cm packed in its case making it a bit cumbersome to carry around all day and climb mountains but still reasonably light to carry for specific projects. It is much lighter than many tripods of this quality. The fluid cartridges on pan and tilt provide just enough resistance to ensure ultra smooth constant speed pan and tilt. You can lock it in position on both axis. The slide plate allows you to adjust the camera tilt balance so when I fit my heavy zoom lens on the front I can counterbalance by sliding the plate & camera back. Even if you forget to lock the slide plate it will NOT accidentally fall out when the camera is tilted. READ the instructions to ensure the slide plate is in the correct orientation (arrow pointing to the lens) when fitting to plate to the camera and to the head. As mentioned by other reviewers the bubble level is only 1cm diameter and awkwardly located below the slide plate/camera. It helps to tilt the plate fully forward & down so you can see from above that the bubble is over the centre dot. You need 3 hands; one to hold the head level, and one to lock the ball joint and one to hold a small torch to see the bubble! The only plastic pieces are the tripod leg locking mechanisms joint, feet pads and the ball joint socket, but they are substantial and I do not see any long term problems. Note that the 'ball' itself is metal (not plastic as stated by some reviewers). In conclusion, I have had cheap tripods but they are only good for SLR's. For video you should not stint on quality. It may seem expensive at £300 (+extra for postage) but it is much cheaper than many professional quality tripods and is worth every penny. I do not regret buying this excellent tripod which has substantially improved the quality of my filming particularly on zoom when tracking a skier or sailing boat, or just panning a landscape. In the few months since using it I can say it definitely adds a professional quality makes a difference to the movie quality by taking out the wobble common to amateur movies taken by hand and enables steady panning.

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.

La rotule est tout simplement parfaite, je met une caméra de 2.5Kg dessus sans problèmes. Le frein est très efficace, rapide à mettre en action. Le fait de pouvoir monter ou descendre la rotule était vraiment l'élément manquant sur d'autres trépieds du genre.

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.