Manfrotto MVH500AH Flat Base Pro Fluid Head (Black)
$234.00
Last updated on December 20, 2024 7:52 pm Details
- Wider platform for HDSLR Bodies
- Sliding QR plate for perfect balancing
- Fluid cartridges on both pan and tilt axes
- Center of gravity: 55 mm. 2.4 kg pre-set counterbalance system on tilt movement
- Flat base supports multiple support combinations
Specification: Manfrotto MVH500AH Flat Base Pro Fluid Head (Black)
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13 reviews for Manfrotto MVH500AH Flat Base Pro Fluid Head (Black)
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Manfrotto MVH500AH Flat Base Pro Fluid Head (Black)
$234.00
ZZZZZ –
This was a Grey Market Product. QR Code, and Serial Numbers on the Outside of the Box were Grayed Out.
Called Manfrotto and they said they would not Warranty this item. So I returned it.
Elephants Never Forget –
Wow! This is my first Manfrotto and now I finally see what all the hype is about. The quality is unreal! It’s so smooth and solid and well built. My only gripe is the release key on the side that you twist to lock the plate in place is very small and wobbly and this lets the otherwise flawlessly high quality feel down. It seems like it doesn’t belong on this head as everything else is rugged and solid and thick. Aside from that I’m extremely happy with my purchase.
Chris Taylor –
I use this for still photography. With a levelling adapter and an L-bracket, it makes things a snap. You level the legs with the levelling adapter and then can use the camera in both landscape and portrait mode very easily and things are exactly level. Great for panoramics or just being able to easily reframe things without worrying about things needing to be levelled again. VERY smooth. The fluid keeps things from flopping around and you can easily balance things by sliding the included plate back or forward. Much nicer to use than a ball head.
Gordon B. Kern –
Cheap plastic construction, easy to break, and hard to believe Monfroto built this product. Holds standard monfroto 501 plate, but uses side attach mount, that looks as cheaply made as any any Chinese product. So many thin and brittle looking plastic parts hard to believe this product will survive even the light rigors of a film set. Don’t recommend this product.
M.I.5 –
Very nice and sturdy tripod used it for a mini projector has excellent multi positioning
WB –
I bought this to mount a slider on for stability and versatility. It’s very heavy and sturdy however regardless of how much I tighten the tilt adjustment it still shifts when I slide the camera to the end of the slider. Other than that I’m very pleased with it. It’s smooth and easy to use. I just thought for the price it would tighten up better.
Austen –
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.
Mr Gadgeteer –
I bought this through Amazon Warehouse deals for what I thought was a great price and so it arrived and I didn’t expect it to be perfect , a few minor marks would be OK . I noticed a circular patch or cap that covers the fluid drag cartridge had little nicks on the edges which alerted me to the fact that a previous buyer had tried to alter or remove the drag cartridge by removing this cap. Another thing worth comment is that it is non adjustable and as factory set is quite a heavy pan drag which could be a concern with lightweight tripods being tipped over..such as the 055 carbon fibre tripod. A little further thought on my part should have been done and I have returned it and have now purchased the Manfrotto 502AH which has adjustable drag on vertical and horizontal axis . If you are about to buy this head at brand new price… catch your breathe and pinch yourself first.. you will regret not paying just a few coins more for a huge leap in quality and functionality with 502 version (flat or ball) from the same company. Buy new and register it with Manfrotto for free 5 year extended warranty, save a few quid with Warehouse and all may not be as it seems and you only get 30 days return. !! , No brainer really !!
Scott M –
My favourite feature addition by far is the drop-in-plate feature. I managed to snag this in AWD, but I’ve never regretted an investment in any of my manfrotto tripods of the past. This tripod head is smooth to use in all directions, the counter-balance is well suited to most medium sized video and DSLR cameras. You might need to pay good attention to front-back balance with anything heavier. I believe somebody noted that it won’t counterbalance a camera that is at the “max weight” supported by this head.
Either way, I’m happy with it, I just wish I’d been able to buy some video legs to go with it.
Jhon Lacaba –
Manfrotto 500AH Fluid Head
DISCLAIMER: I WASN’T PAID TO REVIEW THESE PRODUCT, I WISH THEY DID THO. LOL
I bought this fluid head after getting tired of getting the same results from cheap tripods and “budget” tripod heads. I am an aspiring youtube tech reviewer and i just found it difficult to create quality content with cheap or budget gear without sacrificing so much time and effort to get every shot right or perfect.
It’s pricey alright, but the the build quality and what it can do will definitely save you lots of money in the future. It’s an investment and it’s a good one.
Pros:
– Excellent build quality
– Smooth ‘buttery’ Pans and Tilts
– Has an extra thread adapter from 3/8 to 1/4
– Good drag resistance and no jerking motion
– Heavy (can be both a pro and a con, personally i think it’s pro because it adds stability to the rig)
Cons:
– Can’t adjust the drag/resistance for Pan and Tilt like the 502HD (more expensive pro version)
Overall:
If you’re really passionate about filming or photography or creating quality content you definitely need one of these. The build and features alone outweigh the price. If you don’t have enough money to afford this fluid head i suggest save the money or raise the money to afford it because IT’S THAT GOOD!
Ryan VTOGRAPHY –
Yeah, this is big and heavy, but your video will never look better and your camera will never be more stable. It’s SUPER smooth for pans and tilts. Even for stills, this head is a blessing (unless you want to do vertical shots). In most cases for horizontal shooting, I like this head better than a comparable ball head. Especially when considering what large, ultra-sturdy ball heads cost, this Manfrotto head is a bargain.
Goose –
I have always used monfrotto heads. My previous one 324rc2 had an easy to use grip device rather than a series of butterfly bolts making head adjustment a breeeze. I would still be with that one if it wasnt foor its lack of ability to shoot straight up for taking astrophotography / lunar shots. This one does it perfectly and fels rock solid so you know your 400mm prime lenses is going to be knocked off. I have dropped it one star as i did notice a weird phenominum on my copy. If you adjust the angle slightly, it has a slightly spongy feel to the movement and it tries to creep back to the previous position but as soon as you lock down the buuterfly bolt it stays in place. Would definately recommend this head.
Dugstar –
My first semi pro tripod and very impressed so far. Sturdy feel to it in every way. The fluid head is smoothe in operation. Setting the weight for the head movement is very easy. All the fasteners a made from durable materials and do not feel light and or brittle like cheaper brands. All comes with a lovely case. Once packed away in the case it slings over your should with ease. I have a lowepro sling style bag so with that and the tripod on the other shoulder its no bother. Its not too heavy to carry long distances I find but if weight is a critical point for you then spend the extra and go Carbon. Can’t complain at this stage. Its going to Iceland soon so this review will be updated. At present the only improvement would be for the case to have some extra loops on it so that attaching it to a rucksack would be a little easier and more secure. Point being so that you don’t have to pay extra for check in luggage as a separate item since it obviously won’t go in hand luggage. NB: I like proper tripods on holiday and not the travel style.