Is the new Manfrotto 502HD Pro Pro Video Head really worth the cost? In short absolutely! Manfrotto has a reputation in the industry of being nothing but the best, and it shows. Manfrotto has released the new 502HD Pro Video Head with all the bells and whistles one would probably need with a fluid head.
First things first. The head is completely metal, only thing that is not metal is the plastic dial for adjusting fluidity on the left hand side of the head. It comes equipped with several eye catching features. One of them being the traditional red anodizing that manfrotto is known for on the handle grip, and around the two knobs / wheels, that adjust fluidity for the head. These two adjustments allow complete control over how much resistance you receive from the fluid inside the head. This helps maintain a nice smooth pan, and tilt, according to the speed of the footage you are trying to capture. All things aside the fluid motion of this particular head is nothing but extraordinary. To be honest you will probably not find a smoother motion.
The 502 also comes equipped with balance tension to aid in keeping you camera stable when the user decides hes going to let go of the handle. This tension however can not be adjusted but is suitable for most cameras up to about 8.8lbs. However with my experiences you could probably get a camera to mount just fine that is heavier than 8.8lbs however the balance on the head will not be that great. The 502 does also come with a quick release plate that can be moved forward, or aft, to help aid with balancing the particular camera that are you are using.
On the right hand side of the head the 502 comes equipped with a locking knob. One for locking pan, and one for locking tilt. Both of these knobs are very sensitive so you do not need much pressure to get them to engage. Personally this helps me greatly when in the field as I can lock them very easily to be able to sling the tripod over my shoulder for when I am on the move. The pan knob is actually located in the center of the head underneath the quick plate. This one tends to be a little more difficult to get to when the camera is mounted, but nothing a little finger stretch cant fix.
The handle that comes with the 502 is perfect in length. And has a locking mechanism on the side of it that will allow the handle to be mounted in either the up position, or down position. When mounted in the up position the head can easily achieve 90 degree angles for those tough to get straight up shots. The handle can also be mounted on either side of the head depending if you are left handed or right handed.
Depending on where you decide to purchase the Manfrotto 502HD Pro Video Head the price can vary. I have seen it range from about $180.00 all the way up to $250.00.
So the head is really worth the price you might ask? Every penny!
Jason Harmon 