Manfrotto Video Head with Flat Base, Video Head for Compact Video Cameras and DSLR Cameras, for Filming, Videography, Content Creation, Vlogging, Live Streaming

READ THIS: Be cautious about who you order this head from. I ordered it from Ornem first and the 502 I received was obviously used and scratched up by the previous owner or maybe it was a demo/showroom model. I feel like Ornem was hoping some schmuck wouldn't have cared about the condition and I ended up receiving it. When you order something that is described as BRAND NEW, that is what you should expect and what you should receive, no questions ask. I returned it that same day and ordered it again through CaMan and the new one I received was, you guessed it, brand new. Before I sent them my negative seller feedback, I noticed that they had a couple negative reviews in the past 30 days. So I went ahead and put together my review and it was live in about 10 minutes. NOT EVEN 15 MINUTES LATER, my review as well as the other reviews left by unhappy customers had been deleted! How is this possible? Amazon should be the only one that is capable of deleting reviews because now, Ornem has a 100% unblemished record and customers will never know about situations like mine. THE ACTUAL REVIEW: This head is a beast. It's a solid build and the fluid drag system will give you buttery smooth panning and tilt footage. The only concern I had going into buying this head was the fact that it's made in China. Not to say that stuff made in China is bad, I've purchased plenty of great products made in China, it's just that Manfrotto chose to have it manufactured in China vs. Italy like the majority of their products that got me thinkin. I also ordered the 190 go tripod which is made in Italy so I was able to get a good idea of the build quality between the two. The 190 is flawless 5/5 no problem. The 502 is a 4/5, it's constructed very well but it appears they took some shortcuts on the finish. The one thing I noticed about the 502 is that as you're adjusting the fluid dials, there is this odd popping sound. My guess is it's the fluid within the head as you adjust it accordingly. Not a huge deal breaker as the head pans and tilts consistently in all directions but I am hoping that it will eventually go away. There is some play in the dials too but I was aware of that when I was doing my research on this head. VERDICT: In the end, I'm super stoked to have added the 502 and 190 to my setup and I highly suggest ordering either of these products if you are in the market for some sweet gear. Once again, BE AWARE OF WHO YOU ORDER THIS THROUGH.

I've always owned Manfrotto tripods. I've only owned 1 tripod. I bought a Manfrotto back in early 1990s. Loved it. Quality, heavy duty, versatile, no issues. And I've never needed to buy another ... until now. Lost that first one in a house fire earlier this year (2025). So I bought the Manfrotto 055 Video Tripod w/502 Video Fluid Head this time. I needed something sturdy, rugged, that can handle a video camera with some heavy glass on it, a digital audio recorder, a lithium battery pack, and occasionally 2 condenser mics. It's a heavy tripod in itself. It's not something you'll want to carry around all day if you're out sight seeing. There's some bulk to it. But I like it. I do not fear putting some expensive gear atop of this tripod. And it's quick and easy to deploy. As for the functionality of the fluid head, it's functional. It works. It's not what I'd call ideal. If I was doing a lot of panning in videos, I'd want something more, better, professional. But I'm sure that would cost plenty more. I give this tripod 5 stars because of the dependable sturdy build, and because of my last Manfrotto tripod experience.

I've seen a bit of griping about this head being 'clunky', not smooth. I've used it for taking video of birds and natural surroundings and it not only was smooth as silk, but noiseless as well. However, I think I understand the complaints on its clunkiness; it comes (or mine came) pretty well tightened down (perhaps to keep it from flexing too much during shipping...?), and you need to loosen the bindings that cinch the ball bearing mounts which I believe are only on the pan mechanism, and use the fluid mount adjustments to fine-tune the fluidity of movement instead. Once I did this, that little choppy, clunky chatter (which you skateboarders, or anyone familiar with ball bearing joints, will recognize as problematic if tightened too tightly) will go away. The result is a nice, smooth, quiet movement. I had it too loose at first, and was having trouble keeping the movement fluid, but after adjusting a few times I found it to be awesome! I got really nice movement on the pan, the rise and lowering, and both in unison, as it should be. At this point, you're on your own to develop the feel it takes to make those smooth movements. As a fledgling filmmaker, I'm working on my control of all things involved in my filmmaking, but this help immensely in making what would otherwise look like a handheld, YouTube vlog video look very professional. One suggestion would be to always allow a second or so to begin and end your movement so that the jerky beginning or ends of your clip, if any, can be edited out in post. Other than that, I find this to be the perfect tool for what I need to make my videos look really nice! Like anything else, it's not something that will do all the work for you, and since you'll most likely use it to smooth out DSLR/Mirrorless footage, you aren't going to have the added weight of a big, heavy camera to help slow erratic movements. It is capable of holding one of those cameras; there are two mounting screws included, a 1/4" and a 3/8", so attaching any DSLR-type camera is a breeze, and either screw can be removed so it's not in the way or rattling around on the slider plate. The slider plate allows for easy balancing of your camera on the head so whatever lens you're using, it'll balance nicely. I've used it on a Peak Designs Travel Tripod with a Canon EOS R and a Canon 70-200 zoom with spectacular results, even without using the lens' mount for additional balancing! For the price, I'm really pleased with this purchase!

The 502 is a midrange fluid head aimed at the serious amateur/semi-pro video market: flat bottom with 3/8" thread to fit standard photographic tripods and a wide platform for DSLRs. It's a big bruiser, boasting cast aluminum fittings, long beefy panning handle and a giganormous QR (5.5") plate. I mated it to a Manfrotto 055 and mounted my 70D. Once balanced and tweaked for tension, it held position perfectly yet delivered smooth pans, even with a heavy telephoto onboard (EF 300 4L IS USM). PANNING HANDLE: It’s long (plenty of leverage), comfy, thick and easy to grip and steer. One thing I appreciate about the 502 is the panning handle can be mounted on the left or right side. I’m right-handed but prefer to pan with my left-hand, leaving the right-hand free to work camera controls and pan lock. My last head forced me to pan, lock and operate the camera with the right-hand only. QUICK RELEASE: The 502 uses the Rapid Connect (Q5) quick release system and includes a single 500PLONG plate. The 500PLONG is the extra long (140mm/5.5") version of the 501PL plate. It's designed to slide in the clamp and position for best balance. If you own the older 501PL plate, it still fits in the 502 albeit two inches shorter. And the 500PLONG fits in the smaller 577 clamp used on the 501 and 701 heads. Rapid Connect is a misnomer since mounting the 500PLONG takes multiple steps: slide in plate from rear, position for best balance and, finally, tighten the side lever 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 sliding the rig out. Not quick but secure and easy to rebalance after a lens or camera change. I marked the balance points for my favorite lenses with a Sharpie. I use the Arca-Swiss (AS) quick release system on my other heads. So I installed an AS clamp on the 502 by mounting it on the 3/8" stud of the 500PLONG. The clamp knob was too short to clear the edge of the plate, making it difficult to turn. A 5mm riser plate provides clearance for the knob, but I decided to use a Hejnar 500PLONG clone (M577-550F63B) with integral riser plate. I mounted my clamp on the Hejnar and it works like a dream: slides smoothly in the 502 clamp slot for balancing and locks tight. 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 much faster with the AS clamp. GOTCHA: The vertical pan is limited to +90° / -85°, so not a good choice if you need to shoot shoot critters at ground level. Worse, the extremes of the 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 simply hold the panning arm or lock it down but all other positions in the pan path hold position (assuming the rig is balanced). I’m not sure if this is a feature or defect but my other Manfrotto fluid head (128LP) 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 502 is a a beefy piece of kit and ideal for a medium to large DSLR with telephoto. Plus, it's easy to convert to Arca-Swiss if desired. The smooth movements, excellent fit and finish and thoughtful features make it a joy to use, just wish the tilt wasn't so bouncy at the extremes of the pan range.

I don't know...I try to read as much user feedback on anything I buy before I buy...I'm also very skeptical of most feedback that I read as I assume a majority of it is planted, positive feedback by employees or friends of the company selling the products. And of course, you are always going to find exceptions to the rule, positive and negative. That said, I don't work for Manfrotto nor have I even heard of the brand really prior to purchasing the 502 head. All I can say to you know is that, yes I've pretty much read every negative, or even kinda negative feedback on this item. I've watched videos and read as much as I could. But, I bought it. And, I think it's friggin' sweet! I think it is soon smooth panning in all directions. The adjustments for drag up/down, left/right are just fine. The motion is smooth. You can tweak to your satisfaction and preference for your needs. Its sturdy. Looks impressive. And it's like my favorite camera accessory. Considering, I'm just staring and have no idea of what I'm really doing, the 502 head is a wonder product. Paired with my Ravelli APGL4 Tripod, I have one super solid base for my Ax33 camera. If you need to get a nice pan head, and have a few hundred you'd like to spend...I say do it! Just do it!

Wow. Should leave it at that, but I'll expand. Firstly, how I use it: For my Panasonic cinema camera (HMC150) and my Canon 7D. It is a video head, but I'm also using it for photo, since the position can be locked. Right now, I have no reason to use any other head for photo or video. The pan and the tilt fluid movement is adjustable and very good. It can shake a little at the start depending on the pressure selected, however. Maybe I need more practice. The removable quick disconnect plate is very well designed and has the install screw plus another notch to prevent the camera from moving laterally (to shear away from position). All has very good fit and finish. For just under 200 dollars, it is all I need (I considered the larger heads, but I'm satisfied with this one). It is more than enough to handle the weight of my Canon 7D and all my lenses (I have not tried it with the BIGMA, 18 to 500 sigma, but due to how it is mounted, I don't expect issues). The big advantage for me is the flat bottom which connects to my regular photo Vanguard tripod. I did not want a 100 mm 1/2 ball because I would have had to invest in a new tripod bringing my cost up. The handle that comes with it helps me move the head smoothly the great great majority of the time. As with any mechanical device, you learn how to correct for little quirks if you find them. In the end, I suggest if you're excited about the little I said above, try it. I do believe this is a well designed superior product that works at a reasonable price that suggests quality. January 2018: Still great, still use it. I realize now that the ball bottom would have been better, but didn't want to have to buy the additional ball (female) that attaches to the tripod legs. Don't regret it a bit, I just know how to manage it.

This thing is HEFTY! It's huge, comes in a "huger" box that honestly, I just don't understand... The box is 3-times the size it needs to be with a large cardboard matrix spacer under the tripod head itself. Not even really effective protective packing material. Perhaps they use the same box for multiple heads and just put a different 'wrap' on the container? I don't know... Anyway, we don't buy it for the box, right? The fluid adjustments on this unit are very nice and the range of resistance is also more than adequate. The brakes for the pan and tilt hold the head in place perfectly when you don't want the leverage the fluid movement. The plate is HUGE just like everything else. I am using the head to hold a DSLR rig on a large teleprompter assembly in a studio room designed for solo-production - meaning the talent is doing EVERYTHING, kinda like a VLogger on steroids. This head is so versatile, I was able to mount the head backwards on the tripod so that the plate would stay locked in place but leave enough of the screw slide for mounting the camera hanging over the base that my bolt to mount the Prompter People teleprompter rig could bolt right up. On top of this '2-story' rig sits a DSLR with a forward-facing field monitor and I hang headphones and other stuff on the prompter rig. This head doesn't even seem to know any of the gear is even on it. And the tilt handle can mount in any direction on either side - so in my case, it's pointing at the talent so they can make adjustments themselves. For the price, this thing is awesome! It's BIG - like, really; news floor big (well, ok; maybe a tad exaggerated but not by much...) but if size and weight aren't your primary concern - like you're mounting a REAL video camera, or a RED or something, this head will do the trick and for WAY less money than many other alternatives.

I've never used a fluid head before but have been wanting one for years. I just purchased a Manfrotto 055 Aluminum 3-Section Tripod with Horizontal Column (MT055XPRO3) and wanted to make sure I get the most out of it, so I also ordered this fluid head based on the positive reviews of others, and I am so glad I did. This fluid head is super smooth, so easy to work, and the materials and build quality are excellent. Manfrotto products are top notch, so you can rest assured that they will work properly, be trouble free, and will probably even survive a nuclear strike. This fluid head has a built-in bubble level, the handle can be attached to either side to accommodate right or left-handed people, includes a quick-release plate, has great balance and very smooth operation. There are adjustment knobs so that you can tweak the speed and ease of movement or lock it down securely, whichever is needed. It also allows full 360 degree movement. For low-budget filmmakers who need cinema-level gear at an affordable price, this fluid head makes good sense.