Manfrotto MVH502A,546GB-1 Professional Fluid Video System with Aluminum Tripod and Ground Spreader (Black)

Pardon the silly photo this is one from when I was just starting to shoot video trying to figure it outAnyhooooooI’ve used all sorts of counterbalanced gimbals, and such to be more mobile to take video…. And those are absolutely 100% the right call for the more interactive type situation (fer me:)….I’ve also used lighter weight fluid heads, thinking that it would be more prudent because I’m carrying so much Glass into a situation…. Or because I didn’t wanna look like I was carrying more gear than the performer that I’m shooting…. That, my friend, is the wrong call for this girl.For me, this is a perfect example of using the right equipment for both my experience shooting and the finished product…. Hell it’s way more prudent than a lighter version because it cuts down on finagling footy in post.Also, I don’t have to fiddle or make sure that I’m completely Zen like a green beret sniperbefore I pan and follow the men riding waves in a onesie.I don’t have to think about any jiggles other than my own, but that’s another story for another time…..This thing is counterbalanced and It’s got the perfect drag. All I have to think about is that shutter and the light going through it and that it’s pointed at the right person.The shots I take with this fluid head don’t have my fingerprint on them. I’m not distracted from the subjectby the movement of the camera.Also, it’s heavy duty. It can definitely handle a really beefy zoom lens, and all the crap that we need to slap on there, to make sure that we have enough power the right microphone the right view finder and SSD recording thingamajig.This is worth of extra weight and inconvenience… once it’s set up, which doesn’t take very long, you are in the pocket.Also, don’t forget to turn off your image stabilization both on your lens and in your camera settings when you’re shooting video with this thing…..it is so SHMOOV,it confuses the camera because there’s no instability!!!lolI always forget when I switch from handheld that’s why I’m passing it on anyway may the force be with you and this is worth the investment if you’re an amateur professional whatever stage you’re at it’s worth it because it makes everything have a lot more fun

So I'd like to give it about 4.5 stars. It's a really nice fluid head. Everything is almost perfect about it. I'm trying to film airplanes with my new camera setup at about 40,000 ft. I would just prefer maybe it get a little bit stiffer. For everyone else it would probably be absolutely perfect. It's actually perfect for me too. I'm not saying it's not. For the price compared to some other ones that cost thousands of dollars, you're getting an amazing deal with this fluid head. It holds about 20 lb of my camera gear and the quick release mount pairs up with my sigma 150 to 300 mm lens perfectly. I highly recommend it for pretty much everybody. Even if you don't need it just go ahead and get it. I paired it up with a Benro TAD28A tripod and I would also give the tripod five stars. It works perfectly with this fluid head.

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!