Review: Manfrotto 502AH Pro Video Tripod Head (502HD MVH502AH 502)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- An unboxing and review of the Manfrotto 502AH Video Tripod Head.
Thanks for watching!
Link: www.manfrotto.c...
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i miss these old youtube videos
Very nice video. I appreciate the smooth presentation with no "uh"'s or other awkward vocal interruptions. I also appreciate the well thought out progression in the listing and explanation of features and the smooth hand movements. This is easily the best review I've seen to date. Thank you for taking the time.
This is exactly the video I was looking for! Thank you for going step by step on exactly how to use it and what each knob does!
While this review is well over 4-years old, It's still very informative for those of us considering the MVH502AH in 2019. Thank you!
10:38 I believe the handle is reversible and can be mounted on the left-hand side. This would free-up the right hand to control the tilt lock.
And in 2020! Just ordered one!
@@TechIlliterate and in 2021! Good review.
@@TheJeffChase and in 2022!
...and in 2024. Just ordered one. Great review.
this is what unboxing and review should be like! very well done!
Very thorough comprehensive video, best I've seen so far. Thanks for making this!
Thanks for your kind words!
Nice job. Seems to be quite jerky at times when filming the airplane. Thanks
I've had one since 2013. Used it with Manfrotto crossbar on Manfrotto Pro4 Carbon tripod to film a dance concert. Worked beyond my expectations. Totally recommend. Great tutorial, by the way. Kudos...
This was a very well put together review. Also thank you very much for including the footage you recorded with it. Really shows off the stability of the head.
Though this video a little old, it's still being sold today - in 2018. This is the exact video I was looking for to decide if this would be the right tripod head for me. Thanks so much for the great, detailed and comprehensive review and demonstration! It helped me out a lot and I'll most likely pick this up myself to improve my video quality. All the best!
Gonna post this to my Google+, as this was a really useful video for me making my decision of purchase.
Not to mention this is a very well done video considering you're just starting your channel out! Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words! And glad it helped!
ModernCollector Mind me asking what legs you're using?
Tom Rich Ah, it's my old school Manfrotto 055MF4. I bought it quite a number of years ago and it's a great, sturdy carbon fiber tripod.
Here I thought this was another stupid un-boxing video. I was surprised on how professional this is. You went into great detail on everything and verbally explained more than what I expected. For those who may be new to tripods you may wanted to add how to mount it.
I hit it lucky and just bought a used 502AH from B&H for $109.00. This was probably a display. Appears new with very little marks but works great. This is a very good head for video.
Could this head be used for Still Photography as well, please advise.
This head is still available and I just bought one. You talked about the tilt being "self leveling," but it's really counterbalanced for an 8.8 lb camera and can handle up to a 15 lb camera. This was too much for my 3 lb camera since I will need to pan and tilt for live streaming and I can't have it moving when I let go of the handle. Luckily, I found a video of how to remove the counterbalance spring and that solved the problem. So far, I'm very happy with this head.
here is a link to the video: th-cam.com/video/IOlj2cYCVIw/w-d-xo.html
Still super helpful 3 years later! Thanks!!
Excellent video - just bought a fluid head for a community videography training programme we are going to be doing at our charity. This is the best online video that I have seen...
Very helpful post-purchase to understand the various operations and applications of this pannning head. Thank you so much for taking the time to put this content together, very helpful.
Excellent review! You were concise, clear and apparently accurate and comprehensive. This review is so much better than many that play annoying music. Thank you much!
Excellent review: I've been researching various options, but this review has convinced me to go with this head. Thanks for taking the time to make the video, very clear and informative.
Just got mine today, it is used so I am abit worry when hearing that weird noise from adjustment. Feel much better now thanks to your very detailed and informative review. Still find this helpful early of 2019. Thanks!
I'm so glad you mentioned the tilt sound. I bought this and was hoping someone mentioned this. I thought I had a defective product. thanks!
Well done...I would add that when adjusting the drags to only do so when actually moving the head in that motion. adjust horizontal drag while panning and tilt drag when tilting. Thus, there is no noise and you get full range of resistance.
Excellent review video! Thanks for making this
Thanks for the upload. great detail and clear review,I just bought this for the second time.first time I thought too big and bulky but I had used others and they do not pan as soft so I got me another Manfrottto 502AH. Merry Christmas!
This video's a lifesaver. Saved me hours on trying to figure out how to get the plate off. Thanks so much!
Where should the tripod head be rotating on horizontal shots? Mine only seems to rotate where I screwed it up in.
The best explanation so far on TH-cam for the pro video head. Thanks a lot for the very informative video. Subbed 😉
You did a great job. The video was very informative and showed that you had done your research on the specifics of the head. Looking forward to more videos.
Thanks buddy. I just got mine in the mail and your video helped me to get set up right away.
Really helpful information, i just got this product as part of a kit, and i appreciate your discussion, which is clearer than the manual ;) I too was concerned about that weird kind of rattling noise when you turn the pan knob, thanks for mentioning it! I bought my kit used, and i thought there might be something loose in there. Many thanks, great review!!!
Nice review, after watching your video I went to the local store and tried for the first time, thinking about getting one as my Christmas gift!!
Thanks for making this! I appreciated the detail and the demo videos. Really informative.
Oh god, i thought i'd broke something when i heard that scrunch sound! lol Yea, first time using a fluid head, and i love it so far :) Great review, really helped understanding how to use it.
Great review, thank you so much! Just unboxed this bad boy and cannot wait to give it a proper try :)
Just got it, thanks for the review/video. This really helped in my purchase
I wanted to thank you for your thorough review. Very clear and precise. I ultimately went with the new version of the 500. But i might just upgrade for a little more money and although the it's almost double the weight, if I get better results with it. it will be worth it. Thanks again! Jake
Hideous T-shirt though an excellent video...clear, precise and detailed with first-class narration.
I just bought it and I must say, it’s impressive indeed.
Great and useful video. Thanks very much for the thorough and easy to follow instructions. Keep up the great work !
Great review & fantastic video clip. Not sure what head to get but think you've helped me decide. Thanks
No Prob! Been using it for ~2 months now and I'm still enjoying it. Very smooth.
I bought one a few month ago in 2018. I am happy with my purchase.
Outstanding review and extremely helpful. You answered a lot of newbie questions right off the bat!! Now if i can only find out how to mount my Canon EO2 M4 to it
Thanks for the comprehensive and clear review, very helpful.
3:28 "So I had a full day to play around with the head"
Quarantine description right there.
BEST video review ever !!!
So the TILT does not have 'memory to it' and isn't 'self leveling' per se. The head has a built in fixed COUNTERBALANCE of 4kg. What that fixed counterbalance means is that if your camera weights more than 4kg, then as you tilt it and let go, gravity will continue tilting the camera down. But in reverse, if the camera weights less than 4kg (as in your demo with 0kg on the head), then the counterbalance will rotate the camera back upward. Put a 4kg (@ 55mm center of gravity) camera on it and the tilt will stay perfectly where you leave it when you let go. To get that effect with a lighter camera (say a camcorder) one has to add weights to the camera/tripod head/plate to get it to the 4kg.
Brilliant review. Enjoyed watching it and has helped me when deciding on a video head.
Thanks for the great review, it should help me narrow down my choices. This head is now a top contender.
Thank you for this comprehensive review. I think I'm going to invest in one of these.
Great presentation! Slow and easy.
Now that's what I call a review , thanks a lot!
Fantastic, detailed review. Thanks!
Well cone. Informative, well organized and concise. Thanks
EXCELLENT review!
awesome clear and precise easy to understand and follow gr8 job keep it up
Very helpful. Great video quality too. Really great review!
Really an helpful review! Thanks!
Great introduction video, thanks.
Thank you for a great review. This will be my upgrade from Amazon Basics fluid video head...
I know im randomly asking but does someone know of a way to log back into an instagram account..?
I was stupid lost the login password. I love any help you can give me
@Pedro Emmett Instablaster ;)
@Colten Coleman i really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and Im trying it out now.
Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later with my results.
@Colten Coleman it did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. I am so happy!
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@Pedro Emmett happy to help :D
Very well done, and extremely informative, thank you.
Hey! That's Toronto!!
Very clear, professional, and comprehensive. Well done. Good review! One question left unresolved by the review, and a point of curiosity as a potential consumer is whether or not the head can tilt and lock at 90 degrees for portrait view stills. If you (or any other owners of the 502) can clarify here, or even provide still photos, it would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Yes, you can tilt it down/up 90 degrees. But why would you want to do that to take portrait view stills with this type of head? As it is, you'd have to loosen the plate from the camera, rotate the plate 90 degrees, then put it back on the head. Then you'd be unable to adjust your vertical orientation, just pan. On top of that, if you're using a heavy camera and lens combo, your center of gravity will be way off to the side, and you'll risk the tripod tipping over if you bump it.
A far better solution is a ball head with an arca-swiss mount that allows a 90 degree tilt, because you'll still be able to adjust the vertical angle when tilted 90 degrees. If you use a heavy camera and lens combo, you can always put an L-plate on your camera, allowing you to mount the camera in portrait mode, with the center of gravity directly over the center of the tripod. Much safer.
Great information! Thank you
Great video. Still super relevant!
Awesome review. Thanks!
Very informative! Thank you
Very nice review. Thanks
Nice Review... thanks a lot!
You're welcome! Thanks for the feedback!
Very good review.
this is great review
Great video thanks very much
I have the same tripod head. My problem is the panning is not working anymore. There is no drag at all. And i dont know how to fix it.
That pan lock knob under the bridge is pain in the butt to turn because its in a such a tight gap and i kinda hate it
Awesome review video!
Great in depth video...I may buy this one. Would on use a quick release plate attached to their DSLR or go direct to the long plate that comes with the head...I'd like to use a quick release if possible for a run and gun situation....Thanks...Philip
thanks man very useful
Pan drag setting is the most important thing for me in a fluid head. Could be OK for the 502AH Pro - not convinced though. Noise from tilt drag adjusting makes this useless. Nobody seems to produce an acceptable video head below $ 5.000.
Did it make a creaking-clicking sound when it was tilted forwards and backwards? Many people have experienced it and returned it. Some say it is normal and depends on the room temperature. Did you or anyone else here experience the same problem?
Is that an Aliens motion tracker on the bottom shelf?
Useful review, I'm thinking of getting this head to combine with a carbon-fiber 755CX3. A bit pricey, but both seem pretty solidly built and should last for years.
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I just found this video as well...
Very well done... except you didn't show us the bottom - where the head connects to the tripod...
I came looking for that... and didn't find it... (sigh)
Until that time. . .
GREAT REVIEW..the leveling bubble seams to be in a place where you cant get your head right over the top of it to see it properly. Is this the case.?
I was under the impression that when adjusted properly a fluid head when a heavy scope or camera pointing upwards will stay pointing where you leave them until you move them again. But here I see that we have to lock it just like a pan head?
It depends on the camera weight, and how you balance it. This head has fixed counterbalance, so lightweight cameras will not work.
Many Thanks for the review, please advise if this Tripod Head could be used for still Photography as well.
nice review.. how about the counter balance.. how does it work.. what does it do..
You don't need to "turn" the pan lock. Use it like a rocker arm to lock or unlock the pan. Good review though.
Thank you for this video! We have the same tripod at my church where I work as camera op. There have times when someone else runs camera and I can’t get the amount of drag back? I don’t know why they would change it? Any thoughts on why it would be hard to readjust?
Excelente. Gracias !!!
Great video, what's the name of the tripod legs thanks 😊
Nice video, extremely detailed man. Thanks for the info.
Question, not sure if this was asked but what tripod was it mounted on? That sound may be due to where it's made. I thought they were all manufactured in Italy.
Mine has the same odd sound from the fluid drag system… 😢
It has a built in counterweight, that is why it is trying to level itself...
8:57 Почему вы показываете панорамы на широком угле? На широком угле любоя дешёвая голова покажет хороший результат, меня вот интересует какая будет панорама с объективом Sigma 150-600мм и именно на 600мм??????????????
great video. Toronto rules!
Excellent review..
I have a question, Does the 502AH head,work with 60mm half ball ? Or just with 75mm
Thank you.
Great review!
What camera did you have on the tripod when you were filming the aircraft?
Thanks
I'm currently using a Nikon D5100. :)
Excellent. Thanks.
No problem! Glad it helped.
Best Review !
Excellent!
Very good review. Thanks. What is your tripod model using in the review? I'am considering to buy the 502H head but I'm not sure wich tripod to get. I think of the Manfrotto 290Dual to pair with the 502AH head. Do yo think this is a good conbination? To use with the Sony HXR-NX100 Camcorder. Thanks in advance.
Thanks for your review! I'm wondering how i can test this video head (I just bought from Amazon Warehouse) without a tripod with me.... Right now, i observed that the red drag ring only turns 90 degree and not more than that. Is it NORMAL when it's not the video head is not connected to a tripod?
Great video! I'm at a loss as to what sort of tripod bag to use with this though. I have to detach it from the tripod whenever I transport it? It's rather difficult to get on and off the tripod for some reason.
this should a standard link for any purchase
the self leveling bit - is that just the counterbalance feature with no load on? ie: if you put a DSLR on it, does it still try to self level or will it hold the position?