Focus - Institute of Videography

ReviewThe plate slides onto the headwith the usual end stop toprevent the camera falling off thefront, and a press button releaseto stop it falling off the back. Justslide the camera onto the headuntil it tilts neither backwardsnor forwards and fix the platewith the side lock.Level and secure the headand camera with the bigrubberised handle under thebowl. Great to see that Manfrottohave integrated an illuminatedbubble. Press the button and anorange LED lights up under thebubble. It turns itself off after tenseconds. This is a proper andessential item for every head.The pan bar can be fitted to theleft or the right of the head, orwith a second bar to both sidesfor really well controlledmovements. The telescopic barextends from a short 38cm, goodfor tight corners, to a long 62cm,good for precise control. Therubberised handle at the end ofthe bar gives a strongcomfortable grip. The 504HD willtilt down 90° and up 60°. If therosettes connecting the pan barto the plate become worn afteryears of adjustment they caneasily be replaced.The pan, tilt and plate lockhandles are the usual Manfrottofamily “pull to reposition” knobswhose angles can be adjusted tosuit the operator and kept out ofthe way.The camera rig will becomeunbalanced when you tilt thecamera. It will quite naturally fallforwards or backwards. Tocompensate for this, and create aharmonious situation where thecamera only goes where youintend, there is a counterbalancedial. If your rig weighs 2.5kg setit to 1, 5kg at 2, 7.5kg at 3, oryou can just disable the wholeidea by setting it to zero.Whatever angle you park yourcamera; it will just stay there,balanced, awaiting your nextcommand.Either side of the head is astandard 3/8” thread hole toattach accessories like an arm, amonitor, a French flag, an audiodevice, a lamp – anything youfancy. The weight of theaccessories is now low on thetripod head and not on thecamera.Turning headsWhat we need a head to do morethan anything else is give ussmooth moves. Manfrotto havedeveloped new variable fluid ballbearing movements for the504HD. These have to be thebest Manfrotto have producedand bring this little head into adifferent class.Pan and tilt fluidity isadjusted from free running tovery stiff with two chunky dialsclearly marked in stages from 0to 9. Continuously variable withdefinite click stops every fewdegrees. Favourite settings forpan and tilt drag can be notedand accurately repeated.The pan and tilt movementsare very smooth. Perhaps not to£2,500 head standards but thebest I have seen at this pricelevel and real value for money. Itis possible to start a movementsmoothly, execute it, and endgracefully. There is no whiplash,bounce back or unexpectedjerks.It’s the simple day-to-daypractical things that really count.Say I am shooting a sensitiveinterview and want to unlock thehead, subtly and slowly zoom inand re-frame to a big close up,and lock up again. All in visionwithout any bumps. That is astraightforward requirement thatthe 504HD achieves. And that’senough to make it a winner forme.Head linesManfrotto 504HD is a bargain atabout £245. Recommendedtripods are Manfrotto 535 or 536carbon fibre, or the aluminium546B legs. A complete kit of504HD head, aluminium 546Blegs and a sturdy bag is about£470. With the 535 carbon fibrelegs about £900. These are realdealer prices excluding VAT.Shop around for a better deal.If you don’t really need tospend ££££ on a head I think itwould be worthwhile looking atthis Manfrotto. It delivers asimilar feel and performance fora tenth of the price. However, dotry before you buy, and maybehave a look at the new VintenBlue and the Sachtler FSB-8T. Simon Hammond M.M.Inst.V.Notes: See the 504HD head inaction - www.vimeo.com/10802914and in a weird promo movie by CliffGuy: www.vimeo.com/10575827Rusty Rogers gives a short videoreview at vimeo.com/16042238and finally a video review by NextWave TV at : www.youtube.com/user/NextWaveG#p/a/u/0/kg0ZCBpTMhowww.iov.com Focus Magazine December 2010 17