Review 1 of 8
Price Paid:
$100.00
from Used, private. Summary: This head replaces my 029, which I have used for seven years on a Manfrotto 055SSB. What bothered me with my 029 was that it was hard to align it precisely, and it dropped a bit when you let it go. It was a strong head allright, but inaccurate and clumsy.
The 410 head is all that I wanted for my Manfrotto 055. It is as accurate as it gets, and supplements my Velbon 630 carbon + Markins Q3 perfectly: one tripod for the technical stuff, and the other for outdoor use.
I've heard many people doubt its build quality. It looks very solid to me, but you may not wish to throw with it, like you could a ball-head.
(price paid is 100 euro, not 100 dollars). Strengths: * Solid support with equipment up to pro-SLR+grip+medium telephoto lens (say, Nikon D3 and 70-200/2.8).
* GEARED - as accurate as it gets!
* Yet fast to adjust due to the quick-adjust knobs.
* No drop-off at all, because you do not lift anything.
* Strong, solid QR-plate, but see weaknesses.
* PERFECT for technical appliances like architecture, equipment testing, focus calibration, landscapes, macro, copying, and anything else that demands precise framing.
* Very cheap for what you get.
* Seems well built. Weaknesses: *Heavy (yet amazingly compact).
* Plate is way too big to leave on your camera (unless you use a medium-format camera).
* Plate is more difficult to attach and release then other plates.
* There are minor tolerances in the head, but due to the design of the head (geared), these are seldom relevant if you use mirror lock-up in combination with anything but supertele-lenses.
Note: I attached a arca-style plate to the QR-plate, and while this slightly increases tolerances, this only applies to very heavy cameras without mirror lock-up using telephoto-lenses. Similar Products Used: Many Manfrotto, Gitzo, Velbon, Vanguard and Slik heads, but it's the only geared head I ever used. Customer Service: Depends on country. It's ok in the Netherlands.
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