| Brand: | Manfrotto | ||
| Average Rating |
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Bogen Manfrotto 322RC2 Grip Action Ball Head is unique in that it allows you to unblock, move, position and lock your camera with one hand in one position. This is due to the revolutionary design of its grip handle which incorporates the ball lock lever. A friction control wheel lets you regulate the power of the blocking mechanism to match the weight of your camera and lens. The 322RC2 is made from magnesium for lightweight performance, and is designed to keep the weight of your equipment as close as possible to the tripod’s center of gravity by way of its reduced height. It is this fact, matched with the precision construction of the 322RC2 that gives the head its load capacity of 11 lbs (5.5lb capacity when in the vertical position). It comes complete with a built-in bubble spirit level and quick release camera plate (standard 1/4 – 20 screw, with secondary safety pin). more info
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
great value, works as advertised
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I use this ballhead primarily for landscape photography and I am very satisfied with it. It easily holds my Canon 1D MkII N with a 100-400L zoom lens with no problem. It has very little sag, and once you set it, it STAYS in place. The one recommendation I would have is to reverse the trigger mechanism to the left instead of the default (right handed) position. If you do this, it is easier to change the position of the head with your left hand and at the same time still have your right hand free to manipulate the shutter and most of the controls which are on the right side of all major DSLR brands of cameras. Its not quite a Kirk, Really Right Stuff or Acratech head, but then again its way cheaper than those brands. It provides acceptable performance at a fraction of the price of those heads. A little large but in my opinion its performance outweighs its slightly bulky size. Quite satisfied!
Manfrotto Horizontal Grip Ball HEad
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Very durable and well made. The metal quick release is somewhat awkward though. There is a brass pin that locks the friction lever and holds it secure. The lever is not smooth operating and takes some work locking this into place.
Look out if you are not too careful, you may drop your camera. This happened to me once when dismounting the camera from the tripod, luckily I caught it. Once you release the pin, the camera has a tendancy to fall out of the shoe that holds it to the tripod. Would not have been pretty if I droped my new Canon EOS 5D Mark II and expensive lens.
Otherwise precise and easy to position the camera wherever you’d like it.
simple part missing
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
The tripod head is great and would receive five stars except for very poor design detail. Every other tripod head that I have has a bushing to use the head with 3/8 or 1/4 inch tripod screw. This $130 head is missing a $ 2 – 3 insert, so it will not work with my tripod.
The solution is simple, buy a bushing
BUT this $2.95 item from Amazon costs $6.94 to ship; if I had been given the warning that you are receiving, it could have been included in the shipment with the Manfrotto ball head.
Excellent Excellent Excellent
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this joystick to work with Manfrotto’s tripod 055XPROB. I setup my D300 on it and it does all the jobs I want it to do. No exception. I can’t pick any bad from it. Quality piece.
Point and shoot
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This thing is a BEAST. I don’t mean unpleasant to work with, I mean built like the proverbial brick outhouse. Definitely a big, imposing piece of equipment. I love using it but I probably won’t be flying with it; I’m looking for something a little smaller for air travel.
Right now I have this head on a 190CXPRO4 tripod, and I use it with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 for nature photography and a 5 lb Mak spotting scope for casual birding and stargazing. I keep the head vertical with the camera or scope mounted on top, which makes aiming either one just like pointing a big pistol. The head doesn’t seem to even notice that either load is there.
I can back up a couple of things that other reviewers have noted. There is just a bit of slippage in the ball head if you’re pointed up at the sky. I find that I have to aim about half a degree above my target before I release the handle to get the aim that I want. For me this doesn’t even ascend to the level of irritation; after about half an hour I wasn’t even really thinking about it anymore. But it’s there. Also, your hand will get tired from squeezing the trigger. Except for the slight slippage on high targets, when you release the trigger, this thing is not going anywhere. I regularly leave it at all kinds of awkward angles and still pick up my whole tripod/head/scope setup one-handed, like a giant squirt bottle, to move around the yard chasing birds or stars. The flip side is that tracking anything moving is a bit of a pain. Either you are squeezing the trigger and maneuvering your camera or scope entirely by hand, or you’re not and it’s locked down tight. Forget panning, the closest you can get with this thing is look/swivel/look/swivel, repeat.
This thing is a bit like an F-15: big, imposing, solid, versatile, and just plain cool. Not the least bit dainty. In use it feels like the tripod is hanging from the head, rather than the head being mounted on the tripod. It’s a fun ride, and a little bit heavy metal. Not for the faint of heart, or weak of grip!
Trouble Free
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Trouble free. Works great with my Canon XSi. A little big, but its very easy to use and install on my tripod.
Great Holding Power
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It’s perfect for most situations, even with large lenses.
But for action shooting, get a video style head where you need to chase the action in the view finder.
Really nice stuff.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
It is a really well made product. My only concern is that it is slightly on the heavier side that’s all.
Great Head!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have been using this head with a Nikon D200, MD200 and a variety of lenses for several months. The lenses have ranged from a lightweight 50mm to a 500mm Reflex. I attached the head to a Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod.
The clamp release is easy to use as set by the factory. Extending downward at about a 15 degree angle, it does not get in the way of the camera itself. I keep it under the right side of the camera, as I am right handed. The upper part can be repositioned to accomodate different needs.
The head swivels smoothly when released, and locks firmly when engaged. Going from horizontal to vertical is a snap. No twiddly knobs. Squeeze, frame, release. The camera stays put.
The clamp for the quick release has a safety on it so the camera is safely and securely clamped on. The clamp is made of magnesium. No cheap plastic here.
Attachment to the legs was easy, and accomplished in less than five minutes. When left horizontal, the head gives a convenient carry handle for the tripod.
Manfrotto also has the RC2 mounting plates available separately, so a photographer with multiple cameras only has to purchase extra plates.
I got good choice
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is very easy to carry and make good angle with quick and easy operation.
Manfrotto….never disappointed me.
Perfect
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The 322RC2 is perfect for my needs, no knobs, clamps. Pull to release and locks on where I need it. I take it birding or just for shooting in the back yard. Mounts great to my camera. This coupled with my Monfrotto tripod it’s a winning combonation
Manfrotto Ball Head 322RC2
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
With the Manfrotto 055x PROB tripod this is a winning combination. Any camera position may be realized,
Manfrotto 322CR Horizontal Grip Ball Head
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This Tripod Head has been fantastic! It was a breeze to connect, and has great security connections to ensure it does not loosen. The base plate is heavy , and well made. (haven’t taken it off my camera since I put it on) It attaches (literally) with a snap to the Ball head, and you are shooting. The horzontal head’s alignment allows me to shoot either vertically, or horizontally, without repositioning the tripod. The friction control allows me to feel the smaller movements of the camera, or if lowered slides easily to the next position. Been a breeze to use, and recommend it highly.
Great!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I didn’t know what to expect with this product, but it’s sweet! I love the ability to swivel and stick. It makes using a tripod for group photos worthwhile now. It’s very solidly built too.
Works great but not necessarily the ticket.
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This is a very well crafted hunk of camera gear. Holds my camera with a 400mm attached very securely. Really does work well. Could be just the ticket. For someone. Not me. I have two problems with it. Most importantly, it has a pretty limited range of motion if I am understanding it properly. Basically I can either mount my camera forward or backward. Forward only allows me to take a picture level or down. Backward only allows me to take a picture level or up. Makes me claustrophobic. I need a better range of motion. I do not want to have to re-mount my camera each time I decide to go from taking a picture high and low. I live on the 34th floor of a building. I mostly take pictures from my balcony. I have to decide, do I want to take pictures of pretty clouds and other buildings or do I want to shoot low to the street. With my cheaper tripod mount I could shoot up or down without re-mounting. I have have this mount for about a month. In total I am not thrilled with it just for its lack of motion. The other problem I have is with they actual mount clip that screws on to your camera. It is not ambidextrous. Must be mounted facing a certain direction. Kind of a pain. This may be common to all good head mounts.
Wonderful product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It holds my Canon 30D with a 70-300mm telephoto lens absolutely steady in almost any direction or angle. The joystick feature is just amazing. Be sure to get an equally rock steady tripod to go with it. I bought a Manfrotto 190CXPRO4.
Easy to use, but lost tension with time
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve used this head for three years or more. I love how easy it is to position versus traditional ball heads. Yes, the handle sticks out, but I actually use that to my advantage when carrying my tripod by using it to hook against my arm.
Now the downside. The quick release plate is functional but probably only deserves three stars. It’s a bit clunky and doesn’t always feel fully secure to the camera. The tension on my head has now slipped to the point where I can’t use it anymore. But, I’m here to buy another one because I don’t think I’d be happy with another head. The price is low enough for me to justify giving it another shot with a new one.
Very Nice
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very solid unit plus it is more flexible than it looks. The default set-up is short with the handle sticking out to the side (as in the photos). However, you can move the mounting plate around so that it can also function like a pistol grip head (e.g. rotate the pistol grip 90 degrees with the mount on top of the pistol grip). The only drawback is that it’s a bit heavy, but that’s the trade-off for being so solid.
322rc2
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The 322rc2 is a great tool for photographers of all skill levels. once you use it you’ll wonder what were you doing without it. it’s solid and versatile,mounting and removing your camera is so easy and professional looking to! It’s a must have product and for the money I think it’s well worth it. it has a bubble level that works great when your tripod is not level. I registered it on the manfrotto web site in 5 minutes for the warranty. be careful to hold your camera when unlocking it from the 322rc2 is the only heads up that I would give you if your new to this product. EJ [...]
Good for light gear
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This head works well with a light setup (5DMkII w/16-35mm or 24-70mm) but if you use a heavier setup (5DMkII w/70-200mm and battery grip) you will notice some slippage.
Best Tripod Head Ever!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an awesome tripod ball-head, it’s very strong and sturdy! all metal! buy ittttttttt
Quick, Fluid Movement.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the best head Manfrotto offers for their tripods. It’s ball head allows you to change positions effortlessly and get the shot without fumbling to adjust knobs. I Chose this head just from the simple idea of the ball head design and the grip action. The rest of my decision was based upon the great reviews, not only on Amazon, but on other sites. This is a gem of peice of equiptment and will make a definate difference in the way you shoot on tripod. I love it!
practical ball head
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Good first ball head for moderate to small zoom lenses.Gitzo GT1541T Series 1 6X 4S G-Lock Traveler – Replaces GT1540T (Black)
Good for the money
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Just received and tried it only a little bit, for me it is between the 488 and 322 and the 322 seems to be easier to adjust since you don’t need to turn 2 knobs. They really should have a tension adjustment for the pistol grip, it is too stiff for continuous or frequent adjustments. If you only adjust it and leave it there for portrait then it is fine, but if you are tracking a little bird that keeps moving then it gets very tiring. I found it easier for adjustment to have it mounted like the 222 joystick. There seems to be less post-lock sag if you max the friction control. I realize that this is not a good thing for a little bird 50 feet away because by the time you finish fussing with it the bird will be gone, it is more like for low light and special occasion where your object is not too eager to move. But it’s only around 100 dollars, how can you complain? I have it on a 190XPROB and am going to use this on a 680B monopod also even though someone said it should not be, I don’t see why not.
Updated 3/24/09
After couple more hours of use from my kitchen stalking a pair of hummingbirds, I think this is a good concept that I cannot live with. The idea is very good but the implementation is not quite there, you get quite a work out with your hand if you adjust it constantly. More of a problem is the effort to get it spot on with a small target, I found myself forcing the camera into the desired position instead of controlling the head with the grip. As much as I like the concept, I had to return it for a 488RC2.
If only it had a Pan Lock
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I really enjoy using this ballhead and it works great. It does have a slight initial stick as some others have said, however since it holds my camera with no sag I can overlook a little initial resistance. If they only added a panlock to the equation then I would have had to declare this item perfect!