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There’s nothing actually unsuitable with plastic, though it’s been getting an terrible lot of unhealthy press currently. This Manfrotto tripod head definitely isn’t a ‘single-use plastic’ merchandise, in order that’s undoubtedly one thing in its favor. Actually, it ought to final for years and certainly, Manfrotto is sufficiently assured in its construct high quality to supply a free 10-year guarantee, as with most of its merchandise.
I can bear testimony to its hard-wearing nature because the pattern that I’m utilizing for this overview has just about been to hell and again, getting used and abused by hard-working photographers on our crew for a few years. The plastic itself goes by the title of a ‘technopolymer’ or technical polymer, and it’s not the primary time I’ve seen it. I really personal a Manfrotto XPRO Geared 3-way Head, which is constituted of the identical materials. That one goals to be one of many finest geared heads, whereas the 804 that I’m reviewing right here units its sights on being one of many finest 3-way heads.
Manfrotto 804 3-way head: Specs
|
Materials |
Polymer |
|
Most load |
10kg / 22lb |
|
Base diameter |
60mm / 2.36in |
|
QR Plate kind |
200LT-PL |
|
Locks |
Tilt, pan, swivel |
|
Bubble/spirit ranges |
1 bubble |
|
Top |
12cm / 4.7in |
|
Weight |
0.75kg / 1.65lb |
Manfrotto 804 3-way head: Worth
The Manfrotto 804 is fairly good worth within the UK however comparatively costly within the USA and Australia. Promoting for $147 / £89 / AU$239, it’s inexpensive than the extra heavy-duty Manfrotto X-PRO 3-way head which is made from aluminum reasonably than plastic. That’s totally to be anticipated.
Manfrotto 804 3-way head: Design & Dealing with
Technopolymer or technical plastic tends to be lighter than aluminum and positive sufficient, this head is simply three-quarters the load of the aluminum Manfrotto X-PRO 3-way head, at 0.75kg / 1.65lb in contrast with the latter’s 1kg / 2.2lb. They’re roughly the identical dimension, though the 804 is a bit of shorter, at 12cm / 4.7in versus 13cm / 5.1in. It additionally lacks the adjustable friction dampers for tilt and swivel, featured within the X-PRO 3-way head.
The pinnacle is labelled as a ‘Mark II’ in some areas, and as an ‘Adapto’ right here and there. The primary distinction between older and newer fashions is that, once more, just like the X-PRO head, the newer model options retractable handles for tilt and swivel. As such, the rubberized components that you simply grip along with your hand can slide out and in on their metallic shafts. Retracted, they minimize down the stowage dimension of the pinnacle. Prolonged, they provide you larger leverage for making changes.
A bonus of the 804 over the X-PRO is that you simply get calibrated scales for tilt, swivel and pan, as an alternative of only for panning. The lean vary which you’d sometimes use for entrance/again changes has a scale on the aspect and a variety of 30 levels upwards and 90 levels downwards. The 0-degree degree place is clearly labelled, with -30, 45 and 90 levels numbered on the dimensions, with 15-degree main intervals and 5-degree minor increments.
Equally, the swivel adjustment nominally for swapping between portrait/panorama orientation taking pictures has a variety of -30 levels to 90 levels, the dimensions once more being marked in the identical 5-degree increments and numbered in the identical method.
As is commonly the case with 3-way heads, the panning lock/launch knob is considerably smaller than those for tilt and swivel, and the shaft doesn’t lengthen thus far. This time, as I’d count on, you get a full 360 levels of panning rotation and once more, it comes full with a calibrated and numbered scale for reference. That may be helpful if, for instance, you’re taking pictures a sequence of stills to sew right into a panoramic picture.
Whereas the X-PRO 3-way head has three spirit ranges, the 804 includes a single bubble degree. It’s arguably faster and extra intuitive to make use of in panorama orientation taking pictures however utterly ineffective for portrait orientation taking pictures, until you retain the platform degree and use an L-bracket along with your digicam.
For connecting a digicam (or lens with a tripod mounting ring) to the pinnacle, the 804 depends on Manfrotto’s time-honored 200PL kind quick-release plate. I really actually like these plates however many desire a extra common Arca-type plate, particularly because the model is now being adopted in a rising vary of ft on the tripod mounting rings of hefty lenses.
Down under, the bottom of the pinnacle has a diameter of 60mm / 2.36in, which is par for the course for Manfrotto’s heavy-duty heads and an ideal match for its equally heavy-duty tripods. Naturally, the pinnacle is equally properly suited to tripods made by the overwhelming majority of different producers, so you may combine and match legs and heads.
Manfrotto 804 3-way head: Efficiency
It’s fast and straightforward to make exact changes to each tilt and swivel. Within the later model of the pinnacle, it’s finest to increase the knobs on their shafts, providing you with larger leverage and precision, akin to utilizing the knobs of the unique version in its normal trim, which lacked any retractability. The panning axis works equally easily by its complete 360-degree rotation.
Regardless of being plastic reasonably than metallic, the pinnacle feels simply powerful sufficient for its 10kg payload ranking. As with different 3-way heads that I’ve not too long ago examined, I mounted a Sony A7 II physique fitted with a Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Professional lens. The mixture has a weight of 1.4kg / 3.2lb and the lens doesn’t characteristic a mounting ring, so the load is considerably off-axis in portrait orientation taking pictures. The pinnacle was simply capable of assist the load however, in each panorama and portrait orientation taking pictures, it wasn’t fairly as agency and steady as Manfrotto’s X-PRO 3-way head, and a bit of extra susceptible to flexing, wobble and vibration.
Manfrotto 804 3-way head: Verdict
I’m not plastic-averse and I just like the weight-saving construct of the Manfrotto 804 3-way head. The later version with the retractable handles is extra compact for stowage. In each variations, fast, straightforward and exact positioning is assured in all three axes of tilt, swivel and pan. Nonetheless, for outright efficiency by way of steadiness and resistance to flexing and vibration, most aluminum reasonably than plastic heads have the sting.
|
Options ★★★★☆ |
All of the necessities are lined, with unbiased tilt, swivel and panning choices, and there are calibrated scales for every axis. |
|
Design ★★★★☆ |
The ‘technopolymer’ design cuts down the load by about 25 per cent however doesn’t really feel fairly as inflexible as aluminum. |
|
Efficiency ★★★★☆ |
Efficiency is mostly good, enabling high-precision changes, however resistance to flexing could possibly be a bit of higher. |
|
Worth ★★★★☆ |
The pinnacle is fairly good worth for cash within the UK and Europe however much less so in different world areas. |