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Shoot Review: Manfrotto 501 head and 351MVB2 tripod

May 1, 2007 12:00 PM, Reviewer: Jan Ozer

Mid-priced camera support combo provides stability and smooth motion.

You can easily find a Manfrotto 501 series head and 351MVB2 two-stage aluminum tripod for less than $400 retail, which makes the combination twice the price of really inexpensive tripods in the $200-and-below class, and less than half the price of those in the low four-figure range. In this review, I'll describe what you get for the money, and how the Manfrotto bundle compares with those in other price ranges.

(Editor's note: The 501 is now discontinued and has been replaced by the 501HDV. The price for the 501HDV/351MVB2K combo is $457.)

There's a lot to like about the 351MVB2 tripod, which features a 75mm-diameter ball-leveling system that extends a 3/8in. connector up to the head. The black aluminum unit weighs 7.7lbs. and can hold 28.6lbs. The 501 head weighs 3.5lbs. and has a capacity of 13.2lbs., for about 17lbs. maximum total weight on the tripod. This means the tripod capacity isn't the limiter in this bundle — it's the head capacity.

Each tripod leg has a three-position shoulder spreader that locks into position at 15 degrees or 25 degrees, or any arbitrary angle. This adds rigidity when working at 15 degrees or 25 degrees, and makes it simple to quickly set up all three legs at the same angle. At the 15-degree position, the top of the tripod comes to 59in., and the head adds another 4.5in. to the overall height. Looking back at the majority of my shoots, the only scenario in which this height wouldn't be sufficient is when I'm shooting live events, such as a ballet, behind a seated audience. So long as the crowd is in their seats, 63in. is enough; but once they stand up and applaud, I would need about 18in. more.

The tripod has three sections. The top is a tandem leg section for additional stability, with flip-lever locks at both levels and a mid-level spreader. You can adjust the tension of all flip-lever locks with a key that snaps to the tripod. Tension wasn't an issue in my trials — all flip levers locked easily and stayed in place.

All three feet have twin spikes for stability on grass. A simple rubber cover fits over the spikes to protect floors. The kit also comes with flat pads that you can slip on when you're working on stable floors. The tripod is compatible with several Manfrotto dollies — a nice upgrade option if you need to move smoothly while shooting.

The tripod/head kit comes with the MBAG90P padded bag, which has a tapered fit to contain the tripod with the head attached and thermoform padding to protect and hold the tripod in place. A zipper circles the top of the bag, so you can pull out the tripod like an arrow from a quiver. The zipper also extends the length of the bag, simplifying pack up. With a large inner pocket that can hold feet pads, pan bars, and other accessories, the bag is great for both transport and storage.

My kit came with the head installed on the tripod. If you don't buy the kit, you'll find installation simple: three screws attach the 75mm half-ball to the head. Once it's assembled, you can quickly level your setup by twisting the integrated ball-leveler handle to the right, adjusting your level while watching the unlighted level bubble, and tightening the handle clockwise. It's much, much faster than adjusting the length of your tripod legs, and allows you to shift quickly to a Dutch angle — albeit a slight one.

Testing results

As mentioned above, the 501 is 4.5in. tall, weighs 3.5lbs., and has a maximum load capacity of 13.3lbs. For perspective, the Canon XL H1 — one of the largest cameras in the DV/HDV class — weighs about 8.5lbs. with lens and battery. Throw on a FireStore DDR (1lb.), a matte box (usually less than 1lb.), and an on-camera LCD monitor (about 1lb.), and you've still got a couple of pounds to spare with the 501.

The head features 360-degree pan and +90 to -60-degree vertical tilt, controlled via a 15in. long pan bar. The head has bar connectors on both sides, so you can mount the bar left or right. The head's quick-release sliding plate can attach to the camcorder via both a 1/4in. and a 3/8in. camera-mount screw. There's a screw hole on the head body so you can store the screw when it's not in use.

After attaching the plate to the camcorder, you hold down a locking button and slip the plate into the head from the back until a click tells you that the camera is locked in — front and back. You slide the faceplate about 2in. (58mm) forward and backward to balance the camcorder over the head. Then, you screw in a locking knob to secure the camcorder at that location. Removing the camera is the same operation in reverse — fast and simple.

I tested several camcorders, including the Canon XL2 and XH A1 and Sony HDR-FX1, and each of them fit fine into the plate and tripod. Because the XL2 is the most extreme in terms of weight and balance, I focused most of my testing around that unit. With the camcorder slid all the way to the back of the plate, the front-heavy XL2 felt almost perfectly balanced on the 501 head and 351MVB2 tripod.

With camera attached, it was time to test pan and tilt controls. Note the head isn't a true fluid head; it uses Teflon-coated discs instead of fluid cartridges to control friction and movement. The 501 comes with separate pan and tilt-friction dials to control tension and knobs to lock motion. Ergonomically, the lock knobs were very well-positioned, with the tilt lock on the left and the rotation lock in the back. The tilt-friction control is on the right of the head, where you can easily adjust it during shooting. The rotational-friction control is located directly beneath the camera slide, where it's a touch awkward to access, especially if you don't have long fingers.

I used the XL2 as my first test subject. My first question was whether I could find a tilt tension that would allow smooth movement and prevent the camera from dropping to 90 degrees if I let go of the pan handle (the dreaded “camera dive”). This was a problem I've experienced with some other tripods, especially when shooting a concert or other performance while manning two camcorders. Between adjusting the friction control and achieving balance by shifting back the head plate, I quickly found a setting that would hold the front-heavy camera in place while pointing down at 45 degrees. At the same time, the setting enabled smooth motion, with no start-up jerkiness.

The second test centered around the tripod and its operation in small or narrow spaces, which is often required at weddings and concerts. Could I set up the tripod at the narrowest spread angle of 15 degrees, at full height, and pan from side to side without flexing or twisting the tripod legs (which can interrupt the motion)? Here, the tandem top legs, shoulder mounts, and spreader really paid dividends. The legs remained totally still, even with rotation tension set in the middle levels.

In both tests, the controls proved responsive and steady across a range of tension settings. As kind of a valedictory exam, I filmed a peripatetic speaker presenting to my daughter's third grade class. I framed the shot more closely than normal to test my ability to follow the speaker, and found the tripod/head combination to be more than up to the task. All motions started smoothly and stopped immediately, and the tripod/head combination allowed me to maintain proper framing throughout. It's definitely a nice set of sticks.

What don't you get? If you're used to high-end products and you're looking for an inexpensive solution — perhaps for personal use or as a second or third tripod — you'll miss counter-balancing to help steady your camcorder during tilts. Interestingly, Bogen just announced the 501HDV head, which includes a fixed counter-balance spring set for a 5.5lb. camcorder, for about $40 more than the 501 reviewed here. That said, if you can balance the XL2 on the 501 by adjusting the plate backwards, there's probably no camera in the class that it can't balance. You'll probably also miss a lighted leveling bubble. Of course, you won't have a true fluid-driven head, although it may be tough to tell the difference.

If this is the most you've ever spent on a tripod, you'll probably miss the pedestal shaft between the tripod legs that lets you raise and lower the camera with a crank. Instead, you have to adjust height by manipulating all three camera legs, which is hard to do smoothly while shooting. Otherwise, it's all good. The leveling ball is a dream, the adjustable slide is a great feature for heavier cameras in the class, and the motion is far smoother than that delivered by any less-expensive tripod that I've worked with.

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bottomline

Company: Manfrotto
www.manfrotto.com

Product: Manfrotto 501 series head and 351MVB2 tripod

Assets: Leveling ball works smoothly, the adjustable slide is great for heavier cameras, smooth motion.

Caveats: Height not sufficient for shooting live events, must manually adjust height, no lighted leveling bubble.

Demographic: Those looking for an inexpensive, high-end tripod/head product.

PRICE: $457

© 2008 Penton Media, Inc.