Welcome to our ultimate Manfrotto MVH502AH review that we are pleased to finally be able to publish after being busy the past few days. Chances are if you are reading this, you are fully aware of the excellent reputation that the Manfrotto MVH502AH tripod/slider head has within the community. In addition to this, it also has a massive customer base who use it as their go-to head of choice.
Although the Manfrotto MVH502AH is the ideal video head, it is also suitable for panoramic photography too making it ideal for both photographers and videographers. Keep in mind though that this is the AH variant of the head with the flat base rather than the ball joint base variant (Click here to check for product prices and availability). This means that the AH is perfect for the flat top tripods that seem to be more popular with our readers.
Coming from Manfrotto, you can rest assured that the performance, functionality, and build quality of the head are all excellent but on the flip side of this, you are paying for this privilege. That said, we know many of our readers are professional photographers and videographers with higher budgets available to them for their camera accessories.
Click Here To Check For Current Prices On The Manfrotto MVH502AH Pan Head!
User Interface And Control System
The interface on the Manfrotto MVH502AH is very straight forward and if you have used any other modern tripod pan handle heads you will pick it up very quickly. It is also the same system as most of the other modern Manfrotto heads on the market right now so if you are coming across from one of their other heads, chances are, it will be the same.
The sliding quick release allows you to quickly and easily mount and unmount your camera of choice from the tripod head as required. Thankfully, unlike some of the Manfrotto heads from a decade or so back, spare quick release plates (Click here to check for product prices and availability) are easy to source for the MVH502AH allowing you to ensure you have one for each of your cameras if needed or easily replace lost or damaged plates.
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The panhandle itself is straight forward enough allowing you to smoothly pan and tilt the head as required to get the angle required for your photography session. The actual hand grip on the handle is also comfortable and easy to grip too allowing you to operate the head for extended periods of time without getting cramps in your hand.
The various dials on the head are smooth and easy to adjust to customize the performance of the head to get exactly what you need from it. The dials are well put together while also robust and weatherproof. This ensures they you will be able to use the MVH502AH outside if needed without having to worry about rust setting in and your dials seizing up as you would with some of the entry level pan heads on the market.
Attaching the Manfrotto MVH502AH to your tripod of choice is also very easy too. Simple place the head on your tripod body and adjust the tightener as required to get a solid seal. Although the MVH502AH will fit the vast majority of Manfrotto tripods on the market right now, it also mounts to a number of third-party tripods that have licensed the Manfrotto design system and quick release plates.
The majority of third-party tripods who have licensed designed and technology from Manfrotto will have a sticker on the tripod itself while also covering it in the tripods manual. If you have any additional third-party tripods in your camera accessories then it might be worth checking if they have licensed the Manfrotto design so you can use it with the head if required.
There are also a number of easy link connectors on the head to allow you to attach or mount a number of other popular accessories if required. There are two types of connectors on the head being split between the 1/4 inch screw variant and the 3/8 inch screw variant. This should pretty much cover all your attachment needs if you do plan to mount anything extra on the head.
Click Here To Check For Current Prices On The Manfrotto MVH502AH Pan Head!
Performance And Functionality
Like the rest of the Manfrotto range, the MVH502AH offers some of the best performance and functionality available on the market right now by far. It provides you with a full, smooth 360 degree pan rotation as well as a smooth -80 degrees to +90 degrees tilt function with minimal effort required on your part at all.
Although the load capacity of this head comes in at around 15.43 pounds, we would always recommend that you double check that the load capacity of the tripod you plan to use it with can also support at least this weight. Chances are with modern tripods this will not be an issue but it is always better to check rather than be sorry and have your tripod give way with your camera rig mounted on top of it.
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In addition to the 15.43-pound load capacity, the Manfrotto MVH502AH also comes with a spring-loaded counterbalance capacity of 8.82 pounds offering that additional layer of protection when mounting your gear and during use. We would imagine that this is plenty to cover the majority of camera rigs that people are using these days as modern DSLR cameras have started to come down in weight over the last few years.
You can drag the image below to get an idea of the type of panoramic photograph that you can capture when using the Manfrotto MVH502AH tripod head. Please note, the image quality in the example below is poor due to the sheer size of the file that had to be uploaded and the default compression rerendered it. We feel that it still does a decent job of showcasing exactly what you are able to capture though.
The fluid, super smooth movements of the head are largely due to the technology Manfrotto have updated in their ball-bearing drag systems on these heads. It has helped improve the overall usability of the heads over previous generations while also pushing the MVH502AH out ahead of the competing heads even at higher price points in the market.
Manfrotto have taken the feedback of their customers on board from previous pan heads they have released and gave the MVH502AH a wider and longer head for increased stability during use. Although we doubt that this will be something most people will notice, it is nice to know that they are actually taking the feedback the community provide on board and adjusting their products accordingly.
All in all, the MVH502AH offers you tons of control over your pan and tilt for optimal image quality when capturing panoramic photographs or recording video footage with your camera rig. This helps keep your image quality looking professional while also making it very easy to capture with minimal additional effort required on your part.
Click Here To Check For Current Prices On The Manfrotto MVH502AH Pan Head!
Build Quality
As you would expect from this price point in the market, the build quality of the MVH502AH is outstanding and second to none putting some of its key competitors to shame. Everything from the quick release plate to the pan bar to the tuning dials and locks has been both designed and build perfectly and it all comes together and works very well.
Manfrotto has also taken the time during the design phase of the MVH502AH to ensure that the bubble spirit level on the head is clearly visible when your camera rig is mounted on it. We really wish we could say that this simple step is common on modern tripod heads but we have lost count of the number of budget and mid ranged heads that have their bubble level hidden away once your camera is mounted. The design of the MVH502AH allows you to quickly look down and ensure that your camera rig is flat and stable before capturing your image.
The majority of the head is made from lightweight Aluminium that keeps the MVH502AH as robust as possible while also keeping its weight down. If you are in a travel niche and have to move around with your gear, especially by air with luggage limitations this is great. Off the top of our heads we were unable to think of a head that provides this level of performance while coming in at only 1.54 pounds!
The rest of the head is made from extremely high quality molded plastics that do not have that cheap feel that some heads do. In addition, it seems like the plastics have been treat to prevent them warping in shape over time to ensure you can easily adjust the plastic locks and dials without issue for many years to come.
While reading a number of independent, third-party reviews and reports on the MVH502AH we were unable to find a single complaint about the build quality of the head. The vast majority of the people using the MVH502AH as their go to tripod head seem to love it and feel that Manfrotto have managed to get back in their stride of knocking out excellent quality products.
Click Here To Check For Current Prices On The Manfrotto MVH502AH Pan Head!
FAQs
Question – Will the Manfrotto MVH502AH mount to a slider?
Answer – Yea, although we have focused the majority of our article around use with a tripod, the MVH502AH will work with the majority of sliders on the market at the time of writing and a number of people are doing so without issue.
Question – Does the Manfrotto MVH502AH mount to the Manfrotto dollies?
Answer – This actually depends on the dollie in question rather than the head. If the dollie has been designed to work with a flat based head then the MVH502AH should mount without issue.
Question – How much maintenance does the Manfrotto MVH502AH require?
Answer – Like most things, the user manual may tell you to oil up the moving parts on the head once or twice per year but the manufacturers know full well that the majority of people won’t end up doing it. That said, oiling up the moving parts on the MVH502AH only takes a few seconds so it is quick and easy to do.
Third Party Reports
Our Verdict
That brings our Manfrotto MVH502AH review to a close and as you can probably tell, we are massive fans of this tripod head. It will help get you some smooth pan video footage or panoramic images without having to faff on and waste time. It has the reputation it has earned sines its release within the community for a reason and we feel that this head will make a great addition to most peoples camera accessories who need to slowly pan or tile their rigs during use.
Click Here To Read Independent Third Party Reviews Of This Product!
