manfrotto 502, as an upgrade to rc129
- Thread starter deleuze3
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henryqiu
Well-known member
Hi there,
I remembered your last post where you mentioned 701. Now you're looking into 502, which is good.
I have 502, and for studio use it is perfect - I do mean perfect - for a lightweight camera (such as 5D or 60D) without a crazy amount (hence heavy load) of accessories attached to it.
Although 502 is so good, the problem is that I also have 701. 502 = 1.6kg. 701 = 0.8kg. 502 is 2x as heavy as 701. 502 is also about 2x as big as 701, and looks top heavy too when mounted on a lightweight photo tripod or gorilla pod or a portable slider. 502 is much less portable than 701, especially when traveling ultralight is desirable. For location use I found I always had to leave 502 behind and instead pick 701. I don't like 701, as it's not nearly as good as 502, but I'm still glad I bought 701 years ago (later it was discontinued). In terms of size 701 is close to the ball heads I used to use, and can be used just like a sturdy ball head for all the lenses I have. It gets job done when it comes to tilting and panning, though it's not easy (if possible) to get a very smooth movement. Before I bought 701, I went to B&H in person several times and looked through almost every video head I could possibly get hands on. 701 was a compromise from the very beginning. I bought 502 as soon as it came out, with the hope to replace 701. But later found: 502 can not replace 701 at all.
Verdict: With a lightweight DSLR, 502 is a perfect video head for studio use and (if you don't care about size/weight) location use as well. But for location use, there are more portable options that can manage to get job done in a not perfect but acceptable way.
I remembered your last post where you mentioned 701. Now you're looking into 502, which is good.
I have 502, and for studio use it is perfect - I do mean perfect - for a lightweight camera (such as 5D or 60D) without a crazy amount (hence heavy load) of accessories attached to it.
Although 502 is so good, the problem is that I also have 701. 502 = 1.6kg. 701 = 0.8kg. 502 is 2x as heavy as 701. 502 is also about 2x as big as 701, and looks top heavy too when mounted on a lightweight photo tripod or gorilla pod or a portable slider. 502 is much less portable than 701, especially when traveling ultralight is desirable. For location use I found I always had to leave 502 behind and instead pick 701. I don't like 701, as it's not nearly as good as 502, but I'm still glad I bought 701 years ago (later it was discontinued). In terms of size 701 is close to the ball heads I used to use, and can be used just like a sturdy ball head for all the lenses I have. It gets job done when it comes to tilting and panning, though it's not easy (if possible) to get a very smooth movement. Before I bought 701, I went to B&H in person several times and looked through almost every video head I could possibly get hands on. 701 was a compromise from the very beginning. I bought 502 as soon as it came out, with the hope to replace 701. But later found: 502 can not replace 701 at all.
Verdict: With a lightweight DSLR, 502 is a perfect video head for studio use and (if you don't care about size/weight) location use as well. But for location use, there are more portable options that can manage to get job done in a not perfect but acceptable way.
cpreston
Veteran
The 500AH is the replacement for the 701 and I have about four of them along with the 701. The 500AH is a bit bulkier, but it's actually easier to balance, set-up, and use. I think it is also lighter. The fluidity of the head is fantastic even under the heavy loads that I use it with. I had the old 501HD and would choose the 701 or 500AH over it any day unless I knew I was going to be doing a lot of tilting with a heavy camera load and needed the spring. I don't know if the 502 is better than the older 501. Anyway, I'm a big fan of the 500AH and have them on sliders, jibs, monopods, etc.
henryqiu
Well-known member
In general, no. A key difference is that 502 can be set to have zero friction so that your camera can, with a gentle touch, freely move, and stops where you want it to stop (unless it's in an extremely up/down position). In the case of 701, an elastic may be good in smoothing a simple basic movement, and that's it (e.g., if you use a long lens to tightly follow a running basketball player, no elastic can help).
Michael Carter
Veteran
Amazingly enough, there's a support section on this forum for tripods and so on - unless the 502 only works with "Canon APS-C Cameras", you might get more info there…
(I know, thread-organizing nazi, ain't I?)
(I know, thread-organizing nazi, ain't I?)
from 128rc just about anything is much better.
I have manfrotto 501 and 503 they are light years better than 128rc
I also have sachtler which is lightyears better than manfrotto
In real world shots and with a dslr and some skill noone will knwo the difference between a sachtler of a few k$ or 20$ velbon 368 or whatever the exact number is which also works just fine...if you are careful.
The manfrotto you want as mentioned is heavy and big. Buy secondhand if you find them near where you live, these things can be damaged and not working properly
I have manfrotto 501 and 503 they are light years better than 128rc
I also have sachtler which is lightyears better than manfrotto
In real world shots and with a dslr and some skill noone will knwo the difference between a sachtler of a few k$ or 20$ velbon 368 or whatever the exact number is which also works just fine...if you are careful.
The manfrotto you want as mentioned is heavy and big. Buy secondhand if you find them near where you live, these things can be damaged and not working properly