Quick question for owners of the Manfrotto 502HD head (75mm bowl version)...

eiker_ir

eiker_ir

Well-known member
Can anyone who has used this head tell me if the half ball can be removed to use the tripod on flat surfaces? I know there's a flat version available to purchase but I would like to know if the bowl version it's the same head with just an adapter added.

Thanks for any help!
 
You should be able to get the ball off of the bottom of the head. One way to do it is to lock everything down on your sticks and lock the pan, then twist the head to the left. It should come off the ball.
 
Just trying it and getting nowhere.. It's really stiff, so have to apply a lot of force and I been turning it for quite a while, yet it doesn't seem like it's getting loosier. Will enquire Manfrotto support and update.
 
Thanks for the tip -- do you mean these?
P1610675.jpg
They are black though..

Underneath there's only this:
P1610674.jpg
 
zetty said:
Thanks for the tip -- do you mean these?
View attachment 119592
They are black though..

Underneath there's only this:
View attachment 119593
Click to expand...

Hey Zetty, did you get anywhere with it. I tried to do it a while back by getting a barrel spanner around the nut on the threaded bolt in the 2nd photo, got it off and tried then tried to loosed the bolt with an allen key but it wouldn't budge. Because I'd locked the head off to do it, I couldn't move the head after I unlocked it. It eventually came good and got it back to normal the next day.
 
Ned Kelly said:
Hey Zetty, did you get anywhere with it. I tried to do it a while back by getting a barrel spanner around the nut on the threaded bolt in the 2nd photo, got it off and tried then tried to loosed the bolt with an allen key but it wouldn't budge. Because I'd locked the head off to do it, I couldn't move the head after I unlocked it. It eventually came good and got it back to normal the next day.
Click to expand...

No, I don't have a key that would fit in there. I did unscrew the black bolts on the other side and it came apart, albeit north of the pan drag adjustment wheel. Underneath there were plastic triangles under the pan lock.. More screws to undo. Somewhat it didn't look promising I can detach this head from the halfball, at least not this way, so I stopped. Waiting for response from Manfrotto CS. It's been on ice because of the holidays and they usually take their time but can be really helpful at times.
 
The grub screws should be underneath, flathead screwdriver. They should be at the bottom of those 7 deep wells, there should be 4 of them
 
Steve, no screws, just plastic there although I can see a round contour of where the screws probably lie beneath.
They must have updated the design, so to make the halfball unremovable without physical alteration of the head :/
 
Hmmmm...must admit I don't have any experience of that head, only the 100mm bowl adapter they make, assumed it was just like that. Must be some way to do it that doesn't require dismantling the whole head surely!
Steve
 
I don't think it's possible. We went through this on a production of mine a couple years ago. Two tripods, one had the fixed ball, the other had the flat base + a 75mm ball. We struggled to take the fixed version apart, but after giving up on that one, realized the other one was easily able to be disassembled.
 
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