Bogen / Manfrotto 486RC2 Compact Ballhead with Rapid Connect 2 (Quick
Release) Review
12/10/2006
|
After adding a ballhead (484RC2) to my Velbon UP-40 monopod, I
decided to upgrade my 680B monopod with a ballhead. The Bogen /
Manfrotto 486RC2 Compact Ballhead seem to be about the right size
for Bogen / Manfrotto's 680B monopod. The
unit, thankfully, arrived in a small box and not in one of those
hermetically sealed, tamper-proof, un-openable plastic package.
As much as I hate the plastic package, it does have one huge advantage...
it keeps the product safe, in one piece and hopefully with all
items included. I've experienced missing items in boxes, but none
in plastic packages (so far). |
| What's Inside |
|
1 - Bogen / Manfrotto 486RC2 Compact Ballhead with Rapid Connect
2 (Quick Release)
1 - 3157N Quick Release Plate
1 - Instructions guide
1 - General Instructions and Warning guide
1 - 2-Year Warranty + Additional 3-Years after Registering Online or by Mail
|
| Bogen / Manfrotto 486RC2 Compact
Ballhead Specifications |
| Maximum Load Capacity |
|
SLR with medium size lens, light medium
format camera |
| Load Capacity |
|
13.2 lb (6 kg) |
| Height |
|
3.75" (9.5 cm) |
| Base Diameter |
|
1.9" (4.8 cm) |
| Quick Release |
|
Yes |
| Spirit Level |
|
No |
| Tension Control |
|
No |
| Tripod Mount Thread Size |
|
3/8"-16 |
| Weight |
|
1.00 lb (0.45 kg) |
| A look at Bogen / Manfrotto's 486RC2 Compact Ballhead
with Rapid Connect 2 (Quick Release) |
 |
 |
 |
| The complete ballhead unit |
12 oz soda, 486RC2 and 484RC2 |
680B monopod in the background |
Since my only experience with ballheads is the mini 484RC2, I find
that Bogen / Manfrotto's 486RC2 Compact Ballhead is not all that
compact. From the base to the surface of the mounting plate, it's
about the same height as the 484RC2 (just short of 4").
The 486RC2 has a larger hard phenolic resin ball making the movement of the ball
a bit more smoother than the smaller one in the 484RC2. Same as the 484RC2, the
486RC2 ball housing is die cast aluminum with a durable texture matte black finish.
The interior of the housing is precision machined. The base is milled aluminum
and it doesn't appear to have any finish on it. The center of the base is tapped
for 3/8"-16
threads.
The die cast aluminum Rapid Connect (RC2) has the same finish as the housing
and is mounted to the ball with 3/8"-16 threads which is locked in place
with an allen screw. The 3157N quick release plate is die cast anodized aluminum
with a non-slip rubber pad and even though it has holes for a VHS (camcorder
locator/positioning) pin, the pin is not included. Probably because this product
is targeted towards camera users (which I plan to use with my camcorder). |
| Ballhead |
The ballhead can swing/tilt left to right about 30 degrees either
way. However, there are slots on opposite sides that allow swinging/tilting
the ballhead at over 90 degrees.
As with my previous experience
with Bogen / Manfrotto's Mini Ballhead,
the 486RC2 Compact Ballhead was
also loaded with a lot of dark
gray grease around the ball and
stem which I wiped off with a clean
rag. |
| Ball Lever |
|
You can re-position the ball lever simply by pulling it out and
rotating it. The spring loaded lever will lock in place in 30 degree
increments. The pictures on the left shows the lever, in the locked
position, pointing up. Personally I like to have it locked in the
down position. |
| Quick Release |
 |
 |
 |
| Safety lever locked |
Safety lever released |
Quick release open |
 |
 |
 |
| Pop-up pin down |
Pop-up pin holds quick release lever open |
To open the quick release lever, you'll need to rotate the safety
lever away from the plate. Once you pull out the quick release
lever fully, a pin pops up, lifting the quick release plate and
locking the release lever open. The use of this pop-up pin is a
nice feature and, unfortunately, is not incorporated in Bogen/Manfrotto's
728B tripod.
Replacing the 3157N quick release plate by engaging the front, then pushing down
the back, will lower the pin and close the release lever.
The safety lever is an important feature of the RC2 mechanism because it will
prevent accidental opening of the release lever. |
| Quick Release Plate |
The 3157N quick release plate is solid and fairly light. It weighs
just under an ounce, or about 4 quarters (US). There's a slight
recess (or indentation) on one side indicating the front of the
plate and there are two sets of recessed marks on the bottom pointing
to the direction of the lens. Number 1 is for cameras and number
2 for camcorders.
As I mentioned before, the quick release plate did not come with
a VHS (camcorder
locator/positioning) pin. Luckily I kept pin that came with 728B tripod.
What I like about the 3157N quick release plate is the thumb screw. The thumb
screw is steel with black chrome finish. The head of the screw has a flip out
D-ring, so you don't have to worry about carrying around a screw driver, or making
sure you have coins in your camera bag. |
| Using Bogen / Manfrotto's 486RC2 Compact Ballhead with Rapid
Connect 2 (Quick Release) |
Bogen / Manfrotto's 486RC2 Compact Ballhead is a perfect fit the
680B monopod. The pictures to the left shows Sony's DCR-TRV950
mounted on the ballhead.
It takes a little practice using the camcorder on a ballhead. You'll
find that with the right amount of tension on the ballhead
lever will give you just enough damping to allow smooth
motion when swinging/tilting the camcorder. |
| Conclusion |
The ballhead adds a lot of versatility to the monopod. In other
words, there are times when you want to tilt the camcorder to the
left or right, up or down. The ballhead allows you to do that.
:-)
Gary Kawamura |
|
