Manfrotto MHXPRO-BHQ2, XPRO Ball Head, Magnesium Body with 200 PL Plate, Triple Locking System, Levelling Bubbles, for DSLR, Compact System Camera, Mirrorless

Really pleased I bought this ball head for my 190go aluminium tripod. Was using a Manfrotto mini ball head from another much smaller tripod which, whilst a good head, was not really a good fit on the 190go. I am really impressed with it’s smoothness in operation and all round quality feel. A good quality head like this makes light work of framing your shot and a more enjoyable experience. For its size the 500g weight is pretty good and is still well balanced with the aluminium tripod.

A well made and compact piece of equipment. All movements are fluid and the locking levers are substantial and work well. The bubble levels are well placed and make life so much easier. I am using it with a Canon 5D4 and it carries that well. I haven't used it with my Rolleiflex 2.8C yet so can't comment on its medium format performance. Has replaced a Kennet 3-way pan and tilt head dating from the mid 80's and the 200PL is a god send compared to the struggle with fixing a camera to the Kennet and its fustrating screws and lock nut design. Recommended.

A few months ago I bought a Neewer Carbon fibre tripod for travel nice and light but the head was an afterthought and it needed to be replaced, there were two versions of the Manfrotto XPro Ball head one with the standard PL plate and one with the Arker swiss design, the latter had mixed reviews so I went with the PL plate, and it was the best move as its lightweight and a joy to move into that position, Its a first class product so it cost more than my tripod but when I upgrade my tripod I do not need to worry about the ball head.

The main body is built like a tank and the friction and release controls are great - little chance of your camera dropping sideways unless you really loosen everything. When mine arrived, I had to tighten the camera mount to the ball using a hex key, which was no big deal but something to check when yours arrives. Note that the dials are plastic. That's probably not at huge risk of failure but the plastic parts of the locking mechanism don't feel quite as sturdy as the rest of the head. That said, it works well and I think should take some fairly heavy use. It's rated up to 10kg so most users won't test it to its limits. However, one or two extra parts in metal wouldn't go amiss for the price. I also note that extra 200PL release plates are around £15 at the time of writing and third party versions are available, so that doesn't break the bank if you want to switch bodies or leave plates on the mounting collars of big lenses.

I bought this Manfrotto Ball Head to replace my Manfrotto Pistol Grip 322RC2 which I hated. The Manfrotto XPro is a huge improvement. With a 10kg Payload has double the capacity of my old head and is such a better design. It easily carry's my DSLR with battery pack and a 70-200L f2.8 lens which only weights half of the total capacity of this head. The adjustments are smooth and very controllable due to the friction device and having the ability to independently pan the head is a big bonus, and one missing from some much more expensive heads. I prefer the 200PL locking plate rather than the Arca Swiss type, as it's faster to fit the camera, but it's also £50 cheaper to by the head with the 200PL plate. The only thing I don't like about this ball head are the plastics used for the locking levers, but considering the price this really is a minor point. Comes complete with 2 spirit levels pan angle gauge and a 10 year warranty if you register the product with Manfrotto. Worth every penny.

Since it's made of magnesium it's a very lightweight head unit indeed & is perfect then for pairing with a modern day portable carbon tripod. It's built like a tank too so I don't doubt it's longevity but just in case I registered at Manfrotto's website which extends it's warranty to 10 yrs. The dials feel solidly built & result in your camera staying pretty much where you set it at not tending to droop forward with gravity on some lesser well made heads. All in all I'm very glad I opted for this model versus the cheaper medium sized Manfrotto ball head unit & I think it was well worth the extra cost. So all in all I have only praise for this particular head unit & can thoroughly recommend it especially pairing it with a good carbon tripod :)

A fantastic bit of equipment I wish I had bought before. I feel so much more confident my camera is not going to move once locked in position. To me the 200 PL plate is more valuable for its quick release and lock rather than the Arca Swiss model which costs more and a bit more fiddly. The tensioner knob works very well, just a few clicks to get the right resistance required. The larger locking knob simply works fantastically well, with my Nikon D7200 and the Tamron 70-300 lens fitted, the ball head does not budge, even with the smallest tweak of the locking knob. I managed to purchase this from Amazon at the right time, when it was on offer at just £75.20. I am so glad I made this investment, it has made photography on a tripod so much more enjoyable. My last ball head was simply not up to the job and would often allow the camera to slowly creep down even with the tensioner knob and the lock knob tightly screwed in.

There isn't much I can add to all the other positive reviews of this ball head. If you've ever purchased a Manfrotto product, you already know the type of build quality and features to expect. It is extremely well built with a solid feel in the hand and fantastic features for tripod users. The simplicity of its knobs and switches is also admirable, so your fingers quickly learn how to operate the mechanisms and it becomes second nature. Well done to Manfrotto for maintaining their usual level of quality and engineering.

J'étais à la recherche d'une rotule haut de gamme pour remplacer un modèle de base qui était installé d'origine sur mon trépied car elle ne supportait pas le poids de mon matériel (Pentax K5 + grip + Sigma 18-35 ART). Cette rotule était une des plus recommandée dans les divers essais que j'ai lu et pour cause: faciliter d'utilisation, stable, grandes possibilités de réglages. C'est un must ! Seuls points qui peuvent gêner: la taille (dans mon cas, je dois l'enlever du trépied pour pouvoir ranger celui-ci dans son sac de transport), le poids car oui, elle est assez lourde. Je la recommande vivement à toute personne qui souhaite une rotule haut de gamme et qui est réellement solide à l'usage.

Solidly Built, little heavy though. Excellent Choice for a Monopod or a Tripod. Love Manfrotto products. This head is easy to use and allows for a range of motion for the camera. The plate and cradle mechanism is amazing for quickly transitioning from tripod to handheld camera use. Would highly recommend!

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I'm very happy with this ball head. It supports my Nikon D810 with a Nikon 200-500mm F5.6e attached rock solid. Very smooth operation. I was a bit worried about the RC2 system having a small plate to attach the lens to, but it works perfectly. I have even bought a spare 200pl plate. Highly recommended.

Lange Zeit hat mich mein 496RC2 Kugelkopf auf meinen Fototouren begleitet. Er ist auf meinem Manfrotto 190XDB Aluminium Stativ montiert und war mit mir in vielen Ecken der Welt unterwegs. Das 190XDB Stativ ist relativ kompakt und leicht (52cm, ca. 1,5kg, Arbeitshöhe ohne Mittelsäule ca. 120cm), und der 496RC2 hat super auf dieses Stativ gepasst. Allerdings ist meine Art der Fotografie immer aufwendiger geworden, die Ausrüstung immer aufwendiger, größer und schwerer, und meine Ansprüche immer höher. Also musste ein neues, stabiles Stativ mit einem starken Kugelkopf her. Beim Stativ habe ich mich für ein Manfrotto 055cxpro3 Carbon Stativ entschieden, der Kugelkopf ist der oben genannte MHXPRO-BHQ2 geworden. Ich habe mich auch dieses Mal wieder bewusst gegen Arca System entschieden. Dennoch nutze ich bei manchem Zubehör auch Arca System, geht aber auch mit den PL200 Schnellwechselplatten wunderbar. Außerdem geht es mit den PL200 Schnellwechseplatten deutlich schneller und mMn. sicherer. Dieser Kugelkopf nutzt so wie meine anderen Stative die kleine und handliche PL200 Schnellwechselplatte. Das war mir wichtig, damit die Kompatibilität weiterhin besteht und ich nicht dauernd zwischen verschiedenen Platte n wechseln muss. Dieser Kugelkopf ist deutlich massiver und hochwertiger gebaut als der 496RC2 Kugelkopf. Er besitzt im Gegensatz zum 496RC2 eine individuell einstellbare und rotierende Panoramaachse. Die Verstellung und Handhabung ist angenehm, es ruckelt nix. Der Kugeldurchmesser ggü. 496RC2 ist deutlich größer (siehe Bild). Alles in allem ist es ein sehr solider, stylischer Kugelkopf, mit dem das Fotografieren einfach nur Spaß macht. Die Qualität ist typisch Manfrotto - sehr fein und hochwertig. Ich kann diesen Kugelkopf uneingeschränkt weiterempfehlen. Sehr guter Job, Manfrottto!