MINI TESTS
MANFROTTO 504X FLUID VIDEO HEAD WITH 635 FAST SINGLE CARBON LEG £1115/$1110 manfrotto.com
By pushing a locking button at the top of each leg, these can be splayed out wider, so it’s ideal for uneven ground or getting the tripod low. The options are 20 ° , 50 ° or 70 ° , clearly marked on the tripod top. To get things level, the 504X has Manfrotto’s 75mm ball adapter fitted. You can unlock this quickly from under the head, adjusting until the illuminated spirit level shows all is flat. Then, simply tighten it up again. The carbon-fibre build is good quality, meaning the legs are sturdy, yet not too heavy. The top of the tripod also has two of Manfrotto’s 3/8in Easy Link adapters to fit articulating arms that can hold an array of accessories. And at the bottom are rubber feet covers, which can be removed to expose spikes. The tripod alone can support 20kg/44lb. As always, it’s the head that is the limiting factor. With the 504X, this drops to 12kg/26.5lb, but it’s still big enough for the majority of cinema cameras. The head has a very stripped- back design, but there’s everything you need. The fluid-controlled drag on the pan and tilt is adjustable via distinct knobs that are easy to grip and obvious to use. And to stop the camera from slowly tilting forward or back when the tilt drag is set to
If you have an alphabetical memory, you might recall that this tripod kit combines the Manfrotto MVTSNGFC tripod and MVH504XAH fluid head with the 75mm ball adapter. Luckily, Manfrotto now offers a complete kit called the 504X Fluid Video Head with 635 Fast Single Carbon Leg. It’s ideal for larger cameras. It consists of the carbon-fibre Fast tripod in a single-legged style with the high-quality 504X fluid head. The package costs £1115/$1110, but for that, you get true pro quality. The innovation is in the Fast tripod legs, which make it quick and easy to set the tripod up to the right height and lock it into place. This is crucial for larger and heavier cameras, and you can do it with a camera mounted on the top, if you are careful. To adjust the height, you grab hold of the entire bottom section of each leg and twist. After raising the tripod to the desired height, a single twist of each leg locks the tripod back in place. It’s definitely faster than having to undo multiple lever locks or twist locks. And on set, that simplicity and speed makes a difference. The legs have good rubber grips at the top too, so you know where to grab hold. Their large size also means it’s easy to get a solid grip to lock the legs firmly into the correct position.
ABOVE The Fast legs are an obvious
SPECIFICATIONS Head Fitting: 75mmball Counterbalance: 4 step Leg Sections: 3 carbon-fibre, twist lock Height range: 155-2850mm/11.22-61.02in MaximumPayload: 12kg/26.5lb Spreader Type: None FoldedHeight: 735mm/28.94in Weight: 5.8kg/12.7lb low resistance, there is a four-way counterbalance adjuster, too. The pan and tilt action is very smooth with no bounceback, rendering smooth and organic shots. The 504P sliding camera plate is long to allow for adjustment and the camera can be pushed on to the head from above where it clicks into position before being locked by a conventional clamp. Everything on this tripod is about speed and ease of use, ease of adjusting and a very smooth controlled action. That’s pretty much what you want when spending over a grand on a tripod. PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: 9/10 A new way of quickly setting up larger camera rigs Pros: Fast to operate, easy to use Cons: No spreader included
difference to more run-of- the-mill tripods
LEFT The head is easy to level, thanks to the 75mm bowl fitting. Build quality is good
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