Bogen / Manfrotto 484RC2 Mini Ballhead

[plbb]

Would the Bogen / Manfrotto 484RC2 Mini Ballhead be suitable for monopod use (680B mono) or is it meant for lighter cameras than the 30D + lens? It's compact so I thought perhaps it would be a good one to carry around?


I need an effective monopod and ballhead for birds, wildlife, landscape... something I can take to the lake, use where it's rocky & rugged along lakeshores. So fairly easy and quick, reasonably light. I'm a hobbyist only & plan to try out the bush and boat for photos this summer and just realized I would likely need a monopod set-up.


Reading the forum tonight it sounds as though the 486RC2 is a popular choice - would this be a better choice for me as well?


I really don't even know what I should be looking for in a monopod and head as this will be my first summer with the camera. I have the 488RC2 on my tripod now - perhaps this will suffice?

I would sure appreciate some advice. Thanks!

PB

[Greg_C]

I've got a 486RC2 on mine and have have no complaints. Like you I have a 100-400 and I've successfully used this combo many times. If your budget will stretch to the separate heads then this will be the way to go. Hope this helps.

[SkipD]

I own the 484RC2, 486RC2, and 488RC2. The only task I would use the 484RC2 for is a very lightweight camera such as a point-n-shoot. The ball is too small for anything significantly heavier.

Even the 486RC2 can slip a little with a rig like my 20D/grip and 24-70 f/2.8L in "portrait" mode.

However, on a monopod, the 486RC2 seems to be totally up to the task for even the fairly heavy cameras and lenses. That's because if there is a tiny bit of slip, you merely move the monopod a little bit to compensate while framing up the subject.

For tripod use, the 488RC2 is the only one of the three that I recommend when there can be fairly heavy loads used with the rig off to one side and you can't tolerate the slipping of the smaller ball heads.

[Scoobs]

I've not tried the 484 but I do use the 486RC2 on my monopod (same one as yours) I've not used it with anything bigger than a 20D plus 70-200 f2.8 yet but am happy so far.

488RC2 for my tripod. V nice.

Stu

[Jon]

I'd think the 484 will have trouble with an unbalanced load, such as a large lens without tripod ring. Unless the only purpose of the head is to keep the camera from actually slipping off the support, I'd get a bigger one. I know the 486 will hold my 5D/24-70 L with no problem; a smaller head won't; it sags forward if let loose.

[plbb]

Thank you everyone - all your experienced responses have helped me so much!

Should be interesting trying out a monopod - my biggest fear is that I'm going to forget it's not a tripod and let it go! :shock:

[JWright]

I think you'll find that most people who shoot birds and other wildlife use a tripod rather than a monopod. The only place where a monopod is widely used is in sports photography where large, long fast lenses are used, and most of those are only to hold the weight of the lens, rather than for increased steadiness.

I also have the 100-400 and I don't use my monopod for birds. I use a tripod with a Wimberley Sidekick or handhold the lens. I think you'd find the monopod gets in the way for in-flight photography.

That said, the 486RC2 is really too large for use on a monopod, especially with a lens the size of the 100-400. Since the 100-400 has a tripod collar you don't need a ball head to go vertical. All you really need is a way to tilt the lens and camera forward and back. I found the best way is the Manfrotto/Bogen 3229 Tilt head. This has an RC2 QR plate on it so it's compatible with the 486 and 488 RC2 ball heads. I think you'll find this to be a lighter and more compact solution for a monopod...

http://216.25.78.123/pics/bogen/3229.jpg

[plbb]

Thanks John, very good food-for-thought...

I haven't even had the 400 on the tripod yet to see how the collar works or how I am going to do with hand-holding that lens. Sounds like I might be jumping the gun here and need to experience my equipment more to really know what I might need in terms of wildlife shooting. If the snow EVER goes up here I had better do just that before getting more equip I may not ever use.

I ran across a "grip" type head when I was researching - does this type of head help or hinder? I guess I'm not very confident about my photography skills as yet and look for ways to better my odds of getting a half-decent image.

Thanks for mentioning the 3229 tilt head and explanation in that direction - will definitely be keeping that in mind.

[JWright]

At one time I considered a grip-type head for my tripod, until I had occasion to borrow a Wimberley Sidekick from a friend. I now use one in conjunction with a Manfrotto 488RC2 ball head. Essentially, what this does is turn your normal ball head into a gimbal mount.This is a great combination because you can set the lens to balance on the Sidekick so when you let go of the camera it doesn't move. The only drawback is that it requires the use of Arca-Swiss compatible plates on the lens and camera. I had to remove the standard Manfrotto RC2 clamp from the ball head and replace it with an Arca style clamp from Kirk.

Here is what my rig looks like:

http://johnwright.smugmug.com/photos/134381766-M.jpg