The New Manfrotto 3 Way Geared Head!!

bbg404

bbg404

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Who fancies one??

The Manfrotto 3WG MHXPRO-Xpro 3 way Geared Head .......

I saw this is a magazine months ago and I've kept my eye on it but it doesn't really look like it's took off yet or even available but I really like the look of it and I want one haha
 
daugirdas said:
410 head is cheaper. The new is a lot lighter but can't take as much load. It only takes a few seconds to type in your CC number :)
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I have a 410 and I'm not a big fan as I find the controls sticky and stiff and not at all fun particularly in cold weather when stubbed fingers and thumbs are highly likely. Whilst being happy with the precision the head allows any improvement in operation would be a massive step forward IMVHO.
 
woof woof said:
I find the controls sticky and stiff
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It might require service or relubrication particularly if you had it for a while. It should be relatively smooth, but it is certainly made for someone normally using 3-5kg setup on a daily basis. Probably you are the target market of the new lighter head.
 
daugirdas said:
It might require service or relubrication particularly if you had it for a while. It should be relatively smooth, but it is certainly made for someone normally using 3-5kg setup on a daily basis. Probably you are the target market of the new lighter head.
Click to expand...

It's been like this since new and the others I've tried have been just the same. It's smooth once it's going... but the controls seem to have too much initial jam to overcome and there isn't enough room, and I have small hands and I'm used to being precise.

I bought it while I had my Canon DSLR and mainly the Sigma 150mm but as they've gone now I could probably use a lighter set up but having been more than disappointed with the operation of 410 I'd definitely try before buying. To me these things need more precise, lighter and smoother controls, they should be like well engineered watches not the rather crude things they are, IMVHO.
 
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Here's a video of this new head....


Manfrotto products are very well thought out and designed but as always it's horses-for-courses and so it depends on your type of photography and consequently what suits your needs.

Yes, it is stylish to have nice red anodised rings on it (red is my favourite colour) but I would always choose camera gear for its functionality rather than sexy looks.
 
woof woof said:
It's been like this since new and the others I've tried have been just the same. It's smooth once it's going... but the controls seem to have too much initial jam to overcome and there isn't enough room, and I have small hands and I'm used to being precise.

I bought it while I had my Canon DSLR and mainly the Sigma 150mm but as they've gone now I could probably use a lighter set up but having been more than disappointed with the operation of 410 I'd definitely try before buying. To me these things need more precise, lighter and smoother controls, they should be like well engineered watches not the rather crude things they are, IMVHO.
Click to expand...

I've had mine for a couple of years and occasionally found the controls got a bit stiff. It was always freed up again by briefly using the control that disengages the gears, move it slightly and re-engage. Over a period of time I noticed a bit too much play on one of the axis so decided to strip, re-grease and tighten the whole thing. It breathed new life into it and has been fine since. I had considered the 405 but the extra weight and size put me off. The 410 is a bit crude mechanically so I'd be interested to see how the new one is put together,.

Despite it's shortcomings it's ideal for the sort of photography I do and at half the price of a 405 it's a no brainer. The Arca Swiss geared heads look nice but £850!!
 
bbg404 said:
What do you mean by type in your CC Number??
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....I think he means type in your Credit Card # and buy one online. But I don't quite understand the relevance other than a way of saying that it's easy to buy one - Something which applies to most camera gear if not all.
 
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