Bogen / Manfrotto 701RC2 Mini Fluid Video Head w/Sliding RC2 Rapid Connect Plate
Details
- Availability:
- Usually ships in 1-2 business days
- List Price:
- $127.00
- Our Price:
- $110.00
- Savings:
- 13%
- Average Customer Rating:
- 4.0 out of 5
- Manufacturer:
- Bogen
Ready to Buy?
- List Price:
- $127.00
- Our Price:
- $110.00
Features
- Delivers a wide range of balancing positions
- Single pan handle
- Compact and lightweight but can hold loads up to 8.8 pounds
Description
Small and lightweight, this fluid video head is capable of accommodating a payload of up to 9.0 lbs, and is ideal for set-ups such as a fully equipped 3 CCD mini DV camcorder (GL2 or PDX10) or a spotting scope combined with a digital still or video camera for digiscoping purposes. The 701RC2 is one of the most compact and lightweight two way heads found on the market and was designed principally to support the latest digital video equipment, including mini DV and the latest prosumer/professional compact HI DEFINITION camcorders. In addition, the 701RC2 is well-suited for still photography cameras with medium and long telephoto lenses. It is equipped with a fixed 3.3 lb counterbalance spring and a sliding plate (from +15mm to - 15mm) to deliver a wide range of balancing positions. Fluid drag on the 701RC2 is fixed like on the 700RC2 with pan and tilt locks. The 701RC2 has a fixed length pan bar with a soft handle and separate locking mechanisms to the head to adjust in many positions. The sliding quick release video plate system is based on the 3157N and is equipped with the usual VHS registration pin.
Spotlight customer reviews
Good video head
[ Posted: 2008-09-07 ]
Very fluid motion in all directions. Has mechanism to balance the camera in place when you let go of the handle.
Doesn't Stay Level
[ Posted: 2008-08-29 ]
For the money, this is not a bad fluid-action pan/tilt head, and at first it seems to be made with high precision and strength, which of course is great.
BUT, after using it for more than a year, and having constant problems levelling my camera, I realized that the head goes out of level when you pan it! Seriously, I set the tripod/head/camera to perfectly level (which is often a several-minute procedure) then pan 90 degrees, and it's out of level! If you watch closely as you pan, you can see that the mechanism is not flat.
Big flaw in an otherwise fantastic head.
Great tool
[ Posted: 2008-08-18 ]
I mounted this fluid head on a Joby GP3-01EN Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras and used it to video wildlife on a safari in Kenya. I would wrap the Gorillapod legs around the rollbar of the Land Rover and use the bubble on the fluid head to get it level. With the huge zoom I had I don't know how I could have gotten some of the shots I did without this setup.
Pan drag not adequate
[ Posted: 2008-07-28 ]
I compared the 701rc2 to the discontinued Manfrotto 3130 and found this item to be seriously lacking.
1) The pan drag cannot really be tensioned despite the use of the locks. This means it's really hard to do a smooth pan at high zoom levels as there's no back tension to push against. You have to be able to vary the drag due to different cameras used. While one can argue the locks are locks and not a drag lever, on the 3130 the locks can also be used to increase drag, and this is true of even the high end Vintens. Inability to control drag with any precision is a deal breaker.
2) The fluid head only seems to impact the tilt (up/down) motion, in this aspect it's pretty good.
3)The receiver for the QR (quick release) plate is not a smooth action as one slides it back and forth, suggesting less than precise finish. I noticed this on two different units, so it's not a fluke.
4) I really don't care for the QR release lever sticking out from the body when the QR plate is in the camcorder. It seems far too likely to catch on something, possibly dumping a very expensive camcorder on the ground. Yikes! I returned this item after testing.
By the way, if you really care about shooting good video, get a good tripod. You'll do so eventually.
Bogen / Manfrotto 701RC2
[ Posted: 2007-11-27 ]
Perfect product for my spotting scope as well as my heavy Canon camera and lenses.